Decision Report 201607046

Summary

Mrs C complained about the care and treatment her husband (Mr A) received during an admission to St Andrew's Community Hospital for a period of rehabilitation. She complained that Mr A's suspected urinary tract infection and delirium were not treated appropriately and with sufficient urgency, thus prolonging his admission unnecessarily. She also raised concerns that he was inappropriately sedated over the weekend prior to discharge.

We took independent advice from a GP adviser who considered that Mr A received appropriate treatment for his infection symptoms and delirium. They noted in particular that his blood results were negative for infection when Mrs C first requested more aggressive antibiotic treatment. The adviser also considered it clinically reasonable to prescribe a sleeping tablet as a trial to treat restlessness at night, although they said that it would have been good practice for staff to have discussed this with Mrs C in advance. The board had already acknowledged that it would have been helpful for this to have been discussed with Mrs C. We accepted the advice received and concluded that the medical care provided to Mr A was reasonable. We did not uphold the complaint.