Do I complain ? Misdiagnosed

elisebutt65

Just wondering if I should complain about a recent GP visit. I do NOT want compensation but wouldn't mind a brief apology, for causing extra pain and possible death (mild exaggeration).
Last weekend I was in agony, felt nauseous with a horrible red hot poker pain in my left.
I called in sick on the Monday and got an appointment to see my GP. Got hubby to take me as I could barely walk.

Anyway, I went in to see him and he asked about problems.
Now I really, really hate doing this because I'm not a racist, but I really felt that I needed an interpreter. He couldn't understand me and I don't have any regional accent. Anyway he wanted to examine me so I hopped (gingerly) onto the bed so he could. He did the usual prodding and probing on my belly, even though I indicated that the pain was around the back as well

He then said that I have gastroenteritis and I should take the rest of the week off. Even though I hadn't vomited or had diarrhoea. The opposite effect in fact as I hadn't eaten since Saturday because of the pain.

So I called work, prepped some cover lessons for them whilst hunched over my laptop and then proceeded to try to get through the pain. Then wee small hours of Friday it was too much and I was willing to throw myself off a tall building to kill the pain

6 hours in A & E, blood test and a wee dip later: pylonephritis (kidney infection) which the A&E doctor says s would have been picked up straight away at the gps if he'd asked for one. Apparently my wee lit up with blood, proteins, white cells etc.

So I'm on antibiotics and codeine now. Pains still there but getting better.

I just feel really annoyed that I could have gotten really really ill and I've lost further time off work as I can't teach whilst on codeine as it makes me fuzzy. I want to make a complaint to the surgery but will they do anything?

All I want really is an apology for causing extra stress and pain, when a simple wee test would have shown the infection.

jenniewb

If you are just after an apology, arrange an appointment to speak to the manager of the GP surgery you went to. Explain what has happened, how it made you feel and what the reason for complaint is. It should straight away get an apology but I wonder if maybe you don't just want an apology but to know that this is not likely to happen again to anyone else and that you will be able to see a GP who you have more faith in next time.

FBaby

You should be writing to the practice. Like any professions, some are better at their job than others, and those who are not as good need to have the opportunity to learn.

You need to write to the practice manager and explain your situation just as you've done here. It should be reviewed internally and their own board should decide what went wrong and what lessons can be learnt. Hopefully, you will get a letter of apology, although I expect it will come from the practice manager rather than the GP themselves.

Proxima_Centauri

If the surgery has a website I would be tempted to leave a bit of (tactful) feedback on the patient reviews section, outlining what you've said above. If it is a good surgery they will want to look into it and investigate. (If it is not a good surgery, find another one!)

elsien

Proxima_Centauri wrote: »

If the surgery has a website I would be tempted to leave a bit of (tactful) feedback on the patient reviews section, outlining what you've said above. If it is a good surgery they will want to look into it and investigate. (If it is not a good surgery, find another one!)

If there is an issue it should be first addressed to the practice to give them the opportunity to deal with it. Feedback would then come later once the OP has received the response - it's a bit passive-aggressive to do it the other way round.

Proxima_Centauri

Yes I see what you mean, but sadly they might be 'encouraged' to investigate only if they think there might be consequences for not doing so. OP probably also doesn't want to risk being seen as an 'awkward patient' and (worst case scenario) being told to register elsewhere!



Also OP, just to add - sometimes you get GPs who simply aren't very good (!) and the best thing is really to avoid them, as they seem to be unaccountable, for the most part. I remember when my younger sibling was taken ill (this was some years back) and was prescribed some medication by the GP, which not only didn't help but made matters worse. Also a foreign doctor, as with your case. When my parents took her to casualty the hospital doctors were aghast at what the GP had prescribed for her! We were all very glad to move surgeries!

Kim_kim

I was being treated for a stomach ulcer between Jan & Apr this year.

Using google I twigged it was more like a gallbladder problem, went back to doctor (saw a different one at the surgery), he agreed straight away.

I was admitted to hospital a couple of days later (& kept in for over a week!) as the gravel (tiny stones) had moved & blocked liver bile ducts & I was jaundiced.
I've since had the gallbladder out - second hospital stint & im right as rain now :-)

It didn't occur to me to complain.

MonkeyDr

I agree with the people above saying that you should write to the practice. I think that this is by far the most effective way of communicating with them, and much less antagonistic than an online review (which I assume you would do with you anonymised, so they wouldn't even be able to check the notes etc to see what happened).

It would probably be really useful for the practice to look into it and see whether it was
a) blatant missed diagnosis / missed urine dip,
b) poor communication such that the GP 'heard' a slightly different story to one presented above (don't get me wrong, this is also poor care, but needs a different approach to tackle),
or
c) somewhere between the 2.

It certainly seems odd to me that anyone would diagnose gastroenteritis without any vomiting or diarrhoea. I am not sure if I would always do a urine dip if no urinary symptoms, depends on the rest of the story.(Depending on your gender / age / circumstances I would have thought that a urine pregnancy test should have been done too).

I also think that vague abdominal pain can be tricky to diagnose, and does often turn out to go away by itself, and often a 'see how you are in a day or 2 / come back if it gets worse' can be appropriate.

I am a Dr (not GP) and an infrequent patient, but I have had a lot more being a patient over the last year or 2 and it has made me appreciate much more how difficult it is as a patient to convey the key information clearly in a limited consultation, and that maybe I don't do it as well as I think I do!

Proxima_Centauri

Online reviews are not there to 'antagonise' doctors.. they are there as a heads-up for other patients.

MonkeyDr

(sorry i haven't worked out how to quote - this is reply to previous poster).

Absolutely, I agree. Nothing wrong with posting online. Antagonise was an unhelpful word to use.

But if you want the practice to have a chance to actually fix the problem then best to write to them so that they can look into your case. A direct complaint will be logged in the Dr's portfolio, and should be addressed. Unless they are a locum in which hopefully the practice will stop employing them.

I personally also have some scepticism about some online criticisms, as who knows what actually went on? I have never been involved in a complaint, but I have seen 1 or 2 that I knew the details of completely distorted in the press (and ultimately not upheld), where the practitioners involved have no right of reply due to confidentiality reasons. There is another thread on here presently complaining about treatment by a certain private practice, which sounds like it is _possible_ that the Dr actually behaved reasonably.

sheramber

I called out the on call GP when I was in agony with abdominal pains during the night. After examining me he diagnosed food poisoning and gave me 2 tablets to take.

I took one and promptly brought it back up again.

As another GP took over a 8 am I waited until them and called again.

This doctor immediately diagnosed appendicitis by only questioning me, no examination.

My appendix was removed at 4 pm.

I didn't even think about complaining about the first doctor.