Surgery delays left dementia patient housebound

A woman with dementia was effectively left housebound for the last eight years of her life due to surgical delays, an investigation found.

The Public Services Ombudsman for Wales said the individual worried about being "caught short" due to incontinence and it affected her family relationships.

Her son complained about the care she received at Glan Clwyd Hospital in Denbighshire, in particular. Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board has since apologised to the family.

Ombudsman Nick Bennett said it was clear there was "significant injustice" in the case of the individual, who was identified in the report findings as Mrs B.

The patient's son complained there had been surgical delays for a rectal prolapse issue dating back to 2011, concerns over inpatient medical care provided by an elderly care consultant, and a delayed diagnosis of terminal ovarian cancer during a hospital stay.

The ombudsman found that clinical decision-making by colorectal surgeons "was not in keeping with accepted clinical practice".

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Source: BBC News, 2 March 2021