Care and treatment of patient with complex health needs was reasonable

What happened

Mrs R had a history of physical health problems as well as mental health difficulties. Her mental health deteriorated significantly in spring 2011 and she voluntarily agreed to be admitted for psychiatric care. She went into a psychiatric unit until her physical health deteriorated and she was transferred to an acute hospital for further treatment the next month. Mrs R was given treatment for fluid retention and she was subsequently discharged home.

As well as complaining to us about her mother's care, the discharge planning arrangements and the care she received in the community afterwards, Mrs D also complained about the way the GP Practice managed the various painkillers and other prescription drugs her mother was taking and the apparent effect these were having on her mother's deteriorating mental health.

Mrs D was also unhappy about how the Trust and the Practice handled her complaint.

What we found

The care and treatment provided to Mrs R was, on the whole, of a reasonable standard. However, the way the complaint was handled, particularly by the Practice, was poor. This led to an injustice that was not recognised or remedied, leaving Mrs D frustrated and confused about the complaints procedure. In addition, she was distressed by the delays she encountered during this process.

We partly upheld the complaint.

Putting it right

We recommended that the Trust and the Practice should apologise to Mrs D for the way they handled her complaint and send us evidence that lessons have been learnt about this. We also recommended that the Practice should pay Mrs D £500 as compensation for the injustice we have found.