Mrs S complained about the care and treatment provided by Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board to her late father, Mr P. In particular, she was concerned that the Health Board failed to manage Mr P’s chronic kidney disease (“CKD”) appropriately between January 2017 and February 2018 and that this had a detrimental impact on his health.
The Ombudsman’s investigation found that the consideration and management of Mr P’s CKD by the Health Board during this period fell within the range of acceptable clinical practice. It found that the Health Board’s clinicians appropriately considered the role of CKD in Mr P’s fluid retention (where excess fluid builds up in the body) and pleural effusion (a build-up of excess fluid in between the membranes surrounding the lung) and provided appropriate treatment and monitoring. The investigation also found that the fact that Mr P was not referred to a kidney specialist did not amount to a failure of care, because a referral was not required clinically. For these reasons, the Ombudsman did not uphold this complaint.