Decision Report 201602294

Summary

Mr C was admitted to Glasgow Royal Infirmary with acute left leg ischaemia (inadequate blood supply). Mr C later self-discharged. Arrangements were made for him to be seen a few weeks later for review and he was prescribed medication.

Mr C attended the vascular clinic on three more occasions and his condition began to improve. He was treated conservatively (non-surgically). On his condition being noted as stable, the plan was to continue to treat Mr C without surgery and to review him again.

However, Mr C said that he remained in severe pain and was disabled. His GP obtained a second opinion for him from a different health board and Mr C was later given vascular surgery. Mr C complained that the board failed to provide him with reasonable treatment.

We took independent advice from a consultant vascular surgeon. We found that Mr C's conservative treatment was in accordance with clinical guidelines and that his symptoms had been treated appropriately. While the threshold for surgery could vary between clinicians, that Mr C had not been given surgery at an earlier date did not represent substandard or unreasonable care. We therefore did not uphold this aspect of Mr C's complaint.

Mr C also complained about the way the board investigated his complaint. However, we found that he was provided with a timely and reasonable response and therefore did not uphold this complaint.