A patient is to be paid thousands of dollars for errors in his cancer treatment. He was denied life-saving surgery and left waiting an “unacceptable” amount of time for a biopsy.
The Public Services Ombudsman for Wales has conducted an investigation into the care the patient received at Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board. The patient, who wished to remain anonymous and is known only as Mr B, was diagnosed with prostate cancer in late summer 2022.
However, the patient’s wife complained to the health board because she found it unacceptable that her husband waited so long for a biopsy that she decided to pay a private individual to have it done. As a result of the delay in the biopsy, the Ombudsman determined that the patient’s treatment was “significantly outside the target time of 62 days from suspicion of cancer to treatment.”
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One of the main complaints faced by the health board concerned the denial of surgery that could have saved his life. The Ombudsman’s investigation concluded: “The decision not to offer him surgery was based on the view that his prostate cancer had spread, but there was no certainty as to whether this was the case. As a result, the Ombudsman concluded that he should have been offered surgery. Mr B should have been given the opportunity to discuss the results of his complex investigation and treatment plan with a senior doctor.”
Other complaints considered centred on whether the care the patient received when he attended A&E in April 2022 should have led to an urgent referral for cancer. However, the ombudsman found the care he received was clinically appropriate. The health board has also been criticised for the way it handled the complaint. For the latest health and Covid news, subscribe to our newsletter here.
Commenting on the report, Wales Ombudsman Michelle Morris said: “I am very concerned that this is the third time my office has highlighted concerns about the health board’s provision of prostate cancer treatment in recent years. While my report highlights the ongoing actions outlined by the health board, it is concerning that the provision of urology services, particularly in relation to prostate cancer, remains an issue for the health board.
“My predecessor received assurances from the health board that he was ‘taking the bull by the horns’. However, the similarity of concerns in this complaint raises questions about whether the health board’s actions have been effective in improving the service. I urge the health board to fully commit to change and improvement so that people do not have cause to return to my office with similar concerns.”
The health board has been told it must pay the patient £6,850 to reimburse the costs incurred and apologise to the couple for the time and inconvenience they had to go through in making the complaint. In addition, the ombudsman recommended that the health board share the report with the relevant doctors, review its complaints handling of this case and summarise the action taken and progress made in relation to corrective action and recommendations following internal and external reviews.
Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board has accepted the Ombudsman’s findings and conclusions and has agreed to implement these recommendations. The report has also been shared with the Health Inspectorate for Wales for consideration when planning its future work in the area.
Carol Shillabeer, chief executive of Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board, said: “I apologise unreservedly to Mr and Mrs B, on behalf of the Health Board, for the failings identified in Mr B’s care – we fell short of the standard that should be expected. We are sending a direct letter of apology to Mr and Mrs B, and wish to reassure them that we are committed to learning from their experience.
“The Ombudsman has highlighted a number of areas for improvement and we have fully accepted her findings. We have made significant progress in some of the areas the report recommended and are taking key steps to address the issues as part of our efforts to improve services.”
