Joan Johnson: NI Ombudsman U-turns on report

Joan Johnson was receiving home care in 2015 when she had two falls in the space of 48 hours

A new health watchdog has U-turned and published a critical report into the failings in care of an elderly woman while at home.

The NI Ombudsman's office investigated the circumstances in which Joan Johnson, 81, died soon after two falls.

It found failures over staff training and risk assessments, but did not publish these due to a challenge by the company in charge of her home care.

The new ombudsman has now decided publication is in the public interest.

In a letter to Ms Johnson's family on 19 October, the newly appointed NI Public Service Ombudsman (NIPSO), Margaret Kelly, said publication of investigation reports helped improve confidence in public bodies.

"This indicates openness, transparency and accountability in the complaints process and reassures the public that complaints are considered independently. I also consider that trust in public service providers require acknowledgement of failures and learning to avoid repetition," said Ms Kelly.

Ms Johnson's daughter, Joan Crothers, welcomed the decision.

"My family and I are greatly relieved and hope that this U-turn in the decision means that no other family has to go through the ordeal that we have had to," said Ms Crothers.

'Failures in care'

Speaking previously to BBC News NI, Joan Crothers had said delays in the case were prolonging the family's grief.

Ms Johnson's two falls occurred at her home within 48 hours in February 2015 while being lifted in a device aimed at assisting patients. A week later, she died in hospital from a heart condition.

Domiciliary care agency, Homecare Independent Living (HCIL), had been commissioned by the Northern Health and Social Care Trust to carry out her care.

Ms Crothers made a complaint about elements of her mother's care and the case was eventually referred to NIPSO.

The case was investigated by Marie Anderson, who was the NI Public Service Ombudsman at the time.

In December 2018, her office informed Ms Johnson that the report on HCIL's failings over her mother's care had been accepted by HCIL in full and that it would be published on its website.

In July 2019, Ms Anderson left NIPSO and was appointed as the new Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland and an interim ombudsman was appointed.

Joan Johnson's family complained to the NI Ombudsman about their mother's care

The report into Ms Johnson remained unpublished and in December 2019 the ombudsman's office informed her family that it had now decided to publish the report without naming HCIL.

The decision came after HCIL informed the ombudsman of its intention to judicially review the office over any decision to publish the investigation report online with the company's name.

Ms Johnson's family complained about this decision as NIPSO had previously published reports online naming public bodies and private companies carrying out public services that it had investigated.

NIPSO agreed to review the decision when a new ombudsman, Margaret Kelly, took up post in August 2020.

In October, the new ombudsman Margaret Kelly wrote to Ms Crothers and confirmed that the report would now be published in full on the ombudsman's website.

In her letter the ombudsman said: "I have considered all the representations made and consider that the public interest considerations in publishing the report, including the name of HCIL as the service provider, outweigh any concerns that have been raised regarding the impact of publication."

The ombudsman's report into Ms Johnson's care was published in full on the NI Ombudsman's website on 30 October.