Mr A complained about the length of time that he had been waiting for cataract surgery. He was dissatisfied with the Health Board’s response to his complaint.
The Ombudsman found that referrals had been made by Mr A’s optician in 2022 and 2024. Although the waiting list for treatment was around 2 years, Mr A had already waited around 2 years and 6 months without being treated. The Health Board had not undertaken a complaint investigation or provided a formal complaint response, despite this having been requested by Mr A. Informal responses provided contained incorrect information and had not adequately addressed matters. This caused frustration and uncertainty for Mr A. The Ombudsman decided to settle the complaint without an investigation.
The Ombudsman sought and gained the Health Board’s agreement to, within 4 weeks, provide Mr A with a formal complaint response, together with an apology and explanation for the errors contained in the Health Board’s informal complaint responses and an update as to the current position in relation to his cataract surgery.