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Selected Investigations Completed April - September 1999 > Part I, Case no. E.1925/98-99
Complaint against: Chase Farm Hospitals NHS Trust (now Barnet and Chase Farm Hospitals NHS Trust)
Summary of case
In March 1998 Mr Y complained to the Trust, using the headed notepaper of his employers (a national newspaper), about the care and treatment provided to his late father. Following an exchange of correspondence he remained dissatisfied and requested an independent review of his complaint. His request was passed to the Trust's chairman who was at the time their convener. The chairman was concerned about the use of the newspaper's letterhead, which thought was inappropriate and intimidating, and he was suspicious of Mr Y's motives. He contacted the newspaper's editor, to express his concern and find out if Mr Y was pursuing the matter on his own behalf or was intending to write a story for the newspaper. The editor said he had no objection to Mr Y using the notepaper, and that Mr Y had been pursuing a private complaint rather than a journalistic enquiry. Mr Y had found it embarrassing to have to discuss the matter with the editor.
Findings
The Ombudsman said that he understood why the chairman's concerns arose, and noted that he did not pass on any significant details about Mr Y's complaint when he contacted the editor. Nevertheless it was inappropriate for the chairman to raise his concerns first with the editor rather than with Mr Y himself. The NHS complaints procedure has to be conducted in confidence and it was unnecessary to contact the editor: that could have had more serious consequences than the embarrassment suffered by Mr Y. The complaint was upheld.
Remedy
The Trust apologised to Mr Y.
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