THE family of an Ayr patient who died of a ruptured bowel have had their complaint to an industry ombudsman thrown out.

The Scottish Public Services Ombudsman (SPSO), which is the final body for handling complaints about public service organisations, looked into a case which involved a patient who had been treated at the town’s University Hospital and was in “severe pain”.

A CT scan then showed the person had a kidney infection and the patient was sent home with antibiotics. The patient then died, prompting a complaint to the SPSO.

Due to confidentiality, the patient is only known as ‘A’ and their relative as ‘C’.

An extract from the SPSO investigation said: “C complained to the board about the treatment provided to their late relative ‘A’ who died of a ruptured bowel.

“‘A’ had been in University Hospital, Ayr, two weeks previously with symptoms of severe pain. Staff had carried out tests and a scan, and discharged A home without follow-up.”

However, according to the complainant, the board should have carried out “more intensive investigations”, which may have “discovered ‘A’ was still having bowel problems” and provided “additional treatment”.

But the SPSO said: “We took independent advice from a consultant in acute medicine and a consultant radiologist. We also found that it was not unreasonable to discharge A home with antibiotics based on the diagnosis of pyelonephritis (kidney infection) following a CT scan.

“Although a subsequent CT scan carried out on readmission showed evidence of infarct (a small localised area of dead tissue resulting from failure of blood supply) which might have been evident on the original scan, it was not unreasonable to have diagnosed pyelonephritis following the original scan. We therefore did not uphold the complaint.”

NHS Ayrshire and Arran was adjudged to have administered “a reasonable standard of treatment” in the case, according to the SPSO.

The complaint was not upheld and no recommendations were made.