NHS Ayrshire and Arran has been recommended to follow the steps after apparent failings in dealing with a patient led to them to seek private care in London.
A report by the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman (SPOS) said that ‘patient C’ complained that the board failed to reasonably investigate and/or diagnose the cause of their symptoms of significant weight loss, intense abdominal pain, vomiting, altered bowel habit and nausea.
An outcome report read: “[Patient] C said that they were left with no option but to obtain private care and treatment in England where they were diagnosed as suffering from mesenteric ischaemia (restricted blood flow to the intestines).
“In their complaints response, the board acknowledged and apologised for issues with delays in providing investigations, and failings with respect to communication.
“However, they considered the clinical decisions made in relation to the investigation and management of C’s case were appropriate.”
Inspectors added that there was a failure to report the narrowing of the blood vessels supplying the gut, following on from a CT scan.
The report concluded by saying that the decision to discharge C from the gastroenterology service was unreasonable given their ongoing persistent symptoms and, of particular concern, their ongoing weight loss
Already struggling with financial issues, NHS Ayrshire and Arran was told to apologise to the patient, before reimbursing them for the cost of the treatment, as well as their travel.
The reimbursement for the treatment cost is to be calculated to what it would have cost the NHS to deliver the same treatment, rather than what the private cost was to the patient.
If the health board does not complete the payment by a date outlined by the SPSO, they will be ordered to pay interest on top from the initial date to the final date of payment.
Responding to the issues, Jennifer Wilson, executive nurse director at NHS Ayrshire and Arran said: “We are sorry that the care experienced by patient C did not reflect the high standards of care we aim to deliver in NHS Ayrshire and Arran.
“The board accepts in full the findings and recommendations of the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman (SPSO) and will be offering a formal apology to the patient.
“Work is already underway to address each of the recommendations, and we are committed to ensuring that the lessons from this report are shared across our organisation.”