Ms A complained that Cardiff and Vale University Health Board cancelled her thyroidectomy surgery on the day of the procedure because she was a smoker. Ms A was removed from the waiting list and referred for smoking cessation. Ms A said that the Health Board had not previously advised her of the need to stop smoking.
The Ombudsman decided that the Health Board had not followed its policy in relation to smoking cessation. The information it had provided in writing was unclear, and it had not told Ms A of the requirement to stop smoking for the procedure to go ahead. The Ombudsman decided to settle the complaint without an investigation.
The Ombudsman sought and gained the Health Board’s agreement within one month, to apologise to Ms A, to review the written information provided to patients in advance of their surgery to ensure it is clear and in line with the Health Board’s policy, and to confirm Ms A’s next appointment to discuss her care and treatment pathway.