Annual Report 2007-08 - the Parliamentary and Health Service ...

14Case StudyabcIntervention ended wait for footappointmentMr C complained first to the Healthcare Commission and thento the Ombudsman about the fact that he would have to waitfour months for an appointment with a podiatrist (four monthswas the average waiting time for routine podiatry care). During ourconsideration of Mr C’s complaint, we contacted Brent TeachingPrimary Care Trust to explain his ongoing concerns and to askwhen he was likely to receive an appointment with the podiatrist.As a result of that intervention, the Trust contacted the SeniorPodiatrist who agreed to contact Mr C by telephone on a specificdate to offer him an appointment.InvestigationsFormal investigations involve detailedand thorough examination of the factsof a case. They often run to months, oroccasionally years, of work. They are alsoin a minority, because most complaintsreferred to us are not consideredappropriate for full investigation.We accepted 703 cases for investigationrelating to 737 complaints. 70 of thesecases related to continuing care.Figure 5 shows the number of complaintswe accepted for investigation by typeof NHS body or individual, except for theHealthcare Commission (624).We reported on a total of 636investigations in 2007-08, of which 93were about continuing care. Overall,we upheld 38% of complaints in fulland partly upheld a further 11%, althoughwe upheld, in full or in part, 56% ofcontinuing care complaints. Figure 6shows the number of complaints wereported on by type of NHS bodyor individual, and the outcomes ofthose complaints.Figures 20, 21 and 22 in Chapter 4 ofthis report give full details of all ourinvestigations of complaints about NHSbodies and individuals and theiroutcomes, broken down by StrategicHealth Authority area. There are separatetables for continuing care complaints,other complaints, and all healthcomplaints because continuing care caseswere still a substantial component of ourwork in 2007-08. Further detail oncontinuing care cases is given on page 45.34