Clinical treatment in hospital : Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board

Mrs A complained on behalf of her son, Mr B, about the delay before he received medical attention at Glan Clwyd Hospital when he presented at the Emergency Department (“ED”) on 26 July 2021 with severe abdominal pain and vomiting.

The Ombudsman found that there was an unreasonable delay before Mr B received medical attention when he presented at the ED. There was a delay in Mr B being registered onto the clinical system and also a delay in a triage assessment being performed. While it was not likely an earlier triage assessment would have prevented Mr B going into cardiac arrest, it might have resulted in him being in the ED when this occurred, with appropriate medical attention, and this would have been less distressing for him and Mrs A. This complaint was therefore upheld.

The Health Board has agreed to apologise to Mrs A and Mr B for the failings identified, make a payment of £500 for the injustice caused by these failings, share the findings of this report with relevant staff and review its processes for prioritising triage assessments of patients who self-present to the ED when very unwell.