Miss C complained about the care and treatment provided to her late mother, Mrs A, by Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board. Specifically, the investigation considered whether the Health Board failed to diagnose and recognise the significance of Mrs A’s lung tumour found in February 2023 and whether its subsequent management was appropriate.
The Ombudsman found that there was no failure by the Health Board to recognise Mrs A’s lung tumour and that the suspected malignancy identified in February 2023 was subject to appropriate clinical review, and investigations. The investigation identified that it may have been appropriate to plan for a follow-up scan/diagnostic procedure sooner. However, an unplanned CT scan carried out less than 3 months after an initial CT scan, demonstrated that Mrs A’s suspected lung malignancy was essentially unchanged in that time. Therefore, a planned follow-up scan would not have resulted in any different action, or diagnosis if carried out sooner. The Ombudsman did not uphold this complaint.