Case Study: Resolution of Prosthetic Fitting

Case Study: Resolution of Prosthetic Fitting

Published May 25, 2026

The Complaint

The complainant was a father of a young patient who was having problems with her lower limb prosthesis.  The complainant was alleging that the prosthesis that was fitted to his daughter was not fitting her properly and that his repeated attempts to address the issue with the service providers had been unsuccessful.

The Investigation

After the initial meeting with the complainant, the Ministry for Health and Active Ageing was informed of this case and their comments were sought.  A detailed prosthesis report was provided by the Orthotic Prosthetic Unit (OPU) at Karin Grech Hospital.  An onsite visit of the facilities at OPU was carried out and the services offered there were explained.  A meeting with the CEO was also held.  The investigations showed that the OPU were in fact trying to cater for the patients’ needs, but there was an element of miscommunication between the service providers and the clients.  A meeting between all the relevant stakeholders was held at our Office.  During this meeting it was clear that a certain element of mistrust had arisen.  After discussing the issues at length this Office proposed a way forward with specific deliverables and a set time frame.  Regular reports were to be issued and circulated to all stakeholders.  This was agreed to by all present (including the clients and the service providers).  During this meeting it was established that some equipment necessary for the manufacture of the artificial leg was needed.

Considerations

An official time frame was prepared by the OPU and shared with the complainants after the meeting.  The recommendation made by this Office for the procurement of the equipment necessary for the production of the prosthesis was accepted and this was procured.

The patient was fitted with the new prosthesis and an improvement in her mobility was noted. 

Recommendations

The recommendations made in this case were accepted and the case was resolved to the satisfaction of all concerned.