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An NHS Grampian patient has received an apology after waiting 15 months for an urgent hip surgery. The person was suffering from “significant” mobility issues and difficulties with day-to-day living, and they were on the waiting list for an “urgent” hip replacement surgery. A complaint was made to the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman (SPSO) after they waited more than a year without progress since their pre-assessment appointment. The watchdog found it was unreasonable to leave the operation for more than 90 days. It was also concerned that the surgery only took place after it intervened. “Although the board apologised for the delay in [the patient’s] surgery, we found that the reasons given were unreasonable,” the Ombudsman said. The Ombudsman upheld the patient’s complaint. It said NHS Grampian had a contract with another health board to provide the type of surgery the patient was waiting for, and that they met the criteria for acceptance. “It was unreasonable that the board did not explore this avenue of care,” the watchdog said. It stated that NHS Grampian could have also considered an exceptional referral to another health board or the use of non-NHS providers to fill the gaps where staffing issues arose due to staff absences. Sean Berryman, unit operational manager at NHS Grampian, said: “We accept the Ombudsman’s findings. “We have apologised, in writing, to those involved and would take this opportunity to apologise again publicly. We have completed the recommendations made in this case.”
