Decision report 201005071

Summary
Mrs C complained on behalf of her son, Mr A, about the way the board managed his condition. Mr A suffered from pilondial sinus (an infected tract under the skin between the buttocks). He received treatment from a surgeon over a twenty month period, and then the surgeon referred him to a plastic surgeon for alternative treatment. The plastic surgeon performed a multiple flat procedure, which was successful. Mrs C said that the surgeon should have referred Mr A to a plastic surgeon much earlier than he did, and when it became clear that the treatment he was providing was unsuccessful. She said that the delay in referring to a plastic surgeon meant that Mr A suffered from pain and repeated infections which had adversely affected his quality of life. We found that there was more than one way to treat Mr A, and that while an earlier referral to plastic surgery could have been made, the care and treatment Mr A received was reasonable and in line with standard practice.