Mr K complained that the nurse who repositioned his wife's nasal tube used excessive force, which led to her having a severe nosebleed.
What happened
Mrs K's nasal tube was dislodged while she was in the hospital X–ray department. A member of staff repositioned the tube but did not note this in her records. By the time Mrs K returned to the ward, she had suffered a severe nose bleed that needed to be treated for some weeks.
The Trust tried its best to identify the staff member based on Mr K's description of her, but ultimately it could not.
Mr K is unhappy that the Trust has not been able to find out who the nurse was because she did not record the incident.
What we found
The staff member who reinserted the nasal tube should have recorded this incident in Mrs K's records. Her failure to do so meant that the Trust's complaints department could not find out who had moved the tube or investigate this issue properly. Mr K was understandably frustrated by this.
Putting it right
The Trust apologised to Mr K that this incident had not been recorded. It also prepared an action plan to address the concerns we had about its poor record–keeping.
Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust
Greater London
Not applicable
Apology
Recommendation to learn lessons or draw up an action plan