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Investigation report now available
On 8 April 2025, the Public Service Ombudsman for Wales published a new Public Interest report highlighting significant shortcomings in the patient’s post-operative care, failures in the informed consent process and inadequate contract monitoring arrangements in place between Betsi Cadwalader University Health Board and Health Trusts in England.
The complaint
The institutions launched an investigation after receiving a complaint from Ms A about the care she received from Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board and Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (“the English Trust”) which had been commissioned by the Health Board.
Ms A’s concerns included her management and care following surgery for her inflammatory bowel disease in 2019, whether she was properly consented for surgery in March 2022, as well as postoperative care and treatment, and the handling of her complaint. Whilst our role and remit covers Welsh NHS bodies, as the Health Board commissioned care from the English Trust, our investigation reviewed the care and treatment which Ms A received from the English Trust on behalf of the Health Board.
The findings
The investigation found multiple failings across various aspects of Ms A’s treatment and care, including failings in colorectal care, and in relation to gynaecological referrals, investigations and treatment undertaken by another English Trust. This led to Ms A having persistent infection and ill health for nearly 3 years before she received surgical treatment in March 2022.
The Ombudsman found that Ms A did not give informed consent for this surgery – she only signed the consent form on the day of her surgery and there was no record of prior discussion with her of the possibility of her having a hysterectomy during the surgery. Although we cannot make definitive findings of a breach of human rights, this failure led to us highlighting that Ms A’s Article 8 rights (the right to respect for private and family life) were potentially engaged.
The institution was concerned that in its contract monitoring of the commissioned care, the Health Board’s focus and priority was on its financial reporting of the commissioned care and did not include an assessment of the quality of the care and treatment delivered.
Kindly click here to read the entire article including the Ombudsman's recommendations.
To read the investigation report, please refer to the download section below.
Source: The Public Service Ombudsman for Wales, UK
