Clinical treatment in hospital : Aneurin Bevan University Health Board

Mr B complained about the care and treatment provided to him by the Health Board. Specifically he complained that:

a) During his admission to hospital in March 2020 there was a failure to provide adequate support for his toileting needs.
b) On 1 April 2020 there was a failure to obtain and appropriately document his informed consent prior to inserting a catheter.
c) The Community Nursing Team failed to provide appropriate catheter care after his discharge from hospital on 11 April 2020.

In response to the Ombudsman’s investigation, the Health Board acknowledged that a number of failings had occurred with regard to the catheter care provided to Mr B. Having taken into account all the available evidence, including clinical advice, the Ombudsman contacted the Health Board to propose a settlement of the complaint.

The Health Board agreed to a number of actions, including apologising to Mr B for the failings identified in the catheter care and making a payment of £500 to him in respect of the avoidable discomfort and distress he experienced as a result. It also agreed to provide relevant reminders to all district nurses about service expectations to ensure that similar failings did not occur again.

The Ombudsman was satisfied, following consultation with Mr B and his wife, that it was appropriate to settle the complaint on the basis of the agreed actions as it was unlikely that continuing the investigation would achieve anything further.