Dentures
14. Before we decide if we should conduct a detailed investigation of a complaint, we look at whether there are signs the organisation has got something wrong. We do this by comparing what should have happened with what did happen. We have done this and have not found any indications that something has gone wrong.
15. Miss U explained that her mother was admitted to the hospital due to a fall at home and due to this, her dentures were cracked. She says she took the dentures to a denture clinic to get them repaired which cost her £60.
16. Miss U explained that she returned the dentures to the hospital. However, a few days later, during a visit to her mother, she says she was informed that the top denture had gone missing and could not be found.
17. Miss U further stated that when her mother was discharged from the hospital into community care, she still had her bottom denture. However, she says community staff later informed her that no dentures were recorded logged when she arrived in the community.
18. The Trust explained that items such as false teeth frequently get misplaced, because they are easily removed by patients. It explained that the Trust cannot be responsible for a patient’s effects whilst they are in hospital, as the cost of replacing or repairing significant items would come from the money available to treat patients.
19. The Trust’s policy states it ‘recognise[s] that at times personal belongings and valuables can become damaged or lost. [it] will take no responsibility or liability for these items whilst on the [Trust’s] premises.’
20. The Trust policy also states ‘all patients will be informed that the Trust cannot accept any liability or responsibility for personal belongings that are brought into hospital, and have not been handed over into safe custody. This is included in the patient information letters for elective admissions and in the bedside folders “The Companion” in the clinical areas’.
21. Upon review of Mrs U’s medical records, we can see upon admission to the ward, she did not have dentures listed down on the ‘patient belongings form’. However, a few days later, we can see it documented that ‘patient’s daughter brought back the new dentures and [this was] given to patient’.
22. The following day at 12.25am, it is noted that ‘[Mrs U] has lost her new set of teeth, we have checked bed space and belongings as well as bathroom and toilet with no success’. Later on that day at 3.40pm, it states ‘patient dentures have gone missing, she had them in at dinner time. All bins and bedspaces, bags etc have been searched by staff and daughter. No dentures to be found, patient has no idea where they are.’
23. A few days later, her records states that Mrs U was ‘concerned about her denture, one missing, one at bedside.’ The day before her discharge, the patient belongings form listed one top denture. Following discharge, Mrs U was readmitted on the same day, and couple of days later, the patient belongings form shows that she had no dentures.
24. Mrs U’s records do not specify when one of her dentures was found, we think it was likely found sometime between the date it was reported missing and the date it is documented that she had ‘one at bedside’.
25. We do not know if it was found by the staff or Mrs U, however, we can see the staff took her concerns seriously when she made them aware they were missing, and acted promptly to search for the dentures on both occasions and unfortunately could not find them.
26. It is difficult for us to reach a view on what actually occurred between the day before discharge (when she still had her top denture) and couple of days after readmittance to the Trust (when it is noted that she does not have any dentures).
27. We recognise the dentures were lost whilst Mrs U was in the care of the Trust. However, as its policy states that the responsibility of any personal items falls down to the patient, unless the patients hand them in for safe keeping. A disclaimer to this effect is included in the patient information leaflets, which Mrs U would have had access to.
28. We cannot see any evidence that Mrs U asked the Trust to take her dentures in for safe keeping. Therefore, we cannot hold the Trust accountable for these missing dentures. As such, we have decided not to investigate this matter further.
29. We recognise how difficult and distressing this time must be for Miss U, not only in coping with the loss of a loved one, but also in dealing with the added concern regarding her mother’s dentures having gone missing during her time in the Trust’s care.
Complaint handling
30. Miss U says she complained to the Trust in July 2024, requesting for the Trust to pay for the replacement of the dentures. However, it responded in November and her mother had sadly died by this time. Which she feels is a massive delay.
31. Our standards states unless the organisation has ‘agreed a longer timescale with the person raising the complaint within the first 6 months, [it] will inform them if [it] cannot conclude the investigation and issue a final response within 6 months.’
32. Upon review of the information we have, it appears the Trust provided Mis U a response to her complaint in December. This shows that local resolution concluded within five months of her raising her concerns.
33. We acknowledge that waiting can be particularly frustrating, especially when the anticipated outcome may help to alleviate a loved one’s circumstances. As it appears that the Trust responded to Miss U’s concerns within the six months timescale, we do not think its actions fell so far short to be considered a failing in its complaint handling.
34. We thank Miss U for bringing her complaint to us for consideration. We understand how difficult it must have been for her to go through the details of her complaint again.