HEA LTH OMBUDSM A N
PHSO useless
A FTER banging her head against the brick wall that is the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (
Eyes passim
) for four years, Linda Nicholson thought she had broken through when an internal report found a catalogue of failings in its investigation into her father’s death.
However, a second investigation saw it repeat the errors of the first, apologise once again, and now, after 12 years of to-ing and fro-ing, new ombudsman Paula Sussex has written to Linda saying the case is closed, leaving her complaint unresolved.
RAF veteran Stanley Nicholson died of lung cancer in 2011. His family were convinced York Hospital had missed crucial chances to diagnose him correctly and, consequently, administered inappropriate treatment. They were also upset with the quality of his all-round care.