Son's complaint about his father's poor health treatment in NHS Highland not upheld after probe
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A SON who complained about his father’s poor health treatment in NHS Highland has not had his complaint upheld by the Scottish Public Service Ombudsman (SPSO).
The man, who has not been named, made the complaint after his father died, saying the health board had not provided the correct treatment for his father.
The man was suffering from a degenerative brain disorder known as Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, and was only diagnosed when he sought advice from a private consultant.
An SPSO stated: “Mr C complained about the treatment provided to his late father (Mr A).
“Mr A had complained about poor memory and poor balance over a number of weeks.
“The board carried out a number of investigations, however, due to the wait for follow-up appointments, Mr A decided to seek private treatment and he was subsequently diagnosed with Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease.”
Mr C then complained that the board failed to carry out the appropriate investigations, and that the board inappropriately discharged Mr A when his condition was getting progressively worse.
The report continued: “The board confirmed they were satisfied that the appropriate investigations were undertaken. They acknowledged that they could not offer Mr A an earlier appointment and explained that this was due to the service being understaffed.”
SPSO said that in investigating the complaint it had taken advice from a consultant neurologist, a doctor who specialises in the brain and nervous system.
It stated: “We found that the appropriate investigations were carried out.
“Due to the nature of Mr A’s condition, a number of conditions had to be ruled out first.
“The board subsequently informed us that the staffing issues have since been resolved. We also considered that it was appropriate to discharge Mr A as the risks of complications was much lower at home than in hospital.
“We did not uphold Mr C’s complaints, however, feedback was provided regarding the board’s communication with the patient and his family, and the manner in which Mr A was prioritised.”
