In this month’s edition of the Ombudsman’s findings, we highlight the importance of good communication in healthcare
This month we published decision reports from 12 complaints investigated by the Ombudsman. Eleven of these were about health services and one about local government. The outcome of these 12 complaints were
- Fully upheld: 7
- Some upheld: 2
- Not upheld: 3
Recommendations and feedback
We made 30 recommendations to public bodies. Fifteen of these were about steps public bodies should take to learn and improve from the complaint.
A common theme of these recommendations was the need for clear communication between healthcare providers and their patients.
In one case, a health board failed to inform the patient of the risks of blood thinning medication before commencing treatment. We asked the board to apologise to the patient’s family and ensure that patients are informed of the risks and benefits associated with their treatment.
In another case, we asked a health board to apologise to a patient after failing to fully discuss the risks associated with hip replacement surgery. The patient continued to suffer pain and mobility problems afterward. We made no further recommendations in this case, given the extensive learning and improvement already undertaken by the board as a result of the complaint.
Discussing the risks and benefits of treatment with patients is important, as it empowers them to make informed decisions about their healthcare.
All our published decision reports can be read in full on our website.