George Eliot Hospital NHS Trust

3. Miss A complains about the Trust between 17 May and 29 May 2024. She specifically complains the Trust did not appropriately remove retained products following the birth of her son

4. Miss A tells us due to the delayed treatment she is now living with intermittent selfcatheterisation. She says this will impact her for the rest of her life.

5. Miss A explains she now suffers from pain relating to gynaecological issues, Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and pelvic inflammatory disease.

6. Miss A is seeking an apology and service improvements from the Trust.

7. On 18 May 2024 during a bedside scan she was informed by the Trust retained products had been left inside of her. On 28 May the retained products were removed.

10. Before we decide if we should investigate a complaint, we should consider attempting a resolution where it appears that, with minimal intervention, we could achieve a satisfactory result for the complainant.

11. We reviewed the Trust’s complaint response to Miss A. We could see the Trust had issued a number of apologies for some of the care it provided to Miss A. We could not see the Trust had agreed to implement a service improvement plan.

12. The Ombudsman’s ‘Principles for Remedy’ say where maladministration or poor service has led to injustice or hardship, public bodies should try to offer a remedy. An appropriate range of remedies will include an apology.

13. We consider the Trust has met this principle by issuing an apology.

14. The Ombudsman’s ‘Principles for Remedy’ say part of a remedy may be to ensure that changes are made to policies, procedures, systems, staff training or all of these, to ensure that the maladministration or poor service is not repeated. It is important to ensure that lessons learnt are put into practice.

15. We approached the Trust to see if it was willing to do this to resolve the complaint. The Trust informed us it was.

16. The Trust will now create and implement a service improvement plan relevant to Miss A’s complaint. I spoke to Miss A and 4 and 5 June and confirmed this would remedy her complaint.

17. After speaking with the Trust and Miss A, we consider the further action the Trust has agreed to take will resolve this complaint. The Trust has confirmed it will now contact Miss A. We will not take any further action.

1. We have carefully considered Miss A’s complaint about George Eliot Hospital NHS Trust (the Trust). We are sorry to hear about Miss A’s distress caused by the Trust’s delay in removing retained products. This understandably caused frustration and upset to Miss A.

2. In order to bring her complaint to a close, Miss A told us she wanted the Trust to provide an apology and service improvements. We consider the Trust has already issued an appropriate apology. The Trust has agreed to create and implement a service improvement plan.