Decision Report 201502773

Summary

Mr C complained that his uncle (Mr A) who suffered from dementia was not reasonably cared for after he was admitted to hospital and when a catheter was fitted. He said that Mr A was not discharged appropriately and that as his uncle's next of kin he was not always kept informed about what was happening about his care and about arrangements being made.

We took independent advice from a consultant urologist and from a senior nurse. We found that Mr A's clinical and nursing care were well within a standard that could be reasonably expected. However, there were occasions when Mr C was not kept informed and when he was given confusing information about out-patient appointments. He was also sent an appointment for Mr A which was for a location 50 miles away from his home. For these reasons, Mr C's complaints about poor communication were upheld.

Recommendations

We recommended that the board:

• make a formal apology for the communications shortcomings identified; and
• remind staff involved in this case of their professional responsibility to communicate with relatives, particularly next of kin, in a clear and timely manner.