Ms J complained that the Trust did not give Mr R's representatives the opportunity to be involved in a continuing care assessment and failed to tell them about the decision.
What happened
A nurse assessor visited Mr R in spring 2013 and completed a NHS continuing care assessment. Mr R was found not eligible for funding.
Ms J (one of Mr R's representatives) later found out that this assessment had happened. She complained to the Trust that it had not involved his representatives and had not told them about the outcome.
In response, the Trust acknowledged that the systems in place for inviting representatives were not as robust as they should have been. The Trust apologised for this and the failure to inform the representatives of the outcome.
What we found
We saw evidence that the Trust had acknowledged that errors had been made and apologised for these. However, we saw no evidence that it had taken action to prevent the same problems happening again.
Putting it right
The Trust agreed to write to Ms J to explain the action it had taken to make sure that it invited individuals and their representatives to take part in continuing care assessments and that they were advised of the outcome.
Sandwell and West Birmingham Hospitals NHS Trust
West Midlands
Delayed replying to complaint
Not applicable