Mr A complained about the Health Board’s care and treatment in relation to hormone treatment and a subsequent visit to the Emergency Department. He also raised concerns about the handling of blood samples and sought further clarification on aspects of his care.
The Ombudsman found that there were elements of Mr A’s complaint on which he was seeking further clarification and that information obtained through a subject access request appeared to raise new concerns which had not yet been considered by the Health Board. In addition, concerns about the handling of blood samples did not appear to have been addressed. The Ombudsman considered it appropriate for the Health Board to have the opportunity to respond to these matters in the first instance and decided to settle the complaint without investigation.
The Ombudsman sought and gained the Health Board’s agreement to, within 2 weeks, contact Mr A to establish his concerns and to consider, under the ‘Listening to People: NHS Wales Complaints, Incidents and Redress Process’, any concerns which had not previously been fully addressed.