Adult Mental Health : Swansea Bay University Health Board

Ms L complained that Swansea University Health Board failed to address her concerns in relation to mental health. Ms L further complained that despite raising concerns in December 2022, she had not yet received a response.

The Ombudsman found that the Health Board failed to act in accordance with its statutory complaints procedure and failed to provide Ms L with an update on its investigation. She said this caused further frustration to Ms L and concluded that there had been poor complaints handling.

As an alternative to an investigation, the Ombudsman sought and gained the Health Board’s agreement to meet with Ms L, provide a complaint response, and issue an ex-gratia payment of £250 for poor complaints handling, within 3 months.