Decision Report 201903199

Summary

C complained that their concerns about changes in their breast had not been investigated adequately by the board. As a consequence, there had been a delay in diagnosing C's breast cancer. C was also unhappy with the treatment that had been proposed for them. C believed that the board was unreasonably denying them breast surgery and was proposing to keep C on potentially harmful chemotherapy indefinitely. C sought a second opinion and did undergo breast surgery shortly afterwards. C believed this demonstrated the treatment proposed by the board was unreasonable.

We took independent advice from an appropriately qualified adviser. We found that the investigations carried out were reasonable. It had not been reasonable to inform C that their breast cancer was inoperable on the basis of the investigations that the board had carried out at that point. However, the treatment provided to C was reasonable and it was appropriate for the initial treatment to be chemotherapy, rather than proceeding directly to surgery. We did not uphold C's complaint.