Following assessment of the complaint, the Ombudsman found that the Health Board had appropriately responded to many aspects of the complaint, and that it was not proportionate to consider an investigation of certain aspects where nothing further could be achieved, or where there was nota significant level of injustice involved.
However, there were certain key concerns raised by Mr B, relating to cannulation and peripherally inserted central catheter (“PICC”)options, and delays in dealing with certain biopsy results, that had not been addressed by the Health Board’s complaint response. Neither had the Health Board provided Mr B with a copy of Mrs B’s BRCA1 test results (indicating whether a mutation was present that increases risk of breast cancer), even after apologising and promising to do so in its complaint response some months earlier. These failings were an injustice to Mr B.
The Ombudsman obtained the Health Board’s agreement to provide Mr B with a full response to the concerns still outstanding and to provide a copy of Mrs B’s BRCA1 result and an apology within 4 weeks. The Ombudsman therefore decided to settle the complaint without investigation.