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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
Grieving family distressed by poor complaint handling
Summary 444 |
Ms L complained about the care and treatment given to her late mother, Mrs M, in the last few months of her life. Ms L said her mother was alcohol–dependent. She said that the practice considered she had 'brought the problems on herself', and did not provide good care. Ms L also said that the practice's poor complaint handling added to her distress, and the practice was not open and honest about what had happened.
Failings in trust's mental health care
Summary 443 |
The Trust allocated Ms B a care co–ordinator in late summer 2011, after appointments with psychiatrists. However, there were shortcomings in Ms B's contact with the care co–ordinator.
Failure to carry out appropriate tests meant breast cancer went undetected until it was too late
Summary 438 |
Ms G complained that the Trust did not carry out appropriate tests when she went to the breast clinic in 2010. She was concerned that this led the Trust to diagnose her with mastitis when in fact she had breast cancer. Ms G said that in response to her complaint, the Trust had offered assurances that it had acted appropriately, but Ms G felt that it had not been open and honest in its response.
Trust managed a lung condition appropriately
Summary 436 |
Miss B, Mrs N's daughter, complained about how the Trust had managed her mother's chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and about her mother's treatment in hospital.
Inadequate pressure area care and poor complaint handling
Summary 435 |
Mrs E complained that the Trust did not investigate her husband's symptoms adequately after he went into hospital in late summer 2010; that the nursing care in hospital in spring 2011 was inadequate; and that the Trust's responses to her complaints were inaccurate.