Mrs A complained that the Trust did not provide adequate care and treatment for her mother, Mrs B, after she was admitted to hospital with diarrhoea and vomiting. She also complained that the Trust did not keep adequate records of her mother's care, communicate appropriately with the family or handle her complaint properly.
What happened
Mrs B was admitted to hospital with diarrhoea and vomiting, which doctors diagnosed as gastroenteritis. Her diarrhoea stopped but her vomiting continued. Mrs B's condition significantly deteriorated five days after admission. Surgeons reviewed Mrs B and suggested that she might have a bowel obstruction. By that time it was too late to do a scan or operate. Mrs B died shortly afterward.
What we found
Given that Mrs B was not improving, doctors should have carried out further tests to assess Mrs B's kidney function and to see whether she had any other signs of infection. But no tests were done. We also found there was a lack of input from senior doctors during Mrs B's time in hospital. Although nurses appropriately monitored Mrs B's physiological observations, and increased observations when necessary, they failed to keep adequate records of her care, particularly her fluid input and output. The nurses also did not adequately communicate with Mrs B's family. We could not say, however, that Mrs B's death could have been prevented.
Shortcomings in the Trust's complaint handling were not so serious as to be maladministration.
Putting it right
The Trust agreed to write to Mrs A to acknowledge the failings and apologise for the injustice caused, pay £3,500 compensation and provide an update on the action plan it had developed to address the failings we identified.
Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust
Essex
Did not apologise properly or do enough to put things right
Replied with inaccurate or incomplete information
Apology
Compensation for non-financial loss
Recommendation to learn lessons or draw up an action plan