NHS Tayside has been told to apologise to a patient for not admitting her to hospital when she sought help for a leg wound.
The woman complained to the Scottish public services ombudsman, whose report refers to her only as Mrs C.
She had surgery to remove a soft tissue lump from her right thigh. A few days later the wound had become red and infected.
Mrs C contacted NHS 24 and was referred to an out-of-hours (OOH) GP service where a nurse prescribed antibiotics.
She returned home but her condition worsened and later that day NHS 24 arranged for an ambulance to transfer her to hospital, where she was diagnosed with an infection of the thigh wound.
The ombudsman’s report said Mrs C believed the service had not understood the seriousness of her condition, resulting in her struggling to recover from her operation.
It said: ”We found that the OOH nurse failed to recognise the significance of Mrs C’s symptoms and admit her to hospital, although our medical adviser said that this would not have affected the outcome.”
A review of the management of the woman’s case has been recommended.
