Mrs A complained that there was an unreasonable delay by the Health Board in securing appropriate clinical treatment for her daughter, B, between March 2021 – when she first attended University Hospital of Wales with a jaw dislocation – and October 2021 when she was referred to a specialist hospital for children outside the Health Board’s area for treatment.
The Ombudsman was satisfied that overall, there was no unreasonable delay in securing appropriate treatment for B and that the management strategy pursued by the Health Board was clinically appropriate, except for the regularity of reviews and the detail of the records in relation to elastic bands fitted to B’s teeth to try to prevent her jaw dislocating while she was awaiting more curative treatment. The complaint was therefore upheld to this very limited extent and only in relation to the management of B’s bands.
The Health Board agreed to apologise in writing to B and Mrs A for the failings identified in relation to the management of B’s bands. It also agreed to remind relevant staff of the importance of reviewing bands regularly and documenting the details of the treatment being recommended.