Mr A was concerned that a metal object which was retained internally after an investigation in 2012 had not been surgically removed, as he had been told. Mr A noted that a specialist scan in 2023 had identified a “foreign object”. Following surgery in 2023, Mr A was told that it was a stone. Mr A was unhappy that the Health Board had disposed of the foreign object. He was also dissatisfied with the explanations provided by the Surgeon who had removed the object. Mr A noted that since 2012 he had been experiencing severe pain.
The Ombudsman identified that Mr A had not had a formal response under the Putting Things Right (“PTR”) Regulations which would address the issue of harm. The Health Board agreed to meet with Mr A and his Advocate to discuss his complaint and the way forward, if Mr A was agreeable to this. The Health Board would then write to Mr A and his Advocate setting out the concerns with a PTR complaint response to follow.