Clinical treatment outside hospital; Other : Swansea Bay University Health Board

Mr A complained about the delay in his late wife, Mrs A’s, cancer diagnosis. Specifically, his complaint queried: whether Mrs A’s treatment by the Rheumatology department of the Health Board was appropriate, whether Mrs A’s complaints of rib pain were investigated appropriately by her GP Practice, whether the Practice’s prescription of antibiotics after Mrs A’s self-discharge from hospital was appropriate, and whether opportunities were missed by both bodies to diagnose her liver cancer earlier.

The investigation found that the investigations undertaken by both the Health Board and GP Practice were appropriate, and their diagnosis of rib pain/costochondritis for the pain Mrs A suffered was reasonable. It did not find evidence to suggest that there were missed opportunities for either body to have suspected liver cancer as a cause for the pain. It found that the Practice appropriately treated Mrs A’s symptoms, including trying several different forms of pain relief. It found the prescription of antibiotics to Mrs A (including the type of antibiotics prescribed and delay in prescribing them until discharge information was received from the hospital) was appropriate. The complaints were therefore not upheld.