Decision report 201100659

Summary

Mrs C complained about the treatment that her late son (Mr A) received at a cancer centre where he had been admitted for a course of chemotherapy. She complained that when it was noticed that he was suffering from side effects of anti-sickness drugs, the consultant who prescribed the medication delayed in stopping it. She also said that the consultant failed to consult with other clinicians about the appropriateness of the prescribed drugs and failed to take Mr A's complex medical conditions into account.

Mrs C also complained that the consultant failed to explain the possible side effects of the medication, and that when she formally complained to the board she was not treated sympathetically and they took a long time to respond to her complaint.

We did not uphold Mrs C's complaints. Our investigation found that the clinicians involved were fully aware of Mr A's medical history, took his concerns seriously and treated him appropriately. We also found that they investigated his symptoms properly to determine the underlying cause. The medical notes showed that communication between clinicians had been excellent, and that staff took time to discuss Mr A's condition and medication with him and his family.

Finally, we found that the board's complaints handling was good. We found that they had provided responses that were thorough, detailed and empathetic. However, we found that the board failed to provide updates for a period of time before sending their final response. We drew this to their attention, but made no recommendation.