Miss A complained that Cardiff and Vale University Health Board had not provided her with appropriate information about her father’s hospital admission, or the care and treatment provided to him. Miss A also complained that her father’s medical records could not be located, to inform the Health Board’s investigation of her concerns.
The Ombudsman found that the response provided to Miss A by the Health Board did not clarify what medical records were missing to inform a full investigation. The Ombudsman considered that this caused Miss A uncertainty and frustration. She decided to settle the complaint without an investigation.
The Ombudsman sought and gained the Health Board’s agreement to provide Miss A with a comprehensive explanation of which records were available and missing at the time of the Health Board’s initial investigation, and to conduct a full investigation into the concerns raised by Miss A and provide her with a comprehensive response within 4 weeks. The Health Board also agreed to offer Miss A £250 financial redress for the uncertainty, in addition to the time and trouble taken to raise her complaint with the Ombudsman.