Clinical treatment in hospital : Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board

Mrs A complained about the care and treatment provided to her late husband, Mr A, in February 2022. Mrs A had complained to the Health Board and a response was provided. That complaint response, together with the clinical records, raised some further questions which were raised in a second complaint in October 2022. Mrs A further complained that she had received an email addressed to her late husband and emails were sent to his email address, which had caused her distress.

The Ombudsman found that the Health Board had provided an appropriate response to the first complaint, but had failed to provide a timely and appropriate response in accordance with general principles set out in the Putting Things Right Regulations, as a formal complaint response not been provided to the second complaint. The Ombudsman further found that whilst the emails complained about appeared to have been sent in error, the Health Board had not contacted Mrs A or apologised for this.

The Health Board agreed to, within 1 month, provide a written apology to Mrs A for the emails addressed and sent to her late husband’s email address and to undertake a review of its internal processes in order to prevent recurrence. The Health Board further agreed to, within 2 months, provide Mrs A with a formal written complaint response addressing the outstanding concerns which had been submitted to the Health Board and raised in her complaint to the Ombudsman.

The Ombudsman’s view was that the above action was reasonable to settle Mrs A’s complaint.