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Decision Report 201400050

  • Case ref:
    201400050
  • Date:
    February 2015
  • Body:
    Forth Valley NHS Board
  • Sector:
    Health
  • Outcome:
    Not upheld, no recommendations
  • Subject:
    clinical treatment / diagnosis

Summary

Mr C complained to us about the care and treatment he had received from his prison health centre in relation to pain in his wrist and jaw. Mr C had been prescribed tramadol (a strong painkiller) and the dosage had been gradually increased. He was then reviewed by a doctor, who considered that the tramadol he was receiving was inappropriate. The doctor recorded that the tramadol should be reduced and stopped and that it should be replaced by other painkillers. Mr C was unhappy with the decision to stop the tramadol. We took independent medical advice and found that the overall management of Mr C's pain had been reasonable. It had also been reasonable to reduce and then stop the tramadol and to try other medications to see if they addressed his pain. Consequently, we did not uphold this aspect of Mr C's complaint.

Mr C also complained about the board's handling of his complaint. However, we found that the board had adequately investigated and responded to the issues he had raised and we did not uphold Mr C's complaint about this.

Updated: March 13, 2018