Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman Reviews 

Useless service - absolute waste of space

I submitted a complaint about the treatment I received at an NHS urgent care center, which resulted in disfigurement to my face due to the actions of an emergency practitioner nurse. Thankfully, I was able to afford private surgery to correct the damage.

The nurse failed to consult a specialist and attempted to stitch a deep wound near my lacrimal gland—something that clearly requires the expertise of a surgeon or ophthalmologist, not a general nurse. When I brought this to the Ombudsman, I was told their medical adviser was a nurse with 25 years of experience. Frankly, this is unacceptable. No matter how experienced, a nurse is not qualified to make specialist surgical assessments. It felt like a clear attempt to cover up NHS failings.

I appealed the decision and specifically requested a review by an appropriate medical specialist. Again, the case was reviewed based on the advice of a nurse, and my appeal was rejected.

To make matters worse, my caseworker handled the process poorly. Her communication and oversight were unprofessional and contributed to what was already a distressing experience.

This entire process has been deeply disappointing. It shows how difficult it is to get accountability within the system, especially when poor decisions are protected rather than properly investigated.

All of the employee that I have dealt with at PHSO have been unprofessional, incompetent and lazy. I have been required to supply supporting evidence for everything that I have said. The surgery have failed to supply evidence and frequently lied. I have even exposed the lies but staff have simply ignored that. The PHSO intaker handlers and investigators have failed to show any impartiality and appear to have always accepted what the surgery says. The investigators have misled me into believing that I would be supplied with evidence from the surgery which was untrue. I agreed to the surgery carrying out a complaints procedure self audit believing that I would see the audit. When I requested the review I was denied. I have for many years worked in an audit unit. I was also given the impression that evidence would be gathered from the surgery that I would be able to review. That never happened! I challenged the medical reviewers finding but was told that I could not make a formal complaint to the GMC because PHSO does not disclose the doctor’s identity. I complained to managers but they were as useless as the front line staff. One tried to convince me that an episode of Atrial Fibrillation 28 years ago qualified as a pre-existing heart condition and that insurance companies would require disclosure.
During my working life I was a registered nurse, prison Governor, trained investigator and auditor. Having managed health care in prisons for many years I find it disgraceful that the public are forced to rely on an organisation that simply dismisses complaints because they only want to investigate serious incidents. I personally believe that the complaints that I made could have resulted in serious harm or even death.

Wowsers, does this organisation waste people's time. After I sent then a lengthy explanation of my complaint about the NHS and its lack of response to my complaint after TEN months, she caseworker phones me today to say she can't give me the outcome I want (accessing the help I need), which I already knew about, but the fact that they are not bothered about the NHS's medical negligence toward me makes me think that this is just another corrupt organisation calling itself 'independent'. What a waste of my time.

The Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman are a total waste of time!. They ignore important evidence, and do their very best to support the very NHS trusts, that they are supposed to be investigating!!.

Almost a year later from initial contact, the case worker told me I must go through legal route first, which is exactly opposite as stated on the application form I filled. What a waste of my time! The caseworker also stated, whether I planned/wanted to take legal route or not, they cannot take my case on. I pointed it out, this mean all cases are excluded, what cases are in scope then? He would not answer. I trusted PHSO so much but I felt cheated and terrible after all these.
What a waste of taxpayer's money to fund this PHSO. I never expected an organisation with such an honourable word Parliamentary in its name would do such awkward thing. I’d not mind them telling the truth from the beginning – they do not deal with my kind of case.
PHSO also advise me to complete the Stage 2 process with the hospital – which wasted me another 6 months involving painful experience with the hospital as their customer service was awful, with dodgy system to block emails and applying delaying tactics to drain my energy.
PHSO’s greatest achievement of PHSO is deepening my sorrow, prolonging my stress, and adding further injustice in my case. I provided so much evidence but they ignored all.

The Parliamentary Health Service Ombudsman is a dishonest organisation. It is operated like a dodgy second-hand car dealership with a culture of immunity.
I have evidence that in my case, the caseworker lied about important documents in order to dismiss my claim. This dishonest behaviour was denied by the caseworker's manager even when shown the evidence.

A simple question was asked that they cannot answer.
If the organisation do not reply to a formal complaint then we're to people go ?

£10,000 worth of my belongings including mobility scooter were lost/stolen by staff at a mental health hospital while in safe keeping:

I sent about 20 complaints in total to the hospital, some by post, some by email, some to PALs, some to CQC, some to ward managers, some to other NHS complaint desks. These were all ignored

I then escalated to PHSO 6 months later and forwarded all complaints and receipts proving items were paid for and delivered to the hospital.

PHSO left my case hanging for over a year, finally gets back to me, tells me they're closing the case as I did not complain to the hospital first (I sent them over 20 complaints!) and because there is no evidence that I had the items on the ward (I have digital receipts they can verify are genuine with my name and the ward delivery address).

We are the few with proof who have made it this far, we used surveillance methods, we had our complaints were ignored for 6 months, we escalated to the PHSO, and here we all are.

For every one of us with proof there's probably around 200 victims without proof. Some of those victims now have less access to healthcare, or some are awaiting trial in our overcrowded prisons.

As I write this TrustPilot review I only imagine that evil nurse type laughing at how easy the PHSO has made her life.

So am I going to stop here on TrustPilot?
No.

I see multiple reviews coming in here per day. The PHSO office is in Millbank Tower in London. Maybe I can't afford lawyers, but could afford to chip in for coaches to London full of real people with proof.

I would like to visit my caseworker outside their office and ask them to kindly explain themselves for a public interview, others here may feel the same.

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I should have a look first before wasting my time with this completely useless organisation.

Absolutely horrible and a huge waste of the U.K. taxpayer’s money, time and hope for justice. The ‘caseworker’ Mr. Ashraf called me to just say ‘I will dismiss your case’, he misinformed me that he does not need to put his decision and rationale in writing and he lied that there is no complaint procedure for his behaviour. And of course they do not record the calls to citizens so there is no evidence of their behaviour. Eventually -after I Insisted- he sent an email just repeating what the service I complained about (London employment tribunal) had wrote to me, repeating again the lie that I don’t have the option to escalate the issue (contrary to what his colleague told me over the phone). I sent an email to the Ombudsman to complaint and it was ignored for months. I came across a job advert for caseworkers for the service and all they ask for is experience in ‘customer service’ and they pay around 20k per year. So you can imagine that if a loved one of yours dies due to a serious medical mistake, the ‘caseworker’ who will deal with your complaint may only have two years experience of customer service for a company selling lipstick. Is this our welfare state? Completely speechless….

CORRUPT!! Totally corrupt to the core. Not independent. Clearly Biased in the NHS & GPs favours. This has already been proven by the fact it hit the papers a certain gynaecologist still works for the NHS despite unnecessarily removing 2 women's reproductive organs & sexually assaulting over a 100 women. Amd admitting to 20.

Here in my case I was maliciously bullied by a new GP. He repeatedly told me to shut up & brought me to tears in first ever face to face visit. Then a few months later when I phoned the surgery to cancel a appointment due to being poorly after 13minutes the receptionist put this doctor on the phone who accused me of being drunk & on drugs despite he knew I did not drunk due to medication I was actually unable & hadn't in year. He hung up on me phoned 999 ambulance lied to them saying I was drunk, drugged up & had took a intentional overdose of paracetamol!! My phone records my calls so when ambulance arrived I placed it for them and they were shocked & said I should complain & that they could tell just from talking to me I wasn't under the influence. I went with them though to do bloodtests so I could prove his lies. That's when I found out by a nurse in hospital I had supposedly took a IOD of paracetamol. Of course my bloods proved all untrue. I did however have sepsis. After complaining to the surgery and NHS I was thrown on to a special allocation programme ( for naughty patients) which i demanded to be delisted from & would just use my private health carer instead. I did not find out for 18months why I jad bern put on it, until when the NHS complaints came back with their decision (which was full of lies & gaslighting so didn't even read the rest,) that that same gp lied & claimed I'd threatened to slash his face with a knife. I had provided all calls to the NHS & ombudsman but the NHS said the opposite of everything in the calls to gaslight me. The ombudsman have sided with the dr that he is in the right to libel against me & give False
& incorrect medical information to 999 which could've cost me my life through being incorrectly treated if I had been unconcious when they came. They've gone on about the lie he made I threatened to slash his face despite I gave them all calls which show it never happened & he has provided NOTHING, bo evidence at all! They also ignored video evidence to my first appointment with this GP. I switched on my camera after the GP repeatedly told me to " Shut up" & bully me with " I don't think you're going to work our here " & snarkly tell me because I was on diazepam " We don't do benzos here " & when pointed out it was controlling my mental health & shown my slit wrists and arms, I was tutted & eye rolled at & told " we've got plenty of cutters here" causing me to break down in tears he brought a member of staff in to play " independent witness" which we know they're anything but. He then changes his tone to bucey nicey telling me to feel free to speak up for myself. Then the second I try to mention something he snaps & talks over me. Of course him and his witness the ombudsman say have said I repeatedly was shouting amd talking over him . They've took their statement as truth and totally ignore my actually video which shows I can barely even speak through crying let alone SHOUT.
Absolutely corrupt organisation. I have provided tonnes of Audios hospital notes & video footage. The GP surgery NONE & Yet they have found in his favour. After what I went through I developed agrophobia & have I can't even say its irrational at this point " fear of doctors"..
The ombudsman is clearly biased. I had already spoken in groups and told the ombudsman are corrupt & apparently a certain politicians wife is head of it and its legal interests over the NHS. Sick of it the UK is a hell hole of corruption & always has bern. The fact we're at a point where even video amd audio evidence is ignored & media don't want to know or say its a none story shows how 4kd this country is.
I pray to God that if not in this lifetime all these crooks in these positions police, medics, ss, etc do not recieve their karma in this life then its will be served in the next.
For now we need to petition to get the Ombudsman closed down. Just another waste of Tax payers money working against us . Matthew beswick was the case handler for my ombudsman case its clear he immideately just shut it down & had no intentions of going through my evidence. He also never sent me his decision. Clearly a tactical move so I couldn't give feedback I was asked for & replied I've not had a outcome yet. To which I got no reply until jist now months later & I can't leave feedback. So now he's sent it. Mentioning nothing of my evidence. They're not interested and paid off. I had to wait over 2years for this decision to complaint.
I know for a fact, the same GP that treated me this way has done it others leading to 1 girl dying if brain tumor. I was told by NHSworker

I can understand why people don’t complain or give up, the process is : heartbreaking,exhausting and expensive,my caseworker was kind, but at the end of it all , despite much criticism of the service I complained about, it was not upheld, there is no appeal or review process, that’s it,if you have any energy left for justice, you have to go to a no win no fee service, however , with the not upheld from PHSO, it reduces chance of success to below their threshold, so sad.
I wish I had read reviews, very few complaints are upheld.

I had to go to the BEH to get steroid eye drops after the RUH ophthalmologist kicked me out of my eye outpatient appointment.
The PHSO wrote in my own verifiable facts as hearsay while the hospital's verbal account was stated as fact.
They had their clinician pick and twist wording on one line from 2 pages of symptoms that I took to my appointment to use against me.
The PHSO said the hospital reopening my complaint during the local complaint process wasn't a premature closure, ignored legislation I cited which is cited in other published reports, referenced hospital complaint policy dated a year after my appointment, ignored GMC guidance and had to follow up twice to get the report after a year of waiting.
Their review was the RUH hadn't done anything wrong. Waste of time and public money.

Oh and just so search engines pick up on it, the RUH chief exec Cara Charles-Barks cancelled my mediation meeting without providing a reason. Thanks Cara!

After the government disregarded your recommendations about giving compensation to waspi women this proves that you are a total and utter waste of time and public money. This should not be allowed to happen

Unfortunately the only way to get anyone to listen maybe, is to collect hard evidence and go public, my experience is don't wait for the inevitable to happen and think that they will feel sorry or empathise with you, the sad reality of it is there job is to do nothing. These organisations are protected by steel bars you are not supposed to get through. Unfortunately I lost 2 parents a year apart with the most hurendous care given to them, the same rehabilitation care home were my mother was sent to rehabilitate has once again been shut down because its inadequate, all that will happen is it will just be opened again with same staff but new management things wont change but they have to look like they are doing something if enough people complain etc. I am now going through another NHS organisation for another health matter, but, like my past experience nothing will get done and the only doorway that you are sent to is parliamentary health ombudsman. Another dead end. So hopefully my past experience will make me a bit better prepared this time around. Dont give up these are our loved ones.

When my family of nurses decided we needed to complain about the ombudsman service we had requested to investigate the hospital trust we were all trained by, we considered that all of the fifty-plus issues we raised would be investigated. Ironically, not a single issue we raised was accepted or investigated. the PHSO blanket response was that no investigations were needed. You might imagine how bitterly angry myself and my family are especially considering the main character in this tragedy was a nurse of 40 years herself and trained at the same hospital. Cover-ups with blatant lies flowed relentlessly from the ombudsman's worthless service. Even after our final response asking if they had actually read our very honest and detailed explanation of events. We got no professional response. Until our dying days my family will relentlessly pursue exposure of a worthless and dispicable PHSO

The caseworker rejected my case but did not bother to send an email or a letter to say they were not going to look at my case. When I chased for a response the caseworker was very cold and said my complaint was closed due to their demand management process. There was no empathy, no concern, no interest in my case, and certainly no desire to investigate the very serious issues I had raised. All I got was a brief message to say as no-one had died or was unable to live a normal life, they were not concerned. This is completely wrong. If the ombudsman’s office limit themselves and refuse to look at any other problems and complaints within the NHS, these will never be corrected and they could end up with more and more death related complaints.

On the ombudsman’s website it says on page after page that they will help. This is very misleading as they will not. Where then can people go who have been badly wronged by the NHS?

Raising my complaint with them was a total waste of time and effort.

Along with the ICO this is just another useless government quango draining public money without serving any useful purpose. Their little gravy train club will shortly be coming to an end though as my MP is launching a parliamentary enquiry into why they are allowed to take public money without actually doing anything.

UCLH vascular department botched my operation. They then refused to give me a Doppler scan to see what was the problem. Instead the consultant - having botched the first operation said she would perform another without even examining me or seeing a scan (as if she is psychic). A scan would of course have revealed the operation was botched. Precisely why they don't want any evidence. What is the PAHSO going to do? Who knows, there's a 7 month waiting list. How many more patients have to suffer in the interim?