Decision Report 201705936

Summary

Mrs C complained on behalf of her husband (Mr A) regarding the delay in reaching a diagnosis of prostate cancer during consultations at Perth Royal Infirmary. In response to Mrs C's complaint, the board explained that a number of factors had contributed to the time taken to diagnose Mr A. The board said that Mr A's symptom pattern was unusual, and investigations were initially performed to rule out bladder and kidney cancer. Mrs C was unhappy with this response and brought her complaint to us.

We took independent advice from a consultant urologist (a specialist in the study or treatment of the function and disorders of the urinary system). We found that it was reasonable of the board to first exclude the possibility of bladder or kidney cancer before investigating the possibility of prostate cancer. We also found that the department had carried out appropriate tests prior to Mr A being reviewed by the consultant. We considered that the board had met the waiting time targets and did not uphold Mrs C's complaint. Although we did not consider that the delay in diagnosis was unreasonable in this case, we gave detailed feedback to the board regarding areas for potential improvements in practice.