Decision Report 201301024

Summary

Mr C was referred to the board's neurosurgical unit after an angiogram (a type of x-ray used to examine blood vessels) showed that he had two cerebral aneurysms (weak points in the walls of blood vessels supplying blood to the brain, causing them to bulge or balloon out). The referral was passed to a consultant neurosurgeon for consideration. Five days later, it was returned to the waiting list team, then passed to another consultant neurosurgeon the same day, for Mr C to be placed on a waiting list initiative list, so that he would be seen sooner.

Mr C, however, collapsed about a week later. He was admitted to hospital and a scan of his head was taken. This showed evidence of subarachnoid haemorrhage (bleeding in the area between the brain and the thin tissues that cover the brain). He was taken to theatre for emergency surgery, but this was abandoned due to the continuing bleeding and swelling in his brain. Mr C was then transferred to the intensive care unit, where he died later that day.

Mr C's wife complained about the care and treatment he received from the board before his death. After taking independent advice from one of our medical advisers, we found that it was reasonable for them to at that point put Mr C on the waiting list initiative list, which meant that he would have been seen sooner. The adviser explained that there was no indication from the medical records that Mr C had displayed any symptoms of subarachnoid haemorrhage at that time. We also found that Mr C had received reasonable care and treatment in hospital on the day he died.