We investigated a complaint made by Mrs B about the treatment she received from Cardiff and Vale University Health Board (“the Health Board”). In particular:
a)The reasonableness of the decision not to re-surface her kneecap during the total knee replacement operation on 1 September 2021.
b)Whether, after her operation, the appropriate clinical investigation and assessments into her ongoing knee pain symptoms were carried out, and whether this was done in a timely way. Specifically, to consider the period between 18 October 2021 (the first post-operative outpatient appointment with the Consultant Surgeon) and 8 June 2022 (the date of her private consultation and decision to re-surface the knee).
What we found
The investigation found that the decision not to re-surface Mrs B’s kneecap during the total knee replacement operation on 1 September 2021 was reasonable, as was the clinical investigation and assessments into her ongoing knee pain symptoms between 18 October 2021 and 8 June 2022. The Ombudsman did not uphold Mrs B’s complaints.