Mrs X complained that Aneurin Bevan University Health Board failed to respond to his complaint submitted 6 months ago regarding excessive waiting times for his mother’s elective orthopaedic surgery for total hip replacement.
The Ombudsman concluded that the Health Board had failed to respond to Mrs X’s complaint in line with its complaint process. The Ombudsman said this caused uncertainty, frustration, and inconvenience to Mrs X. The Ombudsman decided to settle the complaint without an investigation.
The Ombudsman sought and gained the Health Board’s agreement to issue its formal complaint response, which should include an update in respect of the status of the wait for elective orthopaedic surgery. The response should also include an apology for the delay and lack of regular updates.