BURNLEY Health Care NHS Trust has taken steps to improve the treatment of day care patients after operations, following the case of a woman who suffered 'confusion and distress' about her treatment.

The move were revealed by the Health Service Ombudsman in his report on investigations between August and November last year.

The unnamed woman had a lump removed from her leg in late February 1998 at one of the Trust's hospitals as day surgery.

The hospital told her that if she experienced any problems following the operation she should come back for treatment.

The Ombudsman reports that several days after her operation she developed bruising and contacted the hospital where the surgery was carried out.

However, she was told rather than receive aftercare at the hospital she should contact her GP.

Unable to secure an appointment with her family doctor, she attended the accident and emergency department at Burnley General Hospital. They referred her back to the original hospital, where her stitches were removed.

She was again told to contact this hospital should further problems arise.

Several days later the married woman developed further complications and contacted the hospital, only to be told for the second time she should go to her GP.

Following examination by her GP she was sent to the second hospital as an in-patient and had to have further surgery.

The Ombudsman upheld her complaint in so far as although she eventually did receive appropriate after-care at the Trust "it was only after she had experienced considerable confusion and distress."

Burnley NHS Heath Care Trust apologised for the problems and said it had now developed a specific policy on discharge arrangements for and provision of information to day-care patients.

The Ombudsman commended this development and recommended these improvements be introduced as soon as possible.

After consultation with the Ombudsman, the Trust is also to bring in a number of other recommendations to improve the post-operative care and treatment of day-care patients.