OPG service frustrations

I trust many solicitors are aware and are becoming increasingly frustrated at the lack of service from the Public Guardian’s Office.

I have today written to them in relation to documentation forwarded on 21 July this year – practically 16 weeks ago.

I recently noted within your publication that the Public Guardian’s Office do not take kindly to telephone enquiries or written enquiries chasing up the issue of documentation, on the basis that they are so overwhelmed with work this would just cause further delays.

You can imagine therefore my surprise and bemusement when my practice received a customer satisfaction survey from the Office of the Public Guardian dated October 2011 for completion and return. How they have time to handle surveys is beyond me.

I wonder what, if any, representations have been made by the Society to the Office of the Public Guardian. The Public Guardian’s Office deal with issues very sensitive to many families up and down the country. The demands on this Office will continue to increase to reflect the demographic trends.

Presumably solicitors all over the country are experiencing similar delays. It is now time that representations are made directly to the Public Guardian by the Law Society of Scotland and others in an attempt to bring an improvement in the standards of service.

Neil Da Prato, A B & A Matthews LLP, Newton Stewart