Decision Report 201702496

Summary

Mrs C complained to us about the care and treatment her sister-in-law (Mrs A) received at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh after taking two overdoses of medication within a few days. On the first occasion, Mrs A was assessed in the emergency department for risk of liver damage and then admitted to the acute medical unit. She had a psychiatric assessment the following morning and it was decided that she did not need any further in-patient psychiatric care. Mrs A discharged herself from the hospital later that day against medical advice. Mrs A was brought back to the emergency department on the following day after taking a further overdose and was then admitted to the toxicology unit. On the following day, she was transferred to a specialist liver transplant unit, although it was decided that she was not a candidate for a liver transplant. She was subsequently moved to intensive care after it was recorded that her kidneys were failing. Mrs A died there several days later. Mrs C complained about the care and treatment provided to Mrs A during each admission to the hospital.

We took independent advice from an emergency medicine consultant, a psychiatric consultant, a general medical adviser and a consultant in anaesthesia and intensive care medicine. We found that the care and treatment provided to Mrs A in the hospital throughout all admissions had been reasonable and appropriate. We did not uphold Mrs C’s complaints.