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 20 results matching "South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust"
South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust (P-004825)
NHS in England
Closed After Initial Enquiries
Transfer, discharge and aftercare
AI summary: Mrs N complained her mother was prematurely discharged without proper oxygen weaning, home oxygen, or a care package, leading to a stroke and death.
South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust (P-004420)
NHS in England
Partly Upheld
Surgery
Communication
AI summary: Mr O complained a surgeon used an incorrect, non-absorbable stitch during surgery and did not inform him, leading to three infections and further surgery.
South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust (P-004139)
NHS in England
Closed After Initial Enquiries
Choice and Consent
AI summary: The Trust sought consent for a drug from his father, who lacked understanding, and the drug's side effects devastated his mother's health and contributed to her death.
South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust (P-003813)
NHS in England
Closed After Initial Enquiries
Choice and Consent
AI summary: Mrs A alleged the Trust ignored her husband's wishes for re-intubation, failed discussions, used a nurse for extubation, and delayed extubation leading to infection and his death.
South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust (P-003667)
NHS in England
Closed After Initial Enquiries
Communication
Nursing care
Transfer, discharge and aftercare
AI summary: Mrs O complained the Trust failed to inform her husband his cancer was untreatable and provided inappropriate post-operative nursing and discharge, denying them preparation time.
South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust (P-003591)
NHS in England
Closed After Initial Enquiries
Treatment
AI summary: Mrs A complained her sister had unnecessary surgery and nurses failed to report her deterioration and renal failure symptoms, leading to inadequate care and her death.
South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust (P-003491)
NHS in England
Closed After Initial Enquiries
Communication
AI summary: Mrs A complained the Trust ignored her husband's wish to be re-intubated and excluded her from discussions, leading to delays, infection, and his subsequent death.
South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust (P-003295)
NHS in England
Upheld
Treatment
Communication
Treatment
Nursing care
AI summary: Miss U complained the Trust failed to provide her mother adequate hydration and did not communicate its decision to place a Do Not Attempt Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (DNACPR) order.
South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust (P-003019)
NHS in England
Closed After Initial Enquiries
Treatment
Communication
AI summary: The Trust failed to treat her 'slipped' S-ICD in the emergency department and discharged her without addressing concerns, causing pain and distress until later revision surgery.
South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust (P-002994)
NHS in England
Closed After Initial Enquiries
Drugs / medication
AI summary: Mr F complained the Trust discharged his wife without anticoagulant medication, despite her deep vein thrombosis risk, leading to her death from a pulmonary embolism.
South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust (P-002688)
NHS in England
Closed After Initial Enquiries
Communication
AI summary: Mr I complained about the Trust's lack of care and compassion, and poor communication regarding his partner's condition, causing distress and unpreparedness for her death.
South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust (P-002609)
NHS in England
Not Upheld
Communication
Diagnosis
AI summary: Ms D complained the Trust failed to timely diagnose her father's asbestosis and lung cancer, missed opportunities, and communicated poorly, leading to his premature death.
South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust (P-002616)
NHS in England
Closed After Initial Enquiries
Drugs / medication
AI summary: Mr A complained the Trust improperly extended his chemotherapy cream use beyond recommended limits and provided no warnings, resulting in a permanent facial disfigurement.
South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust (P-002484)
NHS in England
Closed After Initial Enquiries
Referral
AI summary: Mrs W complained the Trust failed to refer her son to heart and kidney specialists for identified problems, which she believes could have prevented his death.
South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust (P-001927)
NHS in England
Closed After Initial Enquiries
Communication
Treatment
AI summary: Mrs O complained about her late father's care, citing multiple ward moves, lost hearing aids, poor communication, delayed end-of-life information, and premature discharge with readmissions.
South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust (P-001933)
NHS in England
Closed After Initial Enquiries
Treatment
AI summary: Miss D complained about delayed medication, poor pressure care, insufficient mental health support, and basic nursing failings for her father, which she believed contributed to his avoidable death.
South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust (P-001805)
NHS in England
Closed After Initial Enquiries
None
AI summary: Mr R complained Trust staff stole his father's savings, intentionally overdosed him to end his life, and provided substandard treatment.
South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust (P-001844)
NHS in England
Closed After Initial Enquiries
Treatment
AI summary: Ms E alleged the Trust failed to provide appropriate maternity care, including not performing a C-section, not recognising retained placenta, and inadequate follow-up care for a subsequent pregnancy.
South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust (P-001452)
NHS in England
Partly Upheld
Diagnosis
AI summary: Mrs N complained her husband's hip dislocation was not investigated while he was an inpatient, with increasing pain attributed to cancer, leading to missed treatment opportunities.
South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust (P-001088)
NHS in England
Not Upheld
Communication
Communication
Other - Health
Transfer, discharge and aftercare
Complaint handling
AI summary: Mrs T complained the Trust failed to communicate her brother's condition and cancer diagnosis, did not treat swollen feet, and discharged him prematurely.
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.