Decision Report 201507476

Summary

Ms C complained about the care and treatment that her father-in-law (Mr A) received when he attended at the board's out-of-hours service at the Royal Alexandra Hospital. Mr A had been suffering from worsening symptoms of a cough and cold. He was examined and diagnosed with a viral illness, considered likely to be flu. Mr A was given advice on what to do if his condition worsened. Later that day, he was admitted to hospital. Mr A died the following day as a result of multiple organ failure due to sepsis (blood infection). Ms C complained about the out-of-hours examination as she felt that Mr A was clearly very ill and further action should have been taken at that time.

After taking independent medical advice, we did not uphold Ms C's complaint. The advice we received was that the examination was reasonable with appropriate advice and treatment being provided on the basis of the findings. The adviser explained that Mr A had not shown any signs of sepsis at the time of the examination and that his condition was significantly different when he was later admitted to hospital. The adviser highlighted that sepsis is a condition that can develop and deteriorate rapidly.