Decision report 201200906

Summary

Mrs C complained to the board about the care and treatment that her late husband (Mr A) received in hospital when he attended the emergency department. Mr A was discharged home but around two months later he was admitted to the hospital again where it was identified that he had terminal lung cancer that had spread to his liver and bones. Mrs C said that her husband had been suffering agonising pain in his leg over a few months and had been frequently attending his medical practice.

After taking independent advice from one of our medical advisers, we did not uphold Mrs C's complaint. Her husband had presented at the emergency department with pleuritic chest pain (pain associated with the lungs). Our investigation found that the hospital carried out appropriate assessments and investigations at this time. In addition, a chest x-ray and blood tests had given no indication of pneumonia or malignancy.