Complaint about antibiotic treatment, a care plan and hospital accommodation

What happened

Mr N went into hospital for treatment for cellulitis, a skin infection. Mrs N was unhappy about the antibiotics the Trust prescribed for him and said there was no defined care plan for elevating his leg. She said he had to stay for longer than was ideal in an inappropriate waiting area.

The Trust said that doctors prescribed antibiotics that were suitable for Mr N's condition. It pointed out that his leg was elevated at times and he had also spent time moving about as part of his therapy programme. It insisted that he had a clear plan of treatment relevant to his condition. It acknowledged that Mr N had stayed for longer in the waiting area than was ideal and conceded that this area lacked patient comforts. It apologised for this and took steps to improve the situation.

What we found

We did not uphold this complaint. Our clinical adviser agreed that the antibiotics prescribed for Mr N's husband were correct. Although the plan for elevating his leg could have been more defined, his treatment was not unreasonable and a more specific regime would not have made any difference to his recovery. We noted the Trust's acknowledgement that the escalation area facilities and processes were not ideal, and we confirmed that it had indeed made the planned improvements it had told Mrs N about.