Mrs A complained about the care and treatment provided by a GP Practice to her late mother, Mrs B, in July and August 2022. The Ombudsman investigated whether antibiotics should have been prescribed at or following a home visit on 25 July 2022, whether home visits should have been carried out on 26 July and 11 August 2022 and whether anticipatory (end-of-life) medications should have been prescribed sooner than they were.
The investigation found that the decision not to prescribe antibiotics at or following the home visit on 25 July 2022 was appropriate. This is because there was no clinical indication that Mrs B’s deterioration at that time was due to a urinary tract infection. The investigation further found that the decisions not to carry out home visits on 26 July or 11 August were appropriate. The investigation also found the fact that anticipatory medications were not prescribed until 12 August was within the range of appropriate clinical practice. The Ombudsman did not uphold the complaints.