Trust failed to fully recognise the impact of its poor communication

What happened

Ms H was told at a preoperative assessment that after her fibroids were removed she would be discharged from hospital within 24 hours and could go back to normal activities shortly afterwards.

After her operation, Ms H stayed in hospital for over a week before she was fit to be discharged. She then experienced pain, swelling and bleeding, and was readmitted to hospital. She had to have more surgery for debridement of the operation site (removal of dead tissue to help healing).

Ms H was left with a significant scar that caused discomfort when she wore certain clothing, and this distressed her because she said it was so ugly.

What we found

We partly upheld this complaint. Ms H was not properly told about what to expect before her operation, or about any of the possible complications. As a result of this, she was very distressed when a known complication occurred that she was not aware of.

There were some failures in the standard of nursing care she received after the operation, and not all postoperative checks were carried out. The Trust failed to manage Ms H's subsequent complaint in line with the NHS complaint regulations, causing her further distress.

However, the clinical treatment Ms H received was entirely appropriate and the operation and the debridement were carried out to the expected standard.

Putting it right

The Trust did further work to make sure it gives patients accurate and complete information about the procedure before the operation, including any possible known complications. It also took steps to make sure that all postoperative checks are carried out.