NHS Grampian Faces Criticism for Year-Long Delay in Urgent Surgery

NHS Grampian has come under fire for a significant failure in patient care, missing the 90-day deadline for what was deemed an “urgent” hip replacement by a staggering year. The Scottish Public Services Ombudsman (SPSO) reported that a patient waited an arduous 15 months for the necessary procedure, which only took place after the watchdog intervened.

The SPSO’s findings, which upheld a formal complaint regarding the delay, revealed that the surgery occurred only after the office inquired about the patient’s situation. The case was initially brought to the attention of the SPSO by a sibling of the patient, who reported “significant mobility issues and difficulties with day-to-day living” stemming from the delay.

According to the independent advice provided by a consultant orthopaedic surgeon, the operation should have been classified as “urgent,” necessitating completion within 90 days. The SPSO expressed concern, stating, “We were concerned that the patient waited 15 months for their surgery and that the surgery only took place after intervention from this office.”

Despite NHS Grampian’s apology for the delay, the SPSO criticized the reasons provided as “unreasonable.” The report highlighted that NHS Grampian has a contractual arrangement with another health board to facilitate hip operations. It suggested that the health board should have considered this alternative to expedite care for patients.

Moreover, the SPSO urged NHS Grampian to explore non-NHS options that specialize in addressing staffing shortages, which could have enabled a quicker resolution for the surgery. The report stated, “The board should also have considered using non-NHS options who are specialized in filling gaps when there were staffing issues due to staff absences.”

As a result of these findings, the SPSO instructed NHS Grampian to formally apologize to the patient for its failings. Additionally, the health board has been mandated to create a “recovery plan” aimed at preventing similar situations from arising in the future. This plan should include strategies to manage urgent cases more effectively and explore alternative pathways to ensure timely access to essential surgeries.

The ongoing scrutiny of NHS Grampian’s practices underscores the pressing need for improvements in patient care and management within the health system, particularly for urgent medical procedures. The SPSO’s intervention highlights the importance of accountability in healthcare and serves as a reminder of the critical impact that delays can have on patients’ lives.