Mrs A complained about her mother, Mrs B’s management and care during her 8 months inpatient admission at Ysbyty Glan Clwyd (the First Hospital) and Holywell Community Hospital (the Second Hospital). She said that they had failed to try and find out what was wrong with her mother and had just watched her deteriorate. Mrs A referred to her mother’s weight loss, numerous blood transfusions and the fact she had become completely immobile. Mrs A also said that her mother’s osteomyelitis (an infection in the bone), which had been a pin prick wound prior to her admission, had worsened and never healed. As a result of her deterioration, her mother was not fit enough to undergo an investigation for her possible bowel cancer. Mrs A felt that the Health Board’s complaint response had been “highly selective” for example, it had not addressed her mother’s weight loss at the First Hospital.
The Ombudsman noted that there had been dietetics’ involvement in Mrs B’s weight management and nutrition and on the face of it the actions taken at the Second Hospital appeared reasonable. As the Health Board did not address Mrs B’s weight management at the First Hospital it was not possible to say what regard had been given to this.
Although Mrs B’s wound management during her inpatient care appeared to be appropriate, it was not clear from the Health Board’s complaint response what had happened in terms of a surgical review recommended by the tissue viability nurse (“TVN”) while Mrs B was an inpatient at the First Hospital. Additionally, the response did not sufficiently address Mrs A’s concern about her mother’s suspected bowel cancer symptoms while at the First Hospital.
The Health Board agreed to provide a further response to Mrs A. The response would address Mrs B’s weight management, surgical review outcome as well as Mrs A’s concerns about her mother’s suspected bowel cancer symptoms while at the First Hospital.