NHS sorry for 'unnecessary delay' in patient's treatment before death

A patient was found to have suffered an “unnecessary delay” in treatment for their heart condition before their death.

The patient’s spouse complained to NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde about the care.

They had been receiving treatment for cardiac amyloidosis, an abnormal buildup of the protein amyloid in the heart.

The health board did not uphold the complaint, finding no delay in referring the patient to a specialist or in their diagnosis and treatment.

The patient’s spouse was “unhappy” with this response and took their complaint to the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman (SPSO).

In addition to their concerns about their partner’s treatment, the spouse also complained that the board had failed to address their complaint adequately.

The SPSO sought independent advice from a consultant cardiologist, who specialises in heart diseases and abnormalities, and a consultant haematologist, who specialises in blood and bone marrow.

It found that while the patient’s cardiology care and treatment was “reasonable”, there had been an “unnecessary delay” in referring them for specialist haematological treatment.

The watchdog also found that this treatment was poorly documented, and that communication with the patient’s family about their treatment “could have been better”.

As NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde did not identify these issues, the ombudsman concluded that the board had “failed to adequately investigate and respond” to the complaint.

The SPSO asked the health board to apologise to the patient’s spouse and gave a number of recommendations.

These included patients receiving “appropriate and timely care” when referred to a specialist, clear and proactive communication with a patient’s family, and keeping accurate patient records.

Morag Gardner, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde’s Deputy nurse director for acute services, said:

“For reasons of patient confidentiality, we cannot comment on individual cases, however, we would like to apologise to the family of this patient, and we send our deepest sympathies for their loss.

“We know that some aspects of this patient’s care did not meet the standards expected, and we are sorry for that.

“We have fully considered the report and accept the recommendations that have been made.

“We are working with our teams to ensure learning is taken forward and the recommendations are met in full.”