PHSO Casework Decisions
3,622 published casework decisions from the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (Apr 2021–Mar 2026). PHSO selects a subset of completed investigations for public publication — these 3,622 decisions represent approximately 1.1% of the 321,459 total complaints received across the same period. Source: decisions.ombudsman.org.uk.
3,622
Published Decisions
3,089
Health
533
Parliamentary (Govt)
18%
Upheld / Partly Upheld
Showing 50 results matching "HM Courts and Tribunals Service"
HM Courts and Tribunals Service (P-005107)
UK Government
Closed After Initial Enquiries
Courts
AI summary: Mr X complained HMCTS did not respond to his email requesting his case be struck out, prolonging the proceedings and impacting his well-being.
HM Courts and Tribunals Service (P-005072)
UK Government
Closed After Initial Enquiries
Courts
Courts
AI summary: Mr B complained about delays in receiving court orders and lack of communication from HMCTS, leading to extra expenses.
HM Courts and Tribunals Service (P-005060)
UK Government
Closed After Initial Enquiries
Courts
Courts
Courts
Courts
AI summary: Mr F complained about HMCTS's handling of his case, including incorrect filing of a judgement, incomplete evidence provided to judges, and delays in processing his fraud claim.
HM Courts and Tribunals Service (P-004910)
UK Government
Closed After Initial Enquiries
Courts
AI summary: Mr A complained HMCTS' Cloud Video Platform failure prevented his hearing, causing financial loss and distress due to additional barrister fees.
HM Courts and Tribunals Service (P-004882)
UK Government
Closed After Initial Enquiries
Courts
Courts
Courts
Complaint handling
Complaint handling
AI summary: Mr A complained about HMCTS delays in handling his probate application, exceeding the target time, and poor communication regarding required documents.
HM Courts and Tribunals Service (P-004806)
UK Government
Closed After Initial Enquiries
Courts
AI summary: Mr X complained about multiple delays and errors by HMCTS during legal proceedings, including lost documents and delayed responses.
HM Courts and Tribunals Service (P-004787)
UK Government
Closed After Initial Enquiries
Courts
AI summary: Mrs L complained HMCTS did not offer a suitable remedy after losing her defence statement, which led to a CCJ and caused her anxiety.
HM Courts and Tribunals Service (P-004777)
UK Government
Closed After Initial Enquiries
Courts
AI summary: Mr Y complained HMCTS administrative staff wrongly noted his hearing duration, leading to a vacated hearing, delays, and financial stress.
HM Courts and Tribunals Service (P-004750)
UK Government
Closed After Initial Enquiries
Courts
AI summary: Mr R complained HMCTS allowed undisclosed and late evidence during hearings, leading to unfair proceedings and a denial of justice. He also raised concerns about its complaint handling.
HM Courts and Tribunals Service (P-004661)
UK Government
Closed After Initial Enquiries
Courts
AI summary: Mr M complained HMCTS failed to include judge's directions in a court order for 11 months, ignored his chases, and delayed responding to his complaint, impacting his case.
HM Courts and Tribunals Service (P-004633)
UK Government
Closed After Initial Enquiries
Courts
AI summary: Ms O complained HMCTS gave conflicting information, delayed responses, wrongly closed her case, didn't advise on fee help, ignored mediation, and provided incorrect D11 submission advice.
HM Courts and Tribunals Service (P-004620)
UK Government
Closed After Initial Enquiries
Courts
AI summary: Mr U complained HMCTS wrongly disclosed his email address to a claimant, leading to harassment and severe impact on his and his wife's mental health and quality of life.
HM Courts and Tribunals Service (P-004602)
UK Government
Closed After Initial Enquiries
None
None
AI summary: HMCTS provided incorrect advice on claims, mislaid paperwork, sent an incomplete form, and misrepresented the treatment of a defendant's defence.
HM Courts and Tribunals Service (P-004489)
UK Government
Closed After Initial Enquiries
Courts
AI summary: Mr X complained HMCTS failed to inform him that his claim had been struck out for over a year, forcing him to issue a new claim and incur additional court fees.
HM Courts and Tribunals Service (P-004465)
UK Government
Closed After Initial Enquiries
Courts
AI summary: Mrs X complained HMCTS's automated email about her divorce application was misleading, delaying cancellation and refund requests. She also cited slow response times and missed callbacks.
HM Courts and Tribunals Service (P-004435)
UK Government
Closed After Initial Enquiries
Courts
AI summary: A complainant alleged HMCTS lost probate documents, causing delays and necessitating new copies, and also complained about slow responses to his complaint.
HM Courts and Tribunals Service (P-004317)
UK Government
Closed After Initial Enquiries
Courts
Courts
AI summary: Mr L complained HMCTS failed to notify him of a court hearing, causing his civil claim to be struck out. He also cited communication delays and incorrect information from staff.
HM Courts and Tribunals Service (P-004307)
UK Government
Not Upheld
Courts
AI summary: Mr A complained HMCTS made errors in handling his probate application, causing delays and avoidable solicitor fees, and mishandled his initial complaint.
HM Courts and Tribunals Service (P-004173)
UK Government
Not Upheld
Courts
AI summary: Mrs H complained HMCTS lost her adoption file and refused to accept responsibility, preventing her from learning about her birth and causing severe emotional distress.
HM Courts and Tribunals Service (P-003677)
UK Government
Closed After Initial Enquiries
Courts
AI summary: Ms E complained HMCTS failed to offer a suitable remedy for a delay that caused a county court judgement (CCJ) and damaged her credit rating.
HM Courts and Tribunals Service (P-003637)
UK Government
Closed After Initial Enquiries
Courts
Courts
Courts
AI summary: Mr V complained HMCTS failed to act on his request to change a hearing date and delayed sending a copy of the Order striking out his claim.
HM Courts and Tribunals Service (P-003280)
UK Government
Closed After Initial Enquiries
Courts
AI summary: Mr P complained HM Courts and Tribunals Service lost his mother's original will and caused significant delays in his probate application, leading to financial hardship and distress.
HM Courts and Tribunals Service (P-003229)
UK Government
Closed After Initial Enquiries
Courts
AI summary: Ms O complained HMCTS failed to inform her of a court hearing and that the judgment disregarded her evidence, impacting her health and relationship with her child.
HM Courts and Tribunals Service (P-003194)
UK Government
Closed After Initial Enquiries
Courts
AI summary: Miss A complained about HMCTS delays in drawing a court order, unresponsiveness to emails, and unprocessed Help with Fees application, causing significant stress.
HM Courts and Tribunals Service (P-003213)
UK Government
Closed After Initial Enquiries
Courts
AI summary: Mr K complained HMCTS failed to process his court application and handle his complaint appropriately, causing anxiety and his case being struck out.
Upheld / Partly Upheld
259 + 397
18% of decisions found fault with the organisation complained about.
Not Upheld
247
Complaint investigated but no fault found. 1 resolved during investigation.
Closed After Initial Enquiries
2,718
PHSO decided not to proceed to full investigation.
Most complained-about:
HM Revenue and Customs (80), University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust (72), NHS England (62), Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust (50), HM Courts and Tribunals Service (48).
Published Decisions Over Time
Excludes 2,718 closed before investigation. Quarterly, by outcome.
Annual Complaints (PHSO-wide)
Official PHSO annual statistics across all organisations
| Year | Received | Investigated | Upheld | Upheld % | Remedy % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019-20 | 54,478 | 12,275 | 1,216 | 9.9% | 0% |
| 2020-21 | 44,139 | 7,822 | 617 | 7.9% | 0% |
| 2021-22 | 62,553 | 13,426 | 727 | 5.4% | 0% |
| 2022-23 | 61,297 | 15,734 | 782 | 5.0% | 0% |
| 2023-24 | 63,471 | 17,321 | 946 | 5.5% | 0% |
| 2024-25 | 35,521 | 10,070 | 519 | 5.2% | 0% |
Remedy % = percentage of PHSO remedies complied with on time
Top Themes
Themes by Upheld Rate
AI-classified themes across PHSO casework decisions
| Theme | Decisions | Upheld | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Delayed Recognition of Deterioration | 747 | 184 | 25% |
| Complaint record keeping failures | 632 | 108 | 17% |
| Clinical negligence harms learning | 460 | 92 | 20% |
| Care plan failures | 436 | 121 | 28% |
| Care and discharge planning | 288 | 77 | 27% |
| No person-centred care | 215 | 46 | 21% |
| Inaccurate and inaccessible patient records | 204 | 37 | 18% |
| Patient dignity and privacy | 147 | 40 | 27% |
| Inadequate Pre-Operative Risk Assessment | 136 | 44 | 32% |
| Duty of Candour implementation | 134 | 43 | 32% |
| Medication Contamination/Misadministration | 128 | 33 | 26% |
| DWP policy impact assessment | 106 | 12 | 11% |
| Poor health and social care integration | 97 | 21 | 22% |
| Mental Health Crisis Referral Delays | 74 | 10 | 14% |
| Coroner family information gaps | 74 | 25 | 34% |
PHSO Complaint Categories
PHSO Categories by Upheld Rate
PHSO's own issue classifications — broad categories such as 'Treatment' cover a wide range of clinical complaints
| Category | Decisions | Upheld | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Treatment | 1,610 | 418 | 26% |
| Diagnosis | 850 | 206 | 24% |
| Communication | 792 | 233 | 29% |
| Complaint handling | 534 | 161 | 30% |
| Drugs / medication | 463 | 130 | 28% |
| Nursing care | 388 | 154 | 40% |
| Access | 363 | 87 | 24% |
| Transfer, discharge and aftercare | 353 | 119 | 34% |
| Referral | 262 | 58 | 22% |
| Administration | 191 | 30 | 16% |
| End of life care | 170 | 50 | 29% |
| Choice and Consent | 165 | 48 | 29% |
| Continuing healthcare | 160 | 14 | 9% |
| Surgery | 145 | 32 | 22% |
| Record keeping and management | 133 | 30 | 23% |
Organisation Accountability
Combines PHSO annual complaint statistics (volume, remedy compliance) with published decisions portal data (uphold rate). Sorted by upheld rate for organisations with 5+ investigated decisions. Benchmark: 73% average upheld rate among fully investigated decisions. This differs from the headline 18% figure, which includes all 3,340 published decisions — most of which were closed before full investigation (upheld/not upheld only applies to fully investigated cases). Sparklines show complaint volumes received 2019–20 → 2024–25.
Received = complaints received in most recent year (PHSO annual data). Remedy compliance = % of PHSO-recommended remedies complied with across all available years. — = no data in that dataset for this organisation.