Mrs A complained about the care and treatment that she received from Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board. Specifically, Mrs A questioned whether the metalwork that was placed in her left wrist in February 2020, as well as its subsequent removal in February 2022, were appropriate.
The Ombudsman found that the metalwork placed in Mrs A’s wrist in February 2020 was the correct treatment and therefore appropriate. The Ombudsman also considered its later removal in February 2022 to have been a reasonable course of action to try, given Mrs A’s reports of pain. However, the Ombudsman considered that there were missed opportunities to keep Mrs A under review in the intervening period, and that she might have had some benefit from hand therapy, had this been given following the placement of the metalwork. As a result, and to that limited extent, the Ombudsman upheld the complaint.
The Ombudsman recommended that the Health Board apologise to Mrs A for these failings and that it share the investigation report with the Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon for reflection and learning purposes, particularly in terms of when early discharge is being considered. The Ombudsman also recommended that the Health Board reviewed early discharge procedures within the Trauma and Orthopaedic Team against Mrs A’s case to consider any learning points.