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Case ref:201805151
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Date:March 2019
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Body:NHS 24
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Sector:Health
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Outcome:Not upheld, no recommendations
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Subject:complaints handling
Summary
Mr C complained about the advice he received from NHS 24 staff when he called for assistance for a dental problem. He spoke to a dental nurse initially who advised that he should take painkillers and contact his dentist when the practice opened later that morning and ask for an urgent appointment. Mr C was unhappy with this advice and asked to speak to another dental nurse and again remained dissatisfied with the advice given. The telephone calls to NHS 24 became challenging and staff terminated a call as Mr C was deemed to have been offensive.
We took independent advice from a dentist. We found that the advice that Mr C should attend his own dentist later that morning was appropriate. It was also appropriate that he was given advice to take painkillers and that there was no medical need for an emergency appointment. We also found that Mr C's behaviour during the calls was challenging for all concerned and that it was not unreasonable for the staff to have terminated the call when it was clear that nothing further would be achieved. We did not uphold the complaint.