NIPSO Individual Decisions
457 published decisions from the NI Public Services Ombudsman (Jul 2000–Mar 2026). The Northern Ireland Public Services Ombudsman investigates complaints about NI government departments, agencies, councils, and public bodies. Source: nipso.org.uk.
457
Total Decisions
192
Investigated
139
Upheld
72%
Upheld (of investigated)
Showing 47 results matching "GP"
Belfast Health and Social Care Trust (NIPSO-202006445)
Health & Social Care
Upheld
The Belfast Trust should have given a patient an urgent ultrasound scan rather delay the procedure for a week. It should also have told him the scan revealed there was a ‘significant’ chance of him losing his testicle, leaving him in shock when he was told the news by his GP.
Belfast Health and Social Care Trust (NIPSO-202400427)
Health & Social Care
Not Upheld
A consultant was right to explain to a patient that his GP’s referral had been inappropriate and that his care would need to continue at the South Eastern Trust.
GP (NIPSO-removal-patients-their-general-practice-service)
Health & Social Care
Other
This report looks at the inconsistent and often incorrect ways in which GP practices remove patients from their lists.
GP (NIPSO-202400471)
Health & Social Care
Not Upheld
A patient’s daughter complained he should not have had to wait for the results of blood tests before being sent to hospital. We found his GP acted appropriately.
GP (NIPSO-202006031)
Health & Social Care
Not Upheld
A decision by a medical practice to stop prescribing a patient’s medication was appropriate.
Southern Health and Social Care Trust (NIPSO-202003205)
Health & Social Care
Upheld
The Southern Trust failed to appropriately triage a referral from a patient's GP. It also did not tell the patient or her GP of its decision to downgrade the referral from urgent to routine.
GP (NIPSO-202006852)
Health & Social Care
Upheld
A GP practice followed procedure when withdrawing a man’s medication but failed to properly answer his questions when he made a complaint.
GP (NIPSO-202005762)
Health & Social Care
Upheld
A woman claimed that if her late husband’s weight loss been investigated properly his cancer may have been detected sooner. We found it was a ‘significant failure in care and treatment’ that his GP didn’t send him for further diagnostic treatment.
GP (NIPSO-202006812)
Health & Social Care
Upheld
A man complained that his GP should have provided him with medication following a private ADHD diagnosis.
GP (NIPSO-202005270)
Health & Social Care
Not Upheld
It was reasonable for a GP practice to cancel plans for a patient’s x-ray. It also did not need to reschedule the procedure given that the patient no longer lived in the area.
GP (NIPSO-lost-translation)
Health & Social Care
Other
This report provides an overview of our assessment of the provision of Interpreting Services in GP practices for patients who are not proficient in English. It is the first in a series of Overview Reports which review issues that are creating potential barriers to accessing healthcare.
GP (NIPSO-202004023)
Health & Social Care
Upheld
A woman complained that her GP failed to uphold a commitment to monitor her mental health problems. We partially upheld the complaint.
GP (NIPSO-202005152)
Health & Social Care
Not Upheld
A GP Practice provided appropriate care and treatment to a man shortly before his sudden death.
GP (NIPSO-202005702)
Health & Social Care
Not Upheld
A man complained that shortly before her death his wife’s GP incorrectly diagnosed her with an upper respiratory tract infection. We did not identify any failures in her care and treatment.
GP (NIPSO-202004496)
Health & Social Care
Upheld
A patient should have been told by her doctor that she did not need to be accompanied by a chaperone during gynaecological treatment.
GP (NIPSO-202003438)
Health & Social Care
Not Upheld
A woman complained that her husband’s GP failed to recognise the seriousness of his condition. We found it managed his care in accordance with good practice.
GP (NIPSO-202004513)
Health & Social Care
Upheld
A GP practice removed a woman from its Patient List following a complaint she made about practice staff.
Western Health and Social Care Trust (NIPSO-202004474)
Health & Social Care
Not Upheld
A patient complained that the Trust should have changed her waiting list status to ‘urgent’ following a request by her GP. We did not uphold the complaint.
GP (NIPSO-202004461)
Health & Social Care
Not Upheld
A GP practice was right to tell a patient to go to a hospital Emergency Department rather than refer her to another GP.
GP (NIPSO-202004697)
Health & Social Care
Upheld
We found that a GP practice should not have removed a patient from its Patient List without giving him an initial warning.
GP (NIPSO-202004152)
Health & Social Care
Other
A GP practice should have had a face-to-face consultation with an elderly patient, despite the Covid restrictions in place at the time.
GP (NIPSO-202002854)
Health & Social Care
Upheld
A patient was prescribed diazepam after he complained to his GP about feeling unwell. We asked the surgery to apologise after he was later found to have suffered five strokes in the space of a week.
GP (NIPSO-202001760)
Health & Social Care
Upheld
We investigated a complaint about the treatment a man received from his GP practice shortly before he took his own life. We upheld parts of the complaint.
GP (NIPSO-202003467)
Health & Social Care
Upheld
We found a GP Practice treated a man's elbow appropriately. However, we believed that the man's complaint about his treatment prompted the Practice to remove him from its list. We said this was unfair.
GP (NIPSO-202003466)
Health & Social Care
Upheld
A breakdown in the relationship between a GP Practice and a patient led to her being removed from its Patient List. We welcomed the staff training delivered by the Practice which followed our investigation.
Upheld
139
NIPSO found fault with the organisation complained about.
Not Upheld
53
Complaint investigated but no fault found.
Closed / Other
265
Closed after initial enquiries, resolved early, or withdrawn.
Most complained-about:
Belfast Health and Social Care Trust (96), Northern Health and Social Care Trust (48), Western Health and Social Care Trust (44), South Eastern Health and Social Care Trust (41), GP (30).
Investigated Decisions Over Time
Excludes 265 closed after initial enquiries. Quarterly, by outcome.
Decisions by Sector
Sectors by Upheld Rate
Which sectors have the highest upheld rate?
| Sector | Decisions | Upheld | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Health & Social Care | 336 | 112 | 33% |
| Central Government | 33 | 6 | 18% |
| Local Government | 31 | 9 | 29% |
| Education | 28 | 5 | 18% |
| Housing | 21 | 7 | 33% |
| Health | 2 | 0 | 0% |
Organisation Accountability
Top 20 organisations by upheld rate (minimum 5 investigated decisions). Based on 192 investigated decisions (excludes 265 closed after initial enquiries). Benchmark: 72% average across all investigated decisions. Sparklines show annual decision volumes 2000–2026.
| # | Organisation | Trend | Investigated | Upheld | Not Upheld | Upheld Rate | vs avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Northern Ireland Housing Executive | 7 | 6 | 1 | 86% | +14pp | |
| 2 | Northern Health and Social Care Trust | 30 | 24 | 6 | 80% | +8pp | |
| 3 | Western Health and Social Care Trust | 26 | 20 | 6 | 77% | +5pp | |
| 4 | Southern Health and Social Care Trust | 13 | 10 | 3 | 77% | +5pp | |
| 5 | Belfast Health and Social Care Trust | 44 | 31 | 13 | 70% | -2pp | |
| 6 | South Eastern Health and Social Care Trust | 14 | 9 | 5 | 64% | -8pp | |
| 7 | GP | 23 | 13 | 10 | 57% | -15pp | |
| All-organisation benchmark | 72% | — | |||||