Mr A complained about the care and treatment provided to his wife, Mrs A, for ongoing head and neck pain. Specifically, the investigation considered whether Mrs A’s occipital neuralgia (a condition where the nerves that run through the scalp are injured or inflamed) should have been identified and treatment offered following her attendances at hospital in 2018 and 2020. The investigation also considered whether it would have been appropriate to offer nerve blocks to Mrs A in September 2021.
The investigation found that Mrs A underwent an appropriate assessment and investigation when she attended hospital in 2018 and that the diagnosis made at the time was reasonable. It also found that whilst there was a delay in Mrs A receiving nerve blocks, given the complexity of her condition and response to treatment, this was unlikely to have had a significant impact on her eventual outcome. These parts of Mr A’s complaint were not upheld. In respect of Mrs A’s attendance at hospital in 2020, the investigation found that there were missed opportunities to identify that Mrs A was suffering with occipital neuralgia. This part of Mr A’s complaint was upheld.
The Health Board agreed to apologise to Mr and Mrs A for failing to identify Mrs A’s occipital neuralgia when she attended hospital in 2020. It agreed to offer Mr A a payment of £1,500 in recognition of this failure and to ensure that the clinicians who treated Mrs A on this occasion are familiar with the symptoms of occipital neuralgia and its management.