Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about adult residential care. The Care Provider failed to tell the resident’s family about changes to medication and failed to keep all care records. The Care Provider has apologised, which is suitable action. The care home has closed and the complainant’s relative no longer lives there, so there is no ongoing risk. It is unlikely the Ombudsman would achieve anything further by investigation.

The complaint

1. Ms C says the Care Provider failed to tell them when their relative, Mr D, was put on medication. This was despite Mr D previously having problems with that medication, and Ms C’s husband being power of attorney for Mr D. Ms C asked for the records about this medication decision, but the Care Provider could not provide all the relevant information. Ms C has found this stressful and frustrating. Ms C mainly wants to ensure this does not happen to anyone else.

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The Ombudsman’s role and powers

2. We investigate complaints about adult social care providers. We provide a free service but must use public money carefully. We may decide not to start or continue with an investigation if we believe:

• the action has not caused injustice to the person who complained, or
• the injustice is not significant enough to justify our involvement, or
• it is unlikely we could add to any previous investigation by the care provider, or
• it is unlikely further investigation will lead to a different outcome, or
• we cannot achieve the outcome someone wants.

(Local Government Act 1974, sections 34B(8) and (9))

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How I considered this complaint

3. I considered information provided by the complainant.
4. I considered the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.

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My assessment

5. Mr D lived at Roseland Court care home, run by Roseland Care Limited (the Care Provider).
6. The Care Provider failed to tell Mr D’s family about changes to his medication, prescribed by a GP. There is no evidence the change in medication caused a significant injustice to Mr D, and if it did that would mainly be caused by the actions of the GP prescribing it. Ms C has made a complaint to the relevant body about the GP, it is not within our jurisdiction to consider. The Care Provider has apologised for failing to tell Mr D’s family when the GP prescribed the medication, which is appropriate action to acknowledge the impact.
7. The care home has since closed and Mr D lives elsewhere so there is no risk to Mr D or any other residents.
8. The Care Provider apologised for the lack of records. Because the care home has closed it could not speak with the manager about the records, and it had not kept a copy of the medication record when it sent the original to Mr D’s new care home. So, it is unlikely an Ombudsman investigation could gather any further information or reach a different outcome.

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Final decision

9. We will not investigate Ms C’s complaint because it is unlikely we could add to the previous investigation or reach a different outcome. The Care Provider has apologised for the impact of its fault, which is satisfactory action in response to the complaint. The care home has closed so there is no wider public interest to consider further or any outcome we could achieve.

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman