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Case summaries

These short, anonymised stories show the profound impact that failures in public services can have on the lives of individuals and their families.

Please note we have not published any new case summaries on this page since 2015. In April 2021 we began publishing our casework decision statements and investigation reports on our decisions portal. 

 

Type
Type
Health cases only
Trust gave mental health patient too much medication too quickly
Summary 513 |
Mrs P complained that Trust staff gave her mother, Mrs N, too much antipsychotic medication and this made her almost comatose and caused her to fall, fracturing her spine. Doctors then delayed diagnosing the fracture, leaving Mrs N in pain. The Trust's response to Mrs P's complaint did not acknowledge the poor care provided.
A&E staff failed to notice a cannula was inserted incorrectly
Summary 512 |
Mrs B's father, Mr E, was incorrectly discharged from hospital and returned the following day as an emergency. Staff failed to recognise that a cannula had been incorrectly placed, and Mr E lost blood when it was removed. Mrs B said the Trust did not acknowledge its failures in care.
Woman distressed by Trust's poor complaint handling
Summary 508 |
Ms D had several complaints about her gynaecological surgery. She said she did not have enough information before and after the surgery, that she did not know how her arm was injured, and a nurse did not apologise when she did not give good care. Ms D also complained that the Trust took too long over her complaint and did not give her proper explanations or an appropriate remedy.