Mrs A complained on behalf of her mother-in-law, Mrs B, about poor communication, and delays by the Health Board when diagnosing and treating her secondary ovarian cancer. Mrs A also raised concerns about the Health Board’s handling of her complaint.
The Ombudsman found that aspects of Mrs A’s complaint had not been raised with the Health Board. However, he was concerned about referring the matter back to the Health Board to investigate and respond given the usual timescales involved and the gravity of Mrs B’s illness and need for timely resolution.
The Ombudsman contacted the Health Board, and in settlement of the complaint, it agreed to speed up the complaints process by investigating and responding to Mrs A’s outstanding concerns within 8 weeks.