Ombudsman Wales Reports Record High Complaints

The Public Services Ombudsman for Wales has reported a record number of complaints in its Annual Report & Accounts for 2023/24, with a notable 37% increase in new complaints since 2019.

The report reveals that the Ombudsman’s office handled over 10,000 cases this year, setting a new efficiency benchmark by closing more cases than ever before and significantly reducing the cost per case.

This year also saw a sharp rise in complaints across various public services, with health boards receiving 939 complaints—a 31% increase over the past five years. Local councils faced 1,110 complaints, marking a 28% rise, while complaints against housing associations surged by 47%, with 380 cases reported.

Clinical treatment in hospitals remained the most common source of grievances, comprising 44% of all health-related complaints.

The Ombudsman’s office intervened in 20% of the health-related complaints, with a 52% increase in intervention rates over five years.

Early resolution was proposed in three out of four cases, enabling faster justice without the need for a full investigation.

The Ombudsman also issued eight public interest reports on serious complaints, particularly concerning healthcare and gypsy and traveller accommodation.

Michelle Morris, the Public Services Ombudsman for Wales, praised the office’s achievements despite the growing demand.

“This annual report reflects the first year since I published my Strategic Plan 2023-26 ‘A New Chapter’.”

“I am pleased to see that we have made good progress towards achieving the ambitious goals set out in the Strategic Plan,” Ms Morris stated.

“2023/24 has been our most efficient year – we dealt with more complaints than ever before, reduced the costs for each case and investigation, and also successfully reduced our ageing cases.”

“Our investigation and support staff dug deep to meet this target.”

“We have helped more people and have made a significant contribution towards improving public services in Wales.”

In terms of Code of Conduct complaints, the Ombudsman received 518 complaints in 2023/24, a 16% increase from the previous year. Over half of these complaints involved councillors at Town and Community Councils, with issues surrounding equality and respect being the most common.

The Ombudsman’s office referred 21 of the most serious cases to the relevant Standards Committees or the Adjudication Panel for Wales, with 85% of these referrals resulting in upheld breaches.

To drive further improvements, the Ombudsman’s office has implemented Complaints Standards across 56 public bodies in Wales, including all local authorities and health boards.

The office also launched its next Own Initiative Investigation, focusing on the experiences of carers in Wales.