The Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman’s report published today (31) contains 100 cases it has resolved. They include complaints about avoidable deaths, GP out-of-hours care, delayed cancer diagnosis, poor hospital discharge and incorrect medicine dosage being given to patients.

The European Ombudsman, Emily O’Reilly, is pleased to present the first issue of Network in Focus, the annual newsletter of the European Network of Ombudsmen.

The Ombudsman, Ms Connie Lau, reminded Government departments and public organisations at the 20th Presentation Ceremony of The Ombudsman’s Awards today (October 27) “to stand in other people’s shoes and show empathy” in order to keep abreast of changes and meet public expectations in an ever-progressing society.

People are often relcuctant to come forward to the Ombudsman because they fear negative consequences. Therefore, it is important that an Ombudsman is able to undertake investigations on his or her own initiative. On occasions, the Ombudsman will be made or become aware of possible maladministration where no complaint has been made. Such investigations often consider systemic issues and ensure that the Ombudsman can be effective in tackling poor administration and improving public services.

Senior citizens unable to file statements online, a ratepayer charged over $7,000 to remove a tree, and the worried mother of a prisoner are just some of the members of the public Victorian Ombudsman staff deal with every day.

In September 2016, the Senate passed a Bill proposing to re-establish the Australian Building and Construction Commissioner and to continue the existence of the body known as the Office of the Fair Work Building Industry Inspectorate under the name of the Australian Building and Construction Commission (ABCC). The Bill proposes a potentially broadened scope for the Ombudsman’s reviews of the exercise of coercive powers to gather information.

On 20 October 2016, IOI Board member Ms Catherine De Bruecker attended the conference of the Association of Ombudsman and Mediators of the Francophonie (AOMF) in Monaco and signed a Memorandum of Understanding on behalf of the IOI.

After the IOI issued a report on the human rights situation in Poland just a week ago, IOI Secretary General Günther Kräuter is very pleased that the support was now extended through the European Network of National Human Rights Institutions (ENNHRI) and the European Network of Equality Bodies (Equinet).