George Eliot Hospital NHS Trust

George Eliot Hospital NHS Trust

4. Mr B complains about the care and treatment his mother, Mrs B, received from George Eliot Hospital NHS Trust between January and March 2024.

5. He complains that it:

• took too long to investigate the cause of his mother’s seizures and wrongly attributed them to a stroke

• did not keep his mother under sufficient supervision during the period that she was experiencing seizures

• wrongly removed the drain from his mother’s gallbladder which had been managing a biliary obstruction.

University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust

6. Mr B also complains about the care and treatment his mother received from University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust between late March and early April 2024, when she sadly died.

7. He complains that it did not reinsert a drain in her gallbladder when she was admitted into its care, or operate to remove her gallbladder.

8. Mr B believes that his mother underwent unnecessary pain and suffering because of the actions of both Trusts, and he believes that different actions could have prevented his mother’s death.

9. He has been traumatised by these events and devastated by the loss of his mother.

10. Mr B wants both Trusts to take accountability for their mistakes and fully recognise the impact on both him and his mother.

11. Mrs B was admitted into the care of George Eliot Hospital NHS Trust in January 2024 after presenting with shortness of breath and chest pain. She deteriorated during her stay, and she was transferred into the care of University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust in March 2024. She sadly died in April 2024.

12. Mr B had concerns about his mother’s treatment and raised them with both Trusts. He was unhappy with the outcome, and he asked us to consider his concerns.

14. We understand Mr B feels very strongly that serious failures by both Trusts, and particular members of staff, contributed to his mother’s death. We can see that this would be hugely concerning for him.

15. Mr B told us that he had also reported these concerns to the GMC and the NMC. These organisations are regulatory bodies that can investigate issues raised about doctors and nurses. We have seen details of the concerns that he shared with the GMC. He has been unable to share details of his NMC complaint because it was submitted via an online form, but Mr B confirmed it is looking into his concerns.

16. From what we have seen, it appears that most of his concerns are being considered by the GMC. In particular, he has asked it to consider the issues about the removal of the drain and the management of his mother’s seizures. The GMC has also explained that his concerns are still under consideration.

17. We would not usually investigate a complaint whilst another organisation is considering the same issues as it may be able to provide some, or all the outcomes Mr B seeks.

18. Mr B told us that he seeks accountability. This could be achieved by his concerns being considered by the GMC and NMC. We therefore think it would be appropriate for their investigations to conclude before we consider the complaint further.

19. We can see Mr B has not asked the GMC or NMC to consider concerns about any staff at University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust. We have considered if we could investigate these concerns in isolation. It is clear that the actions of George Eliot Hospital NHS Trust are key to his overall complaint, and his concerns about both Trusts are interlinked. We therefore do not think it would be proportionate to split the complaint, and the concerns about both Trusts should be considered together.

20. Mr B should contact us promptly once the GMC and the NMC have concluded their investigations if outstanding issues remain. When doing so, he should keep in mind, as we have explained to him, that we do not take action against individual staff members.

21. Taking all the above into account, we will not take further action at this time. We know how distressed Mr B is by these events. We hope our explanation is helpful, and that it is clear our decision is not a reflection of our views on his complaint.

1. We have carefully considered Mr B’s complaint about the Trusts. We know that Mr B is still extremely distressed by these events, and devastated by the loss of his mother.

2. We have decided not to consider the complaint further whilst work by the General Medical Council (GMC) and the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) is ongoing.

3. We will therefore take no further action at this time. We explain our decision below.