Care provided met accepted standards

What happened

Mrs L, who had terminal cancer and other related conditions, was admitted to hospital with bowel problems. Doctors assessed her and found that surgery would not be beneficial.

Antibiotics were prescribed but after several hours she had not responded to this treatment. Doctors decided that she was dying and began a palliative care pathway.

Mr L, Mrs L's husband, complained that the Trust did not tell him how serious her condition was. However, after he arrived at the hospital he was fully informed of her condition and prognosis. Unfortunately, by this stage she was no longer able to communicate.

What we found

The Trust's assessment, care and treatment of Mrs L were in line with acceptable standards. The Trust could have told Mr L about the severity of her condition earlier, but there was no obligation to do so because Mrs L had capacity to make decisions about her treatment for most of the day. Therefore, there was no service failure.

Mr L also complained about the Trust's complaint handling. We found that its initial response was very poor. However, as its subsequent responses addressed Mr L's concerns, the overall service provided did not fall below an acceptable standard.

We did not uphold the complaint.