Hospital trust downgraded urgent referral for optical treatment

What happened

Mr B was referred to the Trust for urgent care when his optician had concerns about his eye problems. The Trust downgraded the urgency of Mr B's appointment and he waited four months to be seen. Mr B's son complained about the decision to downgrade the urgency of the referral without getting further information.

What we found

The length of time Mr B had to wait for an appointment at the Trust was unreasonable and not in line with relevant guidelines. The Trust did not acknowledge these failings when it responded to the complaint. Our investigation concluded that these failings did not lead to a significant deterioration in Mr B's vision.

Putting it right

The Trust put together an action plan to show what it had learnt from its mistakes so that it will not happen again.