Apology ordered over Dumfries and Galloway patient's treatment delay
- Published
The complaint centred on a patient with severe back pain following a suspected fall
A health board has been ordered to apologise after it "unreasonably" delayed starting a patient's treatment for osteoporosis.
It follows a complaint made about NHS Dumfries and Galloway to the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman (SPSO).
It found a number of failings including the hold-up in treatment and communication issues.
The health board has been told to apologise and create a "clear treatment pathway" for patients.
The complaint was made by the child of patient A who was admitted to hospital with severe back pain after suffering a suspected fall.
It was later diagnosed as osteoporosis - a condition which affects the bones, causing them to become fragile and more likely to break.
Concerns were also voiced about physiotherapy assessments and a lack of information about how to manage the condition after discharge.
The SPSO found it was reasonable of the health board not to have provided written information and its decision not to offer a DEXA scan - which measures the density of bones - was also appropriate.
However, it found failings including that it had "unreasonably delayed" the start of treatment as well as issues of communication.
It upheld the complaint and told the health board to apologise and set up a treatment pathway which was in line with national guidance to avoid any similar delays in future.
A statement from NHS Dumfries and Galloway said: "The board accepts the SPSO's findings and recommendations and a letter of apology has been issued accordingly."