Cause of penile pain not thoroughly investigated

What happened

Mr G had suffered from pain and urinary problems. He had a cystoscopy, a procedure to examine the inside of the bladder, and felt that this had been done with excessive force, causing nerve damage and subsequent penile pain. The Trust said this was unlikely. The Trust discharged Mr G after the cystoscopy showed no blood in his urine, but without further attempts to diagnose the cause of his symptoms.

What we found

We agreed with the Trust that it was unlikely that Mr G's cystoscopy caused an injury. However, we felt that Mr G might have a condition called chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CPPS). After Mr G's cystoscopy, staff made inadequate attempts to diagnose or treat his penile pain, and did not consider CPPS specifically.

Putting it right

The Trust apologised for the lack of discussion or attempt to diagnose Mr G's penile pain. It also arranged a further appointment with a view to investigating his symptoms and possible treatment. We said that if it transpired that Mr G had CPPS, the Trust should consider what further remedy would be appropriate.