De-Registration: A GP Practice in the Swansea Bay University Health Board area

Ms A complained about how the Practice had off listed her and handled her complaint about that matter.

The Ombudsman had previously addressed the Practice’s failure to respond to Ms A’s complaint through an early resolution decision. However, the Ombudsman was concerned that the Practice had failed to demonstrate that it had provided Ms A with the necessary warning within 1 year before her off listing. This amounted to maladministration on the part of the Practice which caused Ms A an injustice.

Instead of investigating the complaint, the Ombudsman obtained the Practice’s agreement to provide Ms A with a meaningful apology for failing to warn her that she may be removed from the Practice’s patient list and to undertake a lesson learning exercise so that the off listing procedure would be correctly followed in future. The Practice agreed to do this within 1 month.