Is it worth complaining?

About my GP? This is the 2nd time in the past 12 months that they have failed to diagnose correctly or even close enough a condition.

If any of you remember about this time last year I had gone to hell and back when my partner got sick and ended up in hospital for an emergency operation. The GP could have diagnosed or even sent us to an emergency hospital appointment but failed to do so! In the end we went via ambulance to the hospital where she was diagnosed with a bowel obstruction and operated later on that day.

This year they again tried to convince me that I was suffering from gastroenteritis even though I had none of the common symptoms AND there were obvious signs that this was not as simple as that! Again it was only after my firm request that they run tests and again it was me repeatedly asking to be refered to a specialist.

In the end this was done and I am now diagnosed with Ulcerative colitis!!! If I hadn't applied that much pressure to them this could have got worse to the extent of Crown Syndrome and this would then have devastating effects in my life!

Needless to say I have lost all confidence in them and from now on I will have to be asking them for tests and referrals! BUT should they actually continue working like this??

Change your surgery, and ask another GP for his views. It's much easier to diagnose with hindsight

Indeed mate in hindsight it's very easy to diagnose

In my partners case the only question that was asked by the doctors in hospital was "When was the last time you went to the loo".......answer was 4 days ago...."OK then seems like we have an obstruction in the bowel lets get it checked".

What you know after that hey presto! Diagnosis done, operated, week down the line all sorted!!

In my case it was text book! They didn't even examine me.....and there is only one way this examination can be done!!!

But it seems like it is time we change surgery

GPs can be awful. I had the unfortunate job of working with them once, and my god are they difficult.
Your area PCT will have someone you can phone up or write to, who deals solely with complaints. These things are always investigated, so maybe worth a shot.

Write a letter of complaint and say why you are changing GP's, then hopefully they should be given some feedback.

[gruntygiggles]

I would go via your local PCT as G2D has said. You do need to take some action here as sometimes people in any profession don't know they have done something wrong and so, will not know to be more vigilant in the future. After my cousin died, the GP that referred her to an eating disorder clinic was later suspended. The referral would have come through after she passed away so a fat lot of good that did. We, as a family chose not to pursue anything, but that doctor wrote the nicest letter to my auntie apologising and saying that she would make it her personal mission to change the way eating disorders are dealt with in the NHS and we since learned that she has indeed stuck to her word.

It's very hard for doctors to diagnose some illnesses, but where there seems to be a lack of willing or a failure to listen to and act upon a patients concerns, the patient should absolutely make an official complaint.

I would stay with your surgery. An odd example, but about 10 years ago, the RAC was featured in a special edition of watchdog that ran an undercover investigation into them using faulty equipment to check the charge in batteries. Quite a few ex employees stated that they were instructed to do this so that they could show that perfectly good batteries were in fact dead and sell new batteries, making more profit and taking the perfectly good batteries with them.

I had been with the AA, but after seeing that, I switched to RAC. They changed the management and were in a position where they could simply not afford to do anything but give the very best service in order to repair their reputation.
I have been with them ever since and I have always had fantastic service.

If you complain about your surgery or the particular doctors, you can rest assured that every time you go there in future, you will get the best possible care and referrals and so will all the other patients!

I'm sorry you and your wife have had such a rough time. Maybe now you can prevent it happening to others!

Thanks for your responses, I am trying to find a contact for the local PCT but have failed up to now

gruntygiggles - not my wife!! too young to get married yet LOL.....we have been together 5 years though........OH MY YOUTH HAS BEEN LOOOOOOOST!!!

Mark Carroll
NHS Manchester
Mauldeth House
Mauldeth Road West
Manchester M21 7RL
Tel. 0161 958 4117
Email mark.carroll@manchester.nhs.uk

Certainly complain, but do so in writing and to the correct people. Presumably lots of people complained about Stafford Hospital, but if you don't write it down and get it to the right people, you may as well not bother at all.

[timwilky]

Some years ago my sister in law was complaining weekly to her GP about headaches and the medication not helping, after 6 months or so he suggested she see a psychiatrist. She demanded a referral to a neurologist who conducted a couple of tests and she fell on the floor. So a CT ordered.

2 days after, her GP phoned her at work to tell her that the CT had identified a brain tumour that was the cause of her trouble. As you can imagine the poor girl was left at work, frightened and alone. My brother worked in London at the time, so my wife and I were the nearest support she had.

My brother immediately drove back from London. Saw his wife and straight down to the GP's for a "strong word or two". fortunately the GP was out on his rounds. He did have the good grace to then call at my brothers house that evening to explain everything.

She was a nurse, understood that they did not necassary think of tumours with a 24 yr old and did not wish to persue a negligence case. They did however change their doctor.

My friend did sue his GP when they gave his 6 yr old daughter Calpol when she was suffering from meningococcal meningitis and lost an arm&leg when early diagnosis would have made a full recovery