Mrs X complained that Anuerin Bevan Health Board failed to identify the cause of her debilitating back pain following several scans. Mrs X said she had to pay privately to establish that the Health Board had overlooked a herniated disc in her spine.
The Ombudsman concluded that the Health Board had failed to provide a formal complaint response to address Mrs X’s concerns regarding the interpretation and accuracy of the MRI scan results. 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 complaint response to address the above concerns, and to offer an apology and explanation for the delayed response within 6 weeks.