Decision Report 202401974

Summary

C complained about the standard of care provided to their parent (A) following a scan carried out after A’s diagnosis of breast cancer. After speaking with a consultant, A and their family understood that A had metastatic stage 4 cancer. They made significant life changing decisions based on this understanding.

A later sought their own second opinion as they considered that the interpretation of the scan had not taken into account a previous injury. The board performed another MRI scan which showed no convincing evidence of metastatic disease.

We took independent advice from consultants in radiology and oncology. While the initial interpretation of the scan was reasonable, we found that there was a failure to arrange a further review of the scan and obtain a second opinion after A raised doubts about the diagnosis. The board also failed to issue an amended report of the scan in light of A’s trauma history, and there was an unreasonable standard of communication around the scan and the related complexities of A’s diagnosis. Therefore, we upheld the complaint.

When we initiated our investigation, the board reflected on their complaint handling which we welcomed. They apologised for the distress, noted their failings and set out the action they planned to take to address these issues. In light of this, we made no recommendations but asked the board to provide evidence of the actions taken.