Decision Report 201402123

Summary

Mrs C complained that after her late husband (Mr C) was admitted to Crosshouse Hospital for surgery in October 2013, the care and treatment he was shown were inadequate. In particular, she said that he was discharged too early and with inappropriate follow-up. Later, after he had been admitted again (in January 2014) for further planned surgery to create a stoma (a surgically made pouch outside the body), he was not provided with timely or appropriate treatment. She said that it was as a consequence of these failures in his care that Mr C died.

We took independent medical advice from a consultant general and colorectal (bowel) surgeon and found that on the day of his discharge in October 2013, Mr C was reported as well and that his discharge was reasonable. We also found that arrangements were made to see Mr C again in six weeks' time, which was common practice for follow-up in similar circumstances. Afterwards, when Mr C was admitted again for the creation of a stoma, it was found that part of his small bowel was sticking to a surgical connection which had been formed during his operation the previous year. As soon as this was released there was a leak of faeces which caused a serious infection which required an operation the next day. There had been no evidence of a leak until it became apparent. Despite appropriate and timely treatment, Mr C did not recover from the infection, and he died in March 2014. We did not uphold Mrs C's complaint.