Mrs A’s complaint centred on whether she should have been listed for knee replacement surgery following her consultation on 2 January 2020, and whether the decision to discharge her from the orthopaedic clinic in December 2020 was appropriate.
The Ombudsman was satisfied that given Mrs A’s high Body Mass Index (“BMI”), not listing her for surgery was reasonable, as the effects of a high BMI were explained to Mrs A. The Ombudsman was pleased to note that the Health Board now books a patient in for surgery along with providing support for the patient to lose weight.
She was also satisfied that the decision to discharge Mrs A from the orthopaedic clinic was appropriate given the COVID-19 pandemic and that Mrs A was advised of this in writing and her GP was also copied in. The letter also advised Mrs A that she could contact her GP to be re-referred if her condition worsened.
The Ombudsman did not uphold Mrs A’s complaint.