The Ombudsman makes final decisions on unresolved complaints about the NHS in England, UK government departments and other UK public organisations.
When we consider complaints about NHS clinical care and treatment, we use the Ombudsman’s Clinical Standard to establish what would have been good clinical care and treatment in the situation complained about. We then consider whether what actually happened fell short of that.
We will seek to establish what constituted good clinical care and treatment based on the facts of the case by reference to a range of material, including:
- relevant standards or guidance
- the accounts of the complainant and the clinician or organisation complained about
- any other relevant records and information.
For more details, download a copy of the Ombudsman’s Clinical Standard (PDF 96KB).