Overview
The complainant (Mrs C) raised a number of concerns over the care and treatment she received from Lanarkshire NHS Board (the Board) between July and October 2013. Mrs C had twice suffered from cancer and was alert to its possible return. She complained that the Board's handling of her treatment in this time unreasonably delayed the cancer diagnosis she ultimately received in October 2013. Mrs C was also dissatisfied with the accuracy of the Board's response to her complaint.
Specific complaints and conclusions
The complaints which have been investigated are:
- (a) the Board did not provide reasonable care and treatment to Mrs C between July and October 2013 (upheld); and
- (b) the Board's response to Mrs C's complaint of 15 November 2013 was not reasonable due to its containing inaccuracies (upheld).
Redress and recommendations
The Ombudsman recommends that the Board:
- raise this matter at Doctor 6's next appraisal as a learning point;
- carry out a significant incident review to ensure that the failings highlighted, including the lack of recognition of the severity and urgency of the situation and responsibility for taking the case forward, are fully addressed and acted upon to prevent recurrence;
- address the reasons for the inaccuracies in their response to Mrs C's complaint as part of the significant incident review; and
- apologise to Mrs C in writing for the failings identified in this report.
The Board have accepted the recommendations and will act on them accordingly