Overview
The complainant (Mrs C) raised a number of concerns on behalf of her mother (Mrs A) about the care and treatment her late father (Mr A) received while a patient in the Golden Jubilee National Hospital, Clydebank (the Hospital). Mr A had been referred to the Hospital following a diagnosis of lung cancer and died there, several days after surgery.
Specific complaints and conclusions
The complaints which have been investigated are that:
- (a) there were unreasonable shortcomings in Mr A's care and treatment in the Hospital (upheld); and
- (b) there has been an unreasonable lack of clarity by the Hospital in explaining why Mr A died (upheld).
Redress and recommendations
The Ombudsman recommends that the Hospital:
- (i) apologise to Mrs A and her family for the failings identified in complaint (a);
- (ii) consider a review of the wording of the consent form a patient signs prior to surgery, so as to include the main operative risks;
- (iii) reflect on the comments of Adviser 1, in relation to the advice given on treatment options and the carrying out of a preoperative physiological assessment;
- (iv) reflect on the comments of Adviser 1, in relation to Mr A's postoperative nutritional management;
- (v) revise their nursing action plan, so as to address the failings identified in this report;
- (vi) apologise to Mrs A and her family for the failings identified in complaint (b); and
- (vii) consider obtaining a copy of the post mortem report, where a patient dies and a post mortem is instructed by the Procurator Fiscal, so as to inform the clinicians who cared for the patient and to be able to discuss the findings with the patient's family, if required.
The Hospital have accepted the recommendations and will act on them accordingly.