Decision Report 201602817

Summary

Mr C complained about the treatment provided to him during attendances at West Glasgow Minor Injuries Unit, Yorkhill and then at the emergency department of Queen Elizabeth University Hospital. Mr C had sustained an injury to his right calf muscle and he said that it was only following a subsequent admission to the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital, a day after his initial admission there, that he was diagnosed and treated for pulmonary embolism (a blockage in a blood vessel in the lungs) and deep vein thrombosis (DVT).

We obtained independent advice from a consultant in emergency medicine who said that the symptoms Mr C presented with at West Glasgow Minor Injuries Unit, Yorkhill were consistent with him having sustained a calf muscle tear and not a venous thrombosis. They found that the treatment provided to Mr C was appropriate.

With regards to Mr C's attendance at Queen Elizabeth University Hospital, the adviser said that medical staff had rightly suspected that Mr C may have had a pulmonary embolism and he was offered appropriate tests in order to diagnose this. However, it was recorded in the medical records that Mr C had declined these tests and opted to go home because the tests involved the use of needles to which Mr C had a severe phobia. It was further recorded that Mr C was judged as having capacity to make this decision. We received further advice that when Mr C was admitted to the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital the following day there had been changes in his clinical condition. The adviser found no failings in Mr C's treatment.

We were satisfied we had not seen evidence that there were any unreasonable failures to provide Mr C with appropriate clinical treatment for his reported symptoms of leg pain and we did not uphold his complaint.