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Ally McGilvray • Published 9 Feb 2010 12:58
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HEALTH chiefs in the Borders this week insisted they have reviewed their procedures after doctors failed to diagnosis a woman with a rare condition.
The patient, whose name was given only as Ms A to protect her identity, suffered from painful symptoms in her jaw for more than three years.
She complained to her doctor and was referred to specialists, firstly in the Borders and then in the Lothians, on a number of occasions.
However, when neither health board were able to identify the cause of the problem, the patient sought help from a private hospital where she was subsequently diagnosed with a rare condition, whereby the main bone of the upper jaw had become inflamed and damaged by infection, and forced to pay for treatment.
The revelations emerged after Ms A's MSP complained to the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman - which investigates complaints about organisations providing public services in Scotland - that she had not been correctly diagnosed by the NHS and, as a result, had to pay for private treatment.
It recommended a review of the referral process of the health board in the Borders and ordered the Lothians health board to repay her fees.
In his report, Ombudsman Jim Martin said: "My medical adviser noted that there had been issues with referrals and that further investigation of Ms A's symptoms should have been made. I therefore upheld the complaint that Ms A was not properly investigated by the boards involved, and that they could have diagnosed her condition sooner.
"I made a number of recommendations, including a review of the referral process of both boards, the need for clinicians to take careful account of referral information, and that the boards consider my medical adviser's best practice advice as outlined in the report.
"I also made further specific recommendations to both Boards, including that Lothian NHS Board reimburse Ms A for the costs of the private treatment required to identify her condition."
Health chiefs in the Borders said they fully accepted the recommendations made by the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman but insisted they had reviewed their procedures since the report was published in an effort to improve their services.
NHS Borders Director of Integrated Health Services, Ralph Roberts, said: "We are pleased that the Ombudsman has acknowledged the improvement in our waiting times over the last few years that means a similar case today would experience a considerably more responsive service.
"However, we have also fully acknowledged the procedural issues highlighted by the Ombudsman and are currently reviewing our processes."
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