Decision Report 202106164

Summary

C complained that the board failed to provide appropriate care for their parent (A) when they were admitted to A&E. A had a cut on their leg which was not treated because the board said they had not been made aware of it. C said that this was not acceptable, noting that patients are not always able to make staff aware of their symptoms.

We reviewed the medical records and took independent advice from a consultant in emergency and retrieval medicine. We noted that the explanations provided by the board as to why they were not aware of the wound, and did not treat it at the time, did not tally with the information in the medical records, where it was noted that A had been admitted with a cut to the knee. We progressed the complaint to investigation and asked the board to comment on the initial findings and suggested a resolution approach would be welcome. The board responded, stating they wished to move to resolution and would meet the outcomes asked for. We accepted this outcome.