Making a complaint about a GP surgery and hospital
Discussion
Anyone done this? Any tips?
Long story short, I nearly died a few months ago due to my GP surgery and a hospital A & E dept missing my 'massive' case of pulmonary embolism. I was full of blood clots and I'm amazed I'm still here.
I would like to make a serious complaint about the surgery and the hospital. If possible, I may even take it further as the fallout from my illness has really messed me up mentally. I became suicidal at one point and had to leave my job.
I was complaining of issues to my GP for over 7months! During the last month before I was in an ambulance, I couldn't walk for more than 10 seconds without having to stop. Our house stairs became the stuff of nightmares. I had gone from someone regularly cycling to work to not being able to walk down my own garden. The gp surgery gave me blood pressure meds and told me it was anxiety.
Has anyone complained to a medical establishment and got anywhere? I feel this requires more than a letter saying we will do better next time.
As a starter, I have managed to get access to my medical records. Crazy seeing a letter from the hospital to my gp, two days before I was in an ambulance stating 'patient seems well, no sign of PE'. I was in the hospital because I couldn't bloody breathe and they sent me home!
Thanks.
Long story short, I nearly died a few months ago due to my GP surgery and a hospital A & E dept missing my 'massive' case of pulmonary embolism. I was full of blood clots and I'm amazed I'm still here.
I would like to make a serious complaint about the surgery and the hospital. If possible, I may even take it further as the fallout from my illness has really messed me up mentally. I became suicidal at one point and had to leave my job.
I was complaining of issues to my GP for over 7months! During the last month before I was in an ambulance, I couldn't walk for more than 10 seconds without having to stop. Our house stairs became the stuff of nightmares. I had gone from someone regularly cycling to work to not being able to walk down my own garden. The gp surgery gave me blood pressure meds and told me it was anxiety.
Has anyone complained to a medical establishment and got anywhere? I feel this requires more than a letter saying we will do better next time.
As a starter, I have managed to get access to my medical records. Crazy seeing a letter from the hospital to my gp, two days before I was in an ambulance stating 'patient seems well, no sign of PE'. I was in the hospital because I couldn't bloody breathe and they sent me home!
Thanks.
You have my sympathies.
I nearly died of a PE when I was 18, have never known pain like it. That to was misdiag'd until I woke the house up screaming in pain and an Ambo was called.
This was also following a missed DVT......my first one....
Ten years later, I had a second DVT which I recognized and spent the day in A&E going through the usual diag's.
Another ten years later, I had my 3rd DVT, but the Dr was adamant it wasnt and was only a bit of vein stripping needed.
I took myself off to A&E for the day, and yet again, I was correct.
I am now on Warfarin for life, but am hoping to move in the new year to somewhere with a better Surgery.
Regarding getting anything out of anyone will likely be a blood/stone situation I would imagine.
I nearly died of a PE when I was 18, have never known pain like it. That to was misdiag'd until I woke the house up screaming in pain and an Ambo was called.
This was also following a missed DVT......my first one....
Ten years later, I had a second DVT which I recognized and spent the day in A&E going through the usual diag's.
Another ten years later, I had my 3rd DVT, but the Dr was adamant it wasnt and was only a bit of vein stripping needed.
I took myself off to A&E for the day, and yet again, I was correct.
I am now on Warfarin for life, but am hoping to move in the new year to somewhere with a better Surgery.
Regarding getting anything out of anyone will likely be a blood/stone situation I would imagine.
Thanks. Hope you are ok now. At least you are on meds.
I'm on anti coagulants indefinitely now. They dont know what caused my PE's. They think it was Covid, but cant be sure as I started medication as soon as I left the ambulance and they couldn't check my blood.
Bizarrely, I had no pain. Just couldn't breathe. Horrible though and wouldnt wish it on anyone.
Will see what I can do re the complaint.
I'm on anti coagulants indefinitely now. They dont know what caused my PE's. They think it was Covid, but cant be sure as I started medication as soon as I left the ambulance and they couldn't check my blood.
Bizarrely, I had no pain. Just couldn't breathe. Horrible though and wouldnt wish it on anyone.
Will see what I can do re the complaint.
Turn7 said:
Did you have any leg pains prior to the PE ?
To blame C19 seems beyond lazy to me.
Nope.To blame C19 seems beyond lazy to me.
First thing I reported was a lot of pain in right side of chest, coughing up blood and shortness of breath in early March. I've noticed on my medical records the blood thing was missed out. Nurse checked me and said I was fine.
That was the only painful episode. Everything else was breathing related.
Consultant in hospital thinks that was when my blood clots started.
I had pleurisy 12 years ago and that hurt much more.
After my brother died (nothing sinister, he has complicated medical and developmental issues) my mum raised a complaint about his palliative care and got as far as a kind of hearing held by the hospital. She felt that was effective and was pleased she did it. Social services were involved because my brother had been in residential care and was a vulnerable adult, that may have helped her get more traction.
What I'm saying is that it is possible to get a response of the kind you're after. It did consume my mum's life for a couple of months though, be certain you'd rather do that than move on with your life before you embark on that journey
What I'm saying is that it is possible to get a response of the kind you're after. It did consume my mum's life for a couple of months though, be certain you'd rather do that than move on with your life before you embark on that journey
NHS PALS is the place to start: https://www.nhs.uk/using-the-nhs/about-the-nhs/how...
It's a slow, frustrating process so don't expect a quick result when the alleged negligence is complex - it took months to resolve when my complaint was as simple as medical notes not accompanying my O/H when she was moved from one ward to another.
You write that you feel it needs more than a letter of apology but not what an acceptable conclusion would be - your GP being reprimanded?
It's a slow, frustrating process so don't expect a quick result when the alleged negligence is complex - it took months to resolve when my complaint was as simple as medical notes not accompanying my O/H when she was moved from one ward to another.
You write that you feel it needs more than a letter of apology but not what an acceptable conclusion would be - your GP being reprimanded?
Mojooo said:
I suspect in the first instance any action more serious will require making a complaint directly to the GP/hospital to get a response and their side of it. So you may as well do that first.
It's worth talking to your hospital's PALS service too: https://www.nhs.uk/nhs-services/hospitals/what-is-...Riley Blue said:
NHS PALS is the place to start: https://www.nhs.uk/using-the-nhs/about-the-nhs/how...
It's a slow, frustrating process so don't expect a quick result when the alleged negligence is complex - it took months to resolve when my complaint was as simple as medical notes not accompanying my O/H when she was moved from one ward to another.
You write that you feel it needs more than a letter of apology but not what an acceptable conclusion would be - your GP being reprimanded?
I want to make sure this doesn't happen to someone else. If that requires something like a reprimand, so be it.It's a slow, frustrating process so don't expect a quick result when the alleged negligence is complex - it took months to resolve when my complaint was as simple as medical notes not accompanying my O/H when she was moved from one ward to another.
You write that you feel it needs more than a letter of apology but not what an acceptable conclusion would be - your GP being reprimanded?
I visited the docs at one point when I was really bad. After finally getting a face to face appointment (which is bloody difficult now), I was told it was anxiety and put on blood pressure tablets. No further checks or anything like that. Not even the suggestion of a scan or x-ray.
I was also in a & e a day before heading back there in an ambulance. I took myself in because I knew I was quite ill. I can remember a doctor questioning others about why I had been sent home the second time I was in. She seemed mightily annoyed. Thank goodness she was there when I got taken in by ambulance. She said she knew I had PE.
Finally, I spoke to a doctor at my surgery a day before the ambulance journey. She said I had Covid and needed to call 111 to get them to sort me out. Completely washed her hands with me and said ask 111 if I should go back to hospital. That one really annoyed me. She was so cocky about her Covid diagnosis too, which was completely wrong.
I think you need to consider what you are looking to achieve from this in the end? i.e are you looking to force improvements in the Doctors working practices, or are you looking for some form of financial recompense from it?
If the former then as advised you will need to follow the complaints proccedutres you have already been advised of, the NHS has a culture of reflective learning (or a similar terminology meaning the same thing) which you can probably push through yourself through the appropriate complaints proceedures.
If you are looking for a financial award in compensaton you are going to need to start researching a specialist Solicitor as the complaints proccedure won't get that for you, or it is extremely unlikely.
If the former then as advised you will need to follow the complaints proccedutres you have already been advised of, the NHS has a culture of reflective learning (or a similar terminology meaning the same thing) which you can probably push through yourself through the appropriate complaints proceedures.
If you are looking for a financial award in compensaton you are going to need to start researching a specialist Solicitor as the complaints proccedure won't get that for you, or it is extremely unlikely.
As others have said what outcome are you looking for? My partner had terrible service from her GP, increasing medication when the hospital advised the opposite (luckily my partner was clued up and didn't increase) - she put a complaint in and had a call from the practise manager (who agreed with some of the issues) - and that was fine for us. Sadly diagnosis isn't always clear cut and what seems obvious afterwards isn't always at the time - or quite simply they made a mistake.
If you don't want acknowledgement/apology then what do you want?
If you don't want acknowledgement/apology then what do you want?
As mentioned above, I would like to prevent something like this from happening to another person.
The medic that saw me and put me on blood pressure tablets needs his arse kicked. He didn't do his job properly.
The doctor with the attitude who just wrote me off as a Covid patient needs to change her attitude and do her job properly.
The nurse who saw me first and failed to record the blood being coughed up needs to learn how to take notes properly.
Lots of things have gone wrong here and I want them to address these issues. It isn't just me either. A friend of mine's mum complained about a lump. The same surgery put her off and told her it was nothing. Someone else looked and diagnosed cancer.
Even after coming out of hospital I've had problems with the surgery. Things like not even taking note of my hospital discharge, forgetting to put my anti coagulants on a repeat prescription properly, not following up requests from the hospital etc.
It seems that the surgery are making a lot of mistakes. Nobody is perfect, but the way I have been treated is terrible.
The medic that saw me and put me on blood pressure tablets needs his arse kicked. He didn't do his job properly.
The doctor with the attitude who just wrote me off as a Covid patient needs to change her attitude and do her job properly.
The nurse who saw me first and failed to record the blood being coughed up needs to learn how to take notes properly.
Lots of things have gone wrong here and I want them to address these issues. It isn't just me either. A friend of mine's mum complained about a lump. The same surgery put her off and told her it was nothing. Someone else looked and diagnosed cancer.
Even after coming out of hospital I've had problems with the surgery. Things like not even taking note of my hospital discharge, forgetting to put my anti coagulants on a repeat prescription properly, not following up requests from the hospital etc.
It seems that the surgery are making a lot of mistakes. Nobody is perfect, but the way I have been treated is terrible.
If you make a medical negligence complaint you may be taken seriously. I was in hospital for 10 weeks about 6 years ago. There was one nurse who was absolutely horrible. Left hospital and considered complaining but didn’t, had to go back for another surgery a few weeks later and she was dreadful. Submitted a complaint, they just closed ranks and my complaint wasn’t taken seriously.
To be honest all complaints are taken seriously - and as the lead of a hospital team I answer enough.
Initially I would suggest that you decide who do you want to complain about - either the hospital/GP or both.
Each will require a different complaint and will be acted on completely separately.
If I was answering your complaint from a hospital point of view I would be honest and accept any obvious errors as its pointless to do otherwise.
Generally I also offer one meeting to directly answer any questions that the patient has.
Litigation is a different story - this would then end direct contact with the hospital or GP surgery regarding the issue and the lawyers get involved.
It all depends what you want - trying to be neutral it may be best to complain first see what response you get and go from there regarding litigation.
Anyway all the best and stay on the anticoagulants.
Initially I would suggest that you decide who do you want to complain about - either the hospital/GP or both.
Each will require a different complaint and will be acted on completely separately.
If I was answering your complaint from a hospital point of view I would be honest and accept any obvious errors as its pointless to do otherwise.
Generally I also offer one meeting to directly answer any questions that the patient has.
Litigation is a different story - this would then end direct contact with the hospital or GP surgery regarding the issue and the lawyers get involved.
It all depends what you want - trying to be neutral it may be best to complain first see what response you get and go from there regarding litigation.
Anyway all the best and stay on the anticoagulants.
elanfan said:
If you make a medical negligence complaint you may be taken seriously. I was in hospital for 10 weeks about 6 years ago. There was one nurse who was absolutely horrible. Left hospital and considered complaining but didn’t, had to go back for another surgery a few weeks later and she was dreadful. Submitted a complaint, they just closed ranks and my complaint wasn’t taken seriously.
Thanks. Shame they didnt take you seriously.tyrone1973 said:
To be honest all complaints are taken seriously - and as the lead of a hospital team I answer enough.
Initially I would suggest that you decide who do you want to complain about - either the hospital/GP or both.
Each will require a different complaint and will be acted on completely separately.
If I was answering your complaint from a hospital point of view I would be honest and accept any obvious errors as its pointless to do otherwise.
Generally I also offer one meeting to directly answer any questions that the patient has.
Litigation is a different story - this would then end direct contact with the hospital or GP surgery regarding the issue and the lawyers get involved.
It all depends what you want - trying to be neutral it may be best to complain first see what response you get and go from there regarding litigation.
Anyway all the best and stay on the anticoagulants.
Thanks for the input. I'l be taking them tablets as long as I live.Initially I would suggest that you decide who do you want to complain about - either the hospital/GP or both.
Each will require a different complaint and will be acted on completely separately.
If I was answering your complaint from a hospital point of view I would be honest and accept any obvious errors as its pointless to do otherwise.
Generally I also offer one meeting to directly answer any questions that the patient has.
Litigation is a different story - this would then end direct contact with the hospital or GP surgery regarding the issue and the lawyers get involved.
It all depends what you want - trying to be neutral it may be best to complain first see what response you get and go from there regarding litigation.
Anyway all the best and stay on the anticoagulants.
I'm going to do my complaints first and see what happens. I will complain to both the surgery and the hospital.
I will keep the thread updated on progress.
It's been a good first step getting access to my medical records.
Oh, and another thing. I had a heart scan a month ago as the hospital indicated I should get it done 3 months after being discharged. I've been trying to chase up a result and nobody knows what is going on. The cardiology dept said they cant find anything because it was authorised by me and not a doctor. They said speak to respiratory. I've tried to call them and nobody answers the phone. Madness.
Gassing Station | Health Matters | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff