Mr A complained about the standard of care provided to his wife, Mrs A, by a GP Practice in the area of Aneurin Bevan University Health Board. Specifically, Mr A said that his wife should have been offered a face-to-face appointment or examination, rather than a telephone consultation.
The Ombudsman found that, although Mrs A was not offered a face-to-face appointment, the action taken by the GP in arranging follow-up investigations for her was appropriate. She also found that although Mrs A was not provided during this appointment, with safety netting advice about how to seek support, she had done so previously and therefore had a good understanding of how to access assistance. The Ombudsman considered that this might not have been the case for other patients, and so took the opportunity to ask the Surgery to consider this as a learning point.
The Ombudsman contacted the Practice, and in resolution of Mr A’s complaint, it agreed to, within 20 days, provide Mr and Mrs A with a written apology for the fact that they were unhappy with the care provided to Mrs A and to provide a reminder to all clinical staff to ensure that appropriate safety netting advice is provided to patients during all consultations, whether conducted in person, via telephone or via video call.