Trust failed to communicate properly

What happened

Mrs A's mother, Mrs J, was in hospital for treatment for myeloma, a type of cancer. Mrs A says that staff inappropriately discharged Mrs J home to an empty house in a taxi, and did not tell her family. Mrs J fell ill again and the Trust readmitted her to hospital the next day. She died in hospital soon after.

Mrs A said if her mother had remained in hospital, the Trust might have realised how ill she was and talked to Mrs A about her condition earlier. The Trust failed to respond properly to her complaint.

What we found

Although the discharge was not unreasonable, there were faults in communication between clinical teams. There were inadequate records of discussions with Mrs J about her condition and her wish to go home; these did not reflect the reasons for discharge.

There were also failings in communication with social services, and documentation was not appropriately filled in. The Trust failed to fully address Mrs A's complaints.

We partly upheld the complaints.

Putting it right

The Trust apologised for the failings we identified. It explained the policies and guidelines in place for communication across the clinical directorate, the action it has taken following this complaint and how it will make sure documentation is completed, medical records reflect discussion, and staff make adequate discharge notes.