Complaint about the care and treatment provided by Swansea Bay University Health Board during pregnancy and the birth of their daughter. Also complained about the Health Board’s handling of their complaint and the response they received.
Following assessment of the complaint, the Ombudsman found that the Health Board had appropriately responded to many aspects of the complaint. However, the Health Board’s response incorrectly referred to their daughter being born with micrognathia (her lower jaw being smaller than usual), which contributed to her admission and length of stay in the Special Care Baby Unit (“the SCBU”). Also, when investigating their concerns, the Health Board gave expected dates for a response to be received, which resulted in them developing expectations that were subsequently not met. The Ombudsman decided to settle the complaint without investigation.
The Ombudsman sought and gained the Health Board’s agreement to provide a written apology for the handling of their complaint and to issue a further complaint response to address their daughter’s admission to the SCBU. The Health Board agreed to do this within 6 weeks.