NHS Fife has been told to apologise to the widow of a cancer patient for delays and a lack of urgency in diagnosing his condition.
Mrs C took her complaint to the Scottish ombudsman after her husband died shortly after his lung cancer was diagnosed.
But there was, she said, a delay of nearly five months in that diagnosis.
She was concerned there appeared to be a “lack of urgency” by the hospital in establishing the cause of his symptoms.
The case arose when Mr C, who had a complicated medical history, had been referred to hospital by his local medical practice because he was suffering from fatigue and shortness of breath when he exerted himself.
Some tests were carried out on Mr C but it was not until almost five months later that he was told he had lung cancer. He died shortly afterwards.
To investigate the complaint, the ombudsman carefully considered all the documents and medical records relating to Mr C’s case.
Advice was also taken from one of its medical advisors who is a consultant in respiratory medicine.
The ombudsman, Jim Martin, upheld Mrs C’s complaint.
He said: “Our investigation found that there was a three-week delay before Mr C was seen at the respiratory clinic and later it took four weeks for the GP’s specialist urgent referral request to be seen by the hospital’s respiratory consultant, although the reasons for this could not be established.
“After Mr C was seen there was then little urgency in dealing with him,” he added.
The medical adviser said, however, that although an earlier appointment would have led to an earlier diagnosis, the outcome would “not have been different”.
“However, Mr C would have had more time for palliative care which would have alleviated his pain and discomfort,” he added.
The ombudsman recommended that NHS Fife made a formal apology to Mrs C for the delay and lack of urgency and ensure that, where cancer is suspected, there is a robust cancer pathway in place in accordance with the Scottish referral guidelines for suspected cancers.
NHS Fife’s director of nursing, Dr Scott McLean, said that while the board was unable to comment on the care of individual patients, he could confirm it had formally apologised to the patient’s family for the delays in treatment.
“We have noted the comments of the ombudsman and have put measures in place to ensure that all suspected lung cancer patients in Fife are actively tracked from assessment and investigation through to diagnosis and treatment, in accordance with the Scottish Referral Guidelines for Suspected Cancers,” he said.