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Case ref:201404553
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Date:October 2015
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Body:Highland NHS Board
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Sector:Health
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Outcome:Upheld, recommendations
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Subject:clinical treatment / diagnosis
Summary
Mrs C complained on behalf of her sister (Ms A) about the continence nursing care she had received during a stay in Campbeltown Hospital. During the first few months at the hospital, a catheter was used to manage Ms A's continence. Mrs C complained to the board about urinary care issues that arose during this period including urinary tract infections. Following their investigation of Mrs C's complaint, the board apologised for the lack of involvement of a specialist continence care nurse and, more generally, for the wider record-keeping for Ms A.
After taking independent advice from a nursing adviser, we upheld Mrs C's complaint. We found that, while many aspects of Ms A's urinary nursing care were appropriate, the lack of involvement of a specialist continence nurse and record-keeping matters (such as a lack of evidence that the continuing need for a catheter was reviewed) meant that, overall, the care could not be considered as reasonable.
Recommendations
We recommended that the board:
- apologise to Mrs C directly for the specific record-keeping issues they highlighted; and
- provide evidence of the action taken by the clinical services manager at Campbeltown Hospital to prevent recurrence of these events.