Patient paid compensation by Milton Keynes Hospital NHS Trust

Mrs C’s case is listed this week in a report from the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman.

It describes how the patient fractured her ankle and was advised to put her leg up and rest it by Milton Keynes hospital.

She was then given an appopintment to return two months later.

Mrs C paid for private healthcare and sought a second opinion.

“The private doctor told her that the Trust’s advice was incorrect and had she followed it she would have permanently lost the use of her ankle,” states the report.

Mrs C contacted the Trust and was told her follow up appointment should have been booked for two weeks after her initial consultation.

They blamed “human error” for the two month appointment, said the report.

The ombudsman stated: “If she had followed the NHS advice she would have lost the use of her ankle.”

Following PHSO’s investigation Milton Keynes Hospital Trust reimbursed Mrs C the £323.50 she paid for the private appointment.

The report stated: “The Trust did not agree to reimburse Mrs C’s costs so she came to us. We found The Trust made an error when booking Mrs C’s follow up consultation. As a result of this Mrs C was distressed and sought a second opinion which she paid for privately.”

It added: “If the Trust had given Mrs C an appointment in two weeks’ time she would not have sought and paid for a second opinion.

“While the Trust acknowledged the error and apologised for this, it did not put right the injustice Mrs C suffered as it declined to reimburse the costs of her private consultation.”