Decision Report 201402848

  • Case ref:
    201402848
  • Date:
    December 2014
  • Body:
    Forth Valley NHS Board
  • Sector:
    Health
  • Outcome:
    Not upheld, no recommendations
  • Subject:
    clinical treatment / diagnosis

Summary

Ms C complained that staff at the prison health centre had taken away her TENS machine (a form of pain relief that delivers small electrical pulses to the body via electrodes placed on the skin) that she had been using to manage pain. She also complained that she had not been told why the machine was removed.

We took independent advice from one of our medical advisers, who specialises in mental health nursing. We found that staff had removed the machine and offered alternative pain relief to Ms C. Our adviser said that staff had acted correctly in removing the machine as they had concerns for Ms C's safety. We were also satisfied that the board had explained the reason for the removal to her, and we did not uphold her complaints.

Updated: March 13, 2018