Barnsley: Four-day erection patient was not failed, ombudsman rules

The man endured an erection lasting up to four days

A care home patient who suffered permanent physical damage after enduring an erection lasting up to four days was not failed by staff, an ombudsman has said.

The man has Asperger's Syndrome and was being cared for at a home commissioned by Barnsley Council.

His mother claimed hospital staff had told her treatment should have been sought within hours not days.

The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman absolved the home of blame.

The man's mother, referred to as Mrs B, told the ombudsman staff "did nothing for four days" after her son's erection began.

As a result of the delay, Mrs B claimed her son - named only as "Y" - had suffered a serious injury.

Following an investigation, the ombudsman found Mrs B first raised concerns three days before her son's hospital admission.

It said the home did, however, investigate the man's medical episode, adding staff had contacted a GP and taken a urine sample.

The ombudsman said: "I cannot see any record in these days before the admission to hospital that [home] staff were aware of Y displaying symptoms of a permanent erection or ongoing pain."

On the day Y went to hospital, staff had been aware at 10:00 GMT that he had an erection, the ombudsman established.

'Long-lasting painful erection'

However, there was no record of Y continuing to have one at 13:30 GMT when staff supported him into a shower.

At 21:00 GMT, staff called NHS 111 who advised them the patient required urgent hospital treatment.

Staff accompanied the resident to hospital, where he was diagnosed with priapism - a condition described on the NHS website as "a long-lasting, painful erection".

If staff had been aware that Y had a continual erection from 10:00 GMT until 21:00 GMT and that this was causing pain, "there is no question medical attention should have been sought far earlier," said the ombudsman.

However, the ombudsman found no evidence suggesting they had been aware.

It concluded the home was not at fault, adding a subsequent investigation by the council's safeguarding team had also found no evidence of neglect.

The ombudsman did find fault in the home's recording of dental and personal care and in how the council and home responded to reports of missing belongings.

Barnsley Council has paid Mrs B £200 "to recognise the distress caused", according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.