Two complaints against Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust have been partially upheld by the parliamentary and health service ombudsman, a new report has revealed.

They are among more than 160 investigations carried out across the country in October and November last year.

In one of the cases, a woman diagnosed with temporaral arthritis was given steroid medication to take home.

But after a delay in her referral being processed, staff realised she had in fact been referred to the wrong department.

The woman was eventually informed that she did not have temporal arthritis but had suffered a number of side effects from the steroids.

Her complaint was partially upheld and she was paid £350 and issued an apology by the trust.

In the other case, police forced entry to a woman’s home while she was at hospital after staff told a friend she was not there.

The woman went to A&E before being sent to the urgent care centre, but staff told her friend and then police officers that she was not there.

When the patient arrived home, she found the police forcing down her front door.

The complaint was partially upheld in that the trust had a responsibility to check the urgent care centre.

BHRUT apologised and paid the woman £300 in recognition of the distress caused by the failings.

Parliamentary and health service ombudsman Julie Mellor said: “These cases show the impact that service failure can have on individuals and their loved ones.”

The ombudsman investigates about 4,000 complaints a year and upholds about 37 per cent.