Ms A complained about the care and treatment her late son received from a GP Practice in the area of Aneurin Bevan University Health Board. She complained that, despite a known history of substance misuse and addiction to similar medication, her son had been prescribed gabapentin prior to his sad death from an overdose.
The Ombudsman decided that whilst a complaint response had been issued, this had not fully addressed all of the potential issues regarding the medication prescribing. The Ombudsman decided to settle the complaint without an investigation.
The Ombudsman sought and gained the GP Practice’s agreement that within 1 month it would provide a further response addressing Ms A’s concerns, as well as addressing whether the decisions made were in line with prescribing guidance.