Decision Report 201302409

Summary

Mr C suffers from excessive sweating over most of his body, and was referred to a dermatologist (a specialist in diseases of the skin, hair and nails). At the dermatology appointment at Inverclyde Royal Hospital, a consultant dermatologist examined Mr C but said there was no treatment they could offer him. He was unhappy about this and complained to the board.

We took independent advice from one of our medical advisers, also a consultant dermatologist, who reviewed the board's response to Mr C's complaint as well as the relevant medical records. He explained that to say there was no treatment that could be offered was incorrect. He said that, in Mr C's circumstances, he would have expected the consultant to have considered an anticholinergic drug (a drug that blocks the action of a particular neurotransmitter in the brain). We upheld Mr C's complaint. Although we were aware that the appointment had been a difficult one, there was no evidence that an anticholinergic drug was considered or discussed with Mr C there, and the information he was given was incorrect.

Recommendations

We recommended that the board:

• apologise to Mr C for the failings identified; and
• share this letter with the consultant concerned and ask them to reflect on their actions.