Mr A complained that the Health Board failed to provide appropriate cardiology reviews of his heart problems since September 2019, failed to investigate his abdominal pain in a timely fashion and failed to classify his referral as urgent.
The Ombudsman’s investigation found that the cardiology care provided to Mr A was of an appropriate standard. A range of treatment options were discussed, some of which were declined by Mr A, and when face-to-face consultations were not possible due to COVID-19, telephone reviews were available as an alternative. There was no persuasive evidence to suggest that the method and timeliness of Mr A’s reviews resulted in any significant clinical injustice to him. The complaint was therefore not upheld.
The investigation found that Mr A’s GP’s referral regarding his abdominal pain was made to a different health board. This aspect of the complaint against the Health Board was therefore not upheld.