Overview
The complainant (Mr C) raised a number of concerns about the nursing care which he received during his admission to Dr Gray's Hospital (the Hospital), the advice given to him about MRSA and the way his complaint was handled by Grampian NHS Board (the Board).
Specific complaints and conclusions
The complaints which have been investigated are that:
- (a) Mr C did not receive adequate emotional support during his admission to the Hospital (upheld);
- (b) nursing staff advised Mr C's wife to leave the ward due to things being too busy (upheld);
- (c) Mr C was not given clear information in relation to the Board's visitor policy and the risks of MRSA (not upheld);
- (d) Mr C's chemotherapy was carried out in a ward setting and he was required to answer personal questions within earshot of other patients (not upheld);
- (e) Mr C's concerns were ignored when he raised them with the specialist nurses (partially upheld to the extent that Mr C was not given feedback about the way in which his complaints were dealt with); and
- (f) the Board failed to adhere to the NHS complaints handling procedure when investigating Mr C's complaint (not upheld).
Redress and recommendations
The Ombudsman recommends that the Board:
- (i) ensure that staff assess the emotional needs of patients, especially those with the diagnosis of a life threatening or limiting illness, and plan care appropriate to this assessment;
- (ii) apologise to Mr C for their failure to formally assess his need for emotional support;
- (iii) review their visiting policy and consider whether to include guidance on the application of discretion according to the circumstances;
- (iv) remind relevant staff to ensure that they respond fully to all elements of complaints;
- (v) remind staff: of their role in the complaints process; to take steps to identify complaints; and to feedback to patients any steps taken as a result of their complaint and any response to the complaint; and
- (vi) consider whether, in these sorts of circumstances, it may be appropriate to use conciliation or mediation as part of the complaints process.
The Board have accepted the recommendations and will act on them accordingly.