I write in response to your Freedom of Information request dated 8 February 2015. I have responded to your questions below.
Question 1
You have previously provided me with information on the many emails you received from people unhappy with your service and decisions.
Please provide details of the number of emails you have received at the complaintsaboutphso mailbox since 19 June 2014. Show the figures for each month.
In the last 60 days (at 11 February 2015) we received 475 emails in the complaintsaboutphso mailbox. We are not unable to break down this figure by month, nor are we able to look back further than 60 days as the information is not held.
Please note, In December 2014 we discontinued using the complaintsaboutphso mailbox. A divert was set up to forward any received emails automatically to our feedbackaboutus@ombudsman.org.uk address. We are not able to provide you with figures for the number of emails that were forwarded to this address as the information is not held.
Question 2
Please provide details of the number of telephone calls you received categorized as "complaints about us" for each month since June 2014. You supplied this information for an earlier period in this response:
Due to the changes of our telephone system, we are unable to provide you a breakdown by month of the ‘complaints about us’ figures which we provided in the linked spreadsheet as the information is not held.
Question 3
In the Feedback about our service section of your website a link is provided to a form that complainants unhappy with your decision can download to complain. A telephone number is also provided:
For each of the past six months, please provide details of the number of times you have been contacted by people using this form.
Our ‘feedback about us’ online form was published on the PHSO website on the 7 January 2015. Between 7 January and 11 February 2015 we received four responses through this form.
Question 4
For each of the past six months please provide details of the number of times you have been contacted on the telephone number:
i. 0345 015 4033; and
ii. 0345 015 4033 by callers who chose option 3.
iii. 0345 015 4033 (option 3) by callers who though "there is something we have done well".
Please find the requested figures below:
i. Number of calls received by the telephone number 0345 015 4033 over the past six months:
August 2014: 2648
September 2014: 2983
October 2014: 3105
November 2014: 3276
December 2014: 2894
January 2015: 3502
ii. We only started collating the requested data from December 2014; I am unable to provide you data prior this date. Please find below the number of callers to 0345 015 4033 who chose option 3:
December 2014: 183
January 2015: 406
iii. Between December 2014 and January 2015, we recorded two calls where the call handler considered that the call was about where we had done something well. Collecting data regarding the nature of the call relies on members of staff recording call correctly, the call handler and not the caller will select the option / outcome at the end of the call.
I hope the information is helpful.
Yours sincerely
FOI/DP Officer
Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman