Decision Report 201802853

Summary

Miss C, an advice worker, complained on behalf of her client (Mr B) regarding the care and treatment of his late wife (Mrs A). Mrs A had been admitted to Forth Valley Royal Hospital for treatment for influenza and was discharged back to her care home with medication. Mrs A had to be readmitted after five days where she was treated for pneumonia (a lung infection). Mrs A did not respond to further treatment and died in the hospital. Mr B felt that Mrs A should not have been discharged from the hospital initially and that staff had reached a wrong diagnosis.

We took independent advice from a consultant in medicine and found that Mrs A had received appropriate treatment during the hospital admissions. In the first admission, her symptoms were appropriately diagnosed as being influenza related and she received appropriate investigations and treatment and was discharged when her symptoms improved. Mrs A was then readmitted with different symptoms suggestive of further or a new chest infection. We did not uphold Miss C's complaint.