Overview
The complainant (Mrs C) raised significant concerns about delays and poor communication in decisions about her treatment for secondary liver cancer by Lothian NHS Board (the Board) from December 2012 to May 2013. Mrs C sadly died in March 2014 and this complaint is taken forward on her behalf by her husband, Mr C.
Specific complaints and conclusions
The complaints which have been investigated are that:
- (a) clinicians in NHS Lothian failed to deal with a referral for treatment in a timely and appropriate manner (upheld); and
- (b) clinicians in NHS Lothian failed to communicate adequately with Mrs C and other health professionals about her condition and treatment (upheld).
Redress and recommendations
The Ombudsman recommends that the Board:
- review the timelines for the current system in place for multi-disciplinary team (MDT) discussion and subsequent clinic review with a view to improving the timescales identified in this case;
- review the system for obtaining scan results to ensure that significantly more prompt MDT review is possible;
- review the communications with Mrs C in light of failings identified in this report to establish areas of improvement; and
- apologise to Mrs C’s family for the failure to adequately and promptly communicate discussions and decisions about her treatment.