Overview
The complainant (Mrs C) cancelled her planned hysterectomy at Borders General Hospital (the Hospital). She complained that poor administration by staff of Borders NHS Board (the Board) led to the temporary loss of her clinical records, leaving her with doubts as to the competence of the staff that were caring for her. Mrs C also had a number of concerns over the treatment that she was offered and did not feel that sufficient consideration was given to her family's medical history or her reaction to certain medications.
Specific complaints and conclusions
The complaints which have been investigated are that:
- (a) administration and staff communication at the Hospital were poor (upheld);
- (b) staff at the Hospital provided conflicting information about Mrs C's iron levels (not upheld);
- (c) staff at the Hospital did not acknowledge the severity of Mrs C's gluten intolerance (not upheld); and
- (d) staff at the Hospital inappropriately recommended a hysterectomy as the best treatment for Mrs C's condition (not upheld).
Redress and recommendations
The Ombudsman recommends that the Board review their record tracking procedures and ensures that all staff are reminded of their responsibilities as far as updating the tracking system whenever records are forwarded to another party.
The Board have accepted the recommendation and will act on it accordingly.