A man said his autistic son’s health deteriorated because the Western Trust did not properly address his needs. Our investigation found that the Trust failed to provide a reasonable level of care and support to both the boy and his family over a 21-year period.
Shared decision making in a healthcare setting is about involving patients and their families in decisions about their clinical care.
Not only does this foster a more compassionate, effective healthcare service, it is vital for patient safety. By listening to and working with patients, a service is more likely to understand and meet their needs, and be responsive when safety problems are raised.
We often receive complaints from patients and their families that they should have had more involvement in their care. Click on the headings to read summaries of some of our investigations into these complaints:
An Ombudsman investigation has found that a complainant should have been given the chance to comment on the factual accuracy of a report by the Charity Commission prior to its publication. However, the complaint that the report was biased and written in ‘bad faith’ was not upheld.
An investigation into the way Transport NI (now DfI Roads) dealt with consultation responses to a planning application has led to the Ombudsman making a number of recommendations.