IN his latest annual report Ombudsman Dr Tom Frawley has highlighted what he describes as a general upwards trend in the number of complaints brought to his office concerning people's interaction with health and social care services.
Dr Frawley's remit is broad, covering complaints from citizens about almost all public services in Northern Ireland, from government departments and GPs to planning and dentists.
Bringing a complaint to his office is something of a last resort for people who feel they have exhausted all other avenues open to them.
The Ombudsman handled a total of 830 complaints last year, down 15 per cent on the previous 12 months; more complaints came from people in Lagan Valley than any other constituency, with the fewest originating in west Belfast.
Last year, 41 per cent of the complaints dealt with by his office involved health and social care issues which, because they involve complex and extended investigations, made up a disproportionately large proportion - more than half - of the Ombudsman's office's workload.
Worryingly, the volume of complaints has grown by 81 per cent over the last five years.
Dr Frawley, an experienced and diligent public servant, has identified that an underlying issue in many of these cases is a breakdown of trust between the patient and their family with the health and social care body being complained about.
Patients, especially those being treated for cancer and other serious illnesses, tend to have several points of contact with health and social care services, including with multi-disciplinary teams.
Dr Frawley suggests that more effort is needed to make sure that patients can access essential information as they progress along their 'journey' of care.
More accurate and timely communication between different parts of the health and social care services would also serve all patients better.
