A cancer patient in care of Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board was denied potentially curative surgery and had a biopsy done privately due to an “unacceptable delay”, the Public Services Ombudsman for Wales has found.

The Ombudsman launched an investigation after a woman, referred to as Mrs B, complained about the care and treatment her husband, referred to as Mr B, received from Betsi Cadwaladr.

In April 2022, Mr B went to the Emergency Department at Wrexham Maelor Hospital with urinary retention.

The Ombudsman found that “whilst there were elements of Mr B’s care that were clinically appropriate”, Mr B “had been denied potentially curative surgery.”

The Ombudsman also found that Mr B’s treatment fell significantly outside the suspected cancer pathway target time of 62 days from suspicion of cancer to treatment.

Mr B chose to have a biopsy done privately due to the “unacceptable” delay in the Health Board being able to undertake this procedure.

The Ombudsman recommended the health board apologise to Mr and Mrs B and pay £6,850 to “reimburse costs they incurred, for the injustice caused to Mr B and in recognition of the time and trouble Mrs B had to go to making the complaint.”