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 16 results matching "Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust"
Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust (P-004611)
NHS in England
Not Upheld
Transfer, discharge and aftercare
Treatment
Treatment
Communication
AI summary: Miss K complained the Trust's care contributed to her grandmother's death by not admitting her to intensive care, delaying a CVC insertion, and failing to monitor fluid levels. She also alleged no family consultation for a DNAR order.
Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust (P-003626)
NHS in England
Partly Upheld
Diagnosis
Surgery
Treatment
Communication
Transfer, discharge and aftercare
AI summary: Mrs Y complained about Walsall Healthcare's failure to diagnose a fracture, discharge issues, and inadequate physiotherapy, plus West Midlands Ambulance's rude staff and misdiagnosis, contributing to her mother's death.
Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust (P-003434)
NHS in England
Partly Upheld
Treatment
AI summary: Mrs A complained the Trust failed to provide appropriate care for her mother's breast abscess, missing opportunities to prevent sepsis, which she believes led to her mother's death.
Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust (P-003472)
NHS in England
Not Upheld
Diagnosis
Diagnosis
Hospital acquired infection / healthcare-associated infection
AI summary: Miss V alleged the Trust failed to diagnose her mother's cancer in ED, delayed confirming its type, and caused a C. diff infection due to poor hygiene, potentially hastening her death.
Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust (P-003113)
NHS in England
Closed After Initial Enquiries
Diagnosis
Tests
AI summary: Mr V complained the Trust failed to assess, diagnose cellulitis and sepsis, and dismissed his symptoms, including heart palpitations, leading to serious health complications.
Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust (P-003068)
NHS in England
Closed After Initial Enquiries
Nursing care
Nursing care
Treatment
AI summary: Wolverhampton Trust failed to prevent father's bowel impaction and bedsores, did not use IV painkillers, and made inappropriate discharge arrangements. Walsall Trust nurse delayed pain relief and cream prescription.
Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust (P-003027)
NHS in England
Closed After Initial Enquiries
Treatment
Communication
AI summary: Mr L complained about a lack of follow-up on his partner's cancer diagnosis, poor communication, absence of a care plan, and inadequate personal care. He believed earlier treatment would have saved her life.
Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust (P-002647)
NHS in England
Closed After Initial Enquiries
Diagnosis
AI summary: Miss F complained her late father was misdiagnosed, received contradictory diagnoses, was inappropriately discharged, and received poor nursing care. She also cited the Trust's poor complaint handling.
Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust (P-002591)
NHS in England
Closed After Initial Enquiries
Communication
Drugs / medication
Complaint handling
Drugs / medication
AI summary: Mrs B complained about a doctor's bullying attitude and alleged failures in her mother's cancer treatment, including incorrect medication and stopping chemotherapy, which she believes led to her mother's death.
Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust (P-002568)
NHS in England
Closed After Initial Enquiries
Diagnosis
Surgery
Treatment
AI summary: Mrs A complained her father's urgent bowel surgery was delayed due to a missed scan finding, leading to a burst bowel, prolonged agony, and his death.
Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust (P-002522)
NHS in England
Closed After Initial Enquiries
Diagnosis
AI summary: Miss B complained the Trust declined to consider a second opinion for her superior mesenteric artery blood clot in January 2022, resulting in ongoing pain and illness.
Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust (P-003892)
NHS in England
Upheld
Human rights
AI summary: Mr F complained the Trust discriminated against him by moving him last on a surgery list due to his HIV status, causing humiliation and anxiety.
Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust (P-001971)
NHS in England
Closed After Initial Enquiries
None
AI summary: Miss U was allegedly sent home from the emergency department without examination or treatment for severe pain after a sports injury, later diagnosed as a prolapsed disc at another hospital.
Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust (P-001969)
NHS in England
Closed After Initial Enquiries
Treatment
AI summary: Miss N and Mrs N complained the Trust ignored, did not examine, and failed to provide appropriate treatment for Mr O's oral mass, leading to his death and their severe distress.
Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust (P-001963)
NHS in England
Closed After Initial Enquiries
Treatment
AI summary: Miss G complained the Trust wrongly placed her uncle on end-of-life care for kidney failure, prescribed incorrect medication, and neglected his personal needs, which she believes led to his premature death.
Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust (P-001845)
NHS in England
Closed After Initial Enquiries
Hospital acquired infection / healthcare-associated infection
Treatment
Nursing care
Tests
Nursing care
End of life care
Communication
Record keeping and management
AI summary: The Trust failed to protect a vulnerable patient from COVID-19, adequately monitor her, apply compression stockings, provide oral care, or follow DNACPR processes, leading to her death.
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.