A woman was paid £350 in compensation after the Health Service Ombudsman upheld claims doctors did not give her adequate pain relief after an operation.
The woman, named only as Mrs W, complained after surgeons at the Mid Essex Hospital Services NHS Trust removedakidney stone. She said she did not get appropriate pain relief and doctors from the urology team did not review her, despite repeated requests.
When she woke up after surgery, she said she was in pain.
Although nurses and an on-call anaesthetist gave her pain relief, it was not enough. Nursing staff then asked for someone from the urology team to review Mrs W but were told no one was available.
They then tried to contact the on-call registrar, but he was not on site. Eventually, the oncall urologist saw Mrs W later and called the surgeon who had performed her surgery.
The doctors agreed a treatment plan for Mrs W and moved her from the recovery area to a ward.
The ombudsman found the urology team had failed to support Mrs W and she endured pain and distress as a result.
The trust runs three hospitals in Mid Essex, including St Michael’s in Braintree.
The ombudsman would not disclose where the patient was treated.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here