Ombudsman seeks powers to investigate COVID-19 care home deaths
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Peter Tyndall
The Ombudsman plans to write to ministers to fast-track an extension of his powers to investigate the complaints about the care and deaths of residents in nursing homes and hospitals during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Peter Tyndall has called for promised regulations to be introduced to extend the remit of the Office of the Ombudsman to allow it to further investigate complaints about the care and deaths of residents in nursing homes and hospitals.
Mr Tyndall told The Irish Times that the “whole health complaints systems” had to be revamped as a matter of urgency due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
He said: “We have got a big gap in the complaints landscape and it needs to be filled.”
Currently, the Ombudsman says, he can only investigate administrative issues arising in nursing homes. He said that “quite often” and although it is “very frustrating”, he had to turn away complaints relating to specific care decisions.
These comments were made in light of the COVID-19 pandemic and recent complaints relating to treatment decisions and care given at care homes and hospitals.
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