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 90 results matching "NHS England"
NHS England (P-005142)
NHS in England
Closed After Initial Enquiries
Continuing healthcare
AI summary: Mrs O complained about NHS England's decision to uphold the ICB's decision that her husband was not eligible for NHS Continuing Healthcare, causing him to pay for care costs.
NHS Cheshire and Merseyside (P-005132)
NHS in England
Closed After Initial Enquiries
Continuing healthcare
Mr A complains NHS England’s (NHSE) independent review panel (IRP) upheld Cheshire and Merseyside Integrated Care Board’s (the ICB) decision that his mother, Mrs B was not eligible for NHS continuing healthcare (CHC) funding on 23 September 2022.
A practice in the St. Albans area (P-005066)
NHS in England
Closed After Initial Enquiries
Administration
Referral
AI summary: Mrs R complained the Surgery removed her family from its patient register in June 2024, leaving them without access to primary care.
NHS England - North - Yorkshire and The Humber (Local office) (P-004996)
NHS in England
Closed After Initial Enquiries
Continuing healthcare
AI summary: Mrs X complained NHS England's IRP wrongly upheld the ICB's decision that her mother was ineligible for Continuing Healthcare funding.
NHS England - South - South East (Local office) (P-004949)
NHS in England
Closed After Initial Enquiries
Continuing healthcare
AI summary: Mr. A complained that NHS England's Independent Review Panel upheld the ICB's decision that his father was ineligible for NHS Continuing Healthcare funding.
NHS England (P-004953)
NHS in England
Closed After Initial Enquiries
Continuing healthcare
AI summary: Mrs. B complained NHS England upheld the ICB's decision that her late mother was ineligible for NHS continuing care after a January 2022 assessment.
NHS England (P-004950)
NHS in England
Closed After Initial Enquiries
Continuing healthcare
AI summary: Mr. B complained that NHS England upheld the ICB's decision that his mother was not eligible for NHS continuing healthcare funding.
NHS England (P-004875)
NHS in England
Upheld
Referral
Complaint handling
AI summary: Ms T complained NHS England failed to facilitate treatment plans for her broken tooth and mishandled her complaint, causing eating difficulties, aesthetic issues, emotional distress, and financial impact.
NHS England (P-004845)
NHS in England
Closed After Initial Enquiries
Commissioning
AI summary: Mrs B complained that NHS England upheld the ICB’s decision that her late father was not eligible for NHS continuing care.
NHS England - South - South West (Local office) (P-004744)
NHS in England
Closed After Initial Enquiries
Continuing healthcare
AI summary: Miss B complained NHS England's independent review panel (IRP) wrongly upheld a decision that she was not eligible for Continuing Healthcare (CHC) funding, specifically regarding how her needs were assessed.
Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (P-004740)
NHS in England
Not Upheld
Administration
Diagnosis
End of life care
Nursing care
Diagnosis
Treatment
Communication
End of life care
Communication
Complaint handling
Communication
Complaint handling
Communication
Referral
Diagnosis
Nursing care
AI summary: Mr G's family complained about delayed cancer diagnosis due to GP telephone consultations, lack of Macmillan nurse referral, and restricted visiting and discharge to a care home at the Hospice.
NHS England (P-004705)
NHS in England
Closed After Initial Enquiries
Continuing healthcare
AI summary: Mr E complained NHS England's review panel wrongly upheld a decision denying his mother NHS continuing healthcare funding, disputing the assessment of her needs.
NHS England (P-004669)
NHS in England
Closed After Initial Enquiries
Continuing healthcare
AI summary: Mrs L complained NHS England's independent review panel incorrectly upheld the decision that her husband was ineligible for NHS continuing healthcare (CHC) funding, disagreeing with the assessment.
NHS England - London (regional office) (P-004631)
NHS in England
Closed After Initial Enquiries
Continuing healthcare
AI summary: Mr Z complained NHS England unfairly assessed his mother's continuing healthcare needs, overlooked evidence, and failed to comment on family statements, leading to ineligibility.
NHS England - Midlands and East (regional office) (P-004518)
NHS in England
Closed After Initial Enquiries
Continuing healthcare
Continuing healthcare
AI summary: Mr K complained that NHS England's independent review panel wrongly denied his wife NHS continuing healthcare funding, arguing they overlooked crucial needs and based the decision on incomplete evidence.
A practice in the Teignbridge area (P-004490)
NHS in England
Closed After Initial Enquiries
Administration
Complaint handling
AI summary: Miss F complained her GP Practice sent an inaccurate behaviour warning letter without considering her stress, and mishandled her complaint by prematurely closing it and giving incorrect escalation advice.
NHS England (P-004373)
NHS in England
Closed After Initial Enquiries
Commissioning
AI summary: Mr A complained NHS England wrongly upheld a decision that his late mother was ineligible for NHS continuing healthcare, arguing her complex needs were not properly considered.
NHS England - South (South East) (P-004286)
NHS in England
Closed After Initial Enquiries
Administration
AI summary: Complaint concerned NHS England's failure to disclose a 'next steps letter' for his mother's continuing healthcare claim, preventing a full review and causing financial detriment.
NHS England (P-004005)
NHS in England
Closed After Initial Enquiries
Continuing healthcare
Continuing healthcare
AI summary: Mr K complained NHS England's independent review panel wrongly upheld a decision that his mother was not eligible for NHS continuing healthcare (CHC) funding, due to improper consideration of needs and procedural mistakes.
NHS England Midlands and East (P-003926)
NHS in England
Closed After Initial Enquiries
Continuing healthcare
AI summary: Mrs O complained NHS England's independent review panel did not properly consider her mother's needs for continuing healthcare funding, nor procedural errors by the local integrated care board.
NHS England (P-004099)
NHS in England
Closed After Initial Enquiries
Continuing healthcare
Continuing healthcare
AI summary: Mr Y complained NHS England's independent review panel wrongly upheld the ICB's decision that his wife was not eligible for continuing healthcare funding.
NHS England (P-003763)
NHS in England
Closed After Initial Enquiries
Diagnosis
AI summary: Mrs O complained the Trust failed to correctly identify and diagnose a broken upper glenoid bone, leading to a misaligned bone, pain, and limited shoulder movement.
NHS England (P-003722)
NHS in England
Closed After Initial Enquiries
Continuing healthcare
AI summary: Mr F complained that NHS England's Independent Review Panel wrongly upheld a decision denying his brother NHS continuing healthcare funding, despite his brother having a primary health need.
NHS England - Midlands and East - Central Midlands (Local office) (P-003599)
NHS in England
Closed After Initial Enquiries
Continuing healthcare
AI summary: Mrs U complained NHS England wrongly upheld NHS Northamptonshire ICB’s decision that her mother, Mrs V, was not eligible for continuing healthcare funding, arguing the independent review panel failed to follow national guidelines.
NHS England - Midlands and East - East (Local office) (P-003594)
NHS in England
Closed After Initial Enquiries
Continuing healthcare
AI summary: Ms R complained NHS England wrongly decided her mother-in-law was ineligible for NHS Continuing Healthcare funding, disagreeing with the weighting of assessment domains.
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.