NHS Tayside has been strongly criticised for taking more than a year to respond to a woman’s complaints about an operation to rectify ear infections leaving her with severe hearing loss.
Scottish public services ombudsman Jim Martin upheld the complaint of the 30-year-old after her experience at Ward 26 at Ninewells Hospital.
He called for NHS Tayside to give a full and sincere apology to her for the outcome of the operation to repair her perforated eardrum with a patch, and for the other failings she suffered.
The woman, who is identified only as Miss C, had problems with her ears since childhood and had grommets fitted to drain fluid. Her right eardrum became perforated, however, and she suffered frequent ear infections and conductive deafness.
She went in to Ninewells in November 2010 for a myringoplasty an operation to repair her perforated eardrum with a patch but the operation did not go well. She suffered a loss of balance, sickness and significant hearing loss in her right ear and faces the prospect of wearing a hearing aid for the rest of her life.
She continues to suffer ear infections, balance problems and nausea, cannot exercise as she did before and had a polyp and perforation in the affected ear.
She described her post-operative care and the board’s complaint handling as “appalling” and blamed them for her hearing loss.
She complained to the board in January and in March 2011 about her treatment and did not receive a final response until June 2012.
Her complaint that NHS Tayside failed to carry out appropriate surgery and follow-up treatment was not upheld as the complication had occurred during surgery. Her complaint that the health authority failed to explain that surgery could result in hearing loss or balance problems was also rejected.
Her grievance that NHS Tayside failed to respond to her complaints in accordance with NHS procedure was upheld.
During the 15 months she was seen by another consultant and referred to a hearing specialist, but she had to continue writing to the board’s complaints and advice team for her medical records and the outcome of the formal investigation into her case.
A spokesman for NHS Tayside said: “The board has accepted the recommendations in the report and will act on them accordingly.
“A number of these have already been implemented and actions are under way in relation to the remaining recommendations.”