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Original poster

Medical Negligence claim against GP

97 replies

amnidyaa · 03/07/2024 12:15

Aibu to think I have grounds for a claim?

In March 2023 I had an operation on my spine for Cauda equina syndrome. After the operation the spinal specialist sent a letter to me and mh GP saying there is a 5cm growth on my ovary and they recommend a follow up with a Gynecologist and another scan. I went to see my GP and enquired about getting the growth looked at by gynaecology. The GP refused and said people have growths all the time and its nothing to worry about and she said she will not be ordering a follow up.
Then 1 year later in March 2024 I had pain and went to A&E and they did a scan and found the growth was now 10cm and had spread all over the pelvic region. I ended up having to have a hysterectomy within 2 weeks and I had to lose both my ovaries and uterus because the growth had spread. I am now in menopause at the age of 39 and unable to have children all because my GP didnt follow up on the growth before it spread.

Would it brlw unreasonable to think I have a claim?

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goodgirlwannabe · 15/08/2024 17:29

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FranticFrankie · 15/08/2024 17:15

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Spacecowboys · 15/08/2024 16:05

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Allthingsbrightandbeautifulx · 15/08/2024 16:04

@goodgirlwannabe she had that done in Dec 2022 not 2023, so before the spinal surgery in March 2023.

goodgirlwannabe · 15/08/2024 16:04

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Chartreux · 15/08/2024 15:53

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As the medical files are going to the medical expert being asked to advise, it's hardly going to be a secret, is it?

goodgirlwannabe · 15/08/2024 15:38

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RolaColaLola · 15/08/2024 15:20

I'm sorry this happened to you.

Have you spoken to PALS at all? Have you made a complaint to the GP practice to allow them to investigate and learn from any mistake(s)? What was their response?

Many areas do not allow consultant to consultant referrals for largely financial reasons. This puts patients at risk because it adds extra steps of writing to GP to ask them to refer, the GP receiving the letter, reading the letter and acting on the letter. There are lots of places where this could go wrong. Please bring this complaint to PALS because if cons to cons referrals were allowed this wouldn’t have happened, and it’s only by highlighting real examples of harm that change will happen.

Branconche · 15/08/2024 15:08

YANBU. At all. I speak as a doctor - not following up on a radiologist's advice is brazen at best, I have never heard of a doctor ignoring a radiologist's advice without at least discussing the findings with the radiologist directly. I'm so sorry this has happened.

DaringlyDizzy · 15/08/2024 15:03

God how awful

I hope youre doing ok regarding the hysterectomy

Spacecowboys · 15/08/2024 14:37

So sorry that this has happened to you. I would echo what previous posters have said. Your neurosurgeon should have referred you to gynaecology. Yes, this was an incidental finding not related to what he/she treated you for but that doesn’t mean it is not their responsibility to deal with. In our trust, we would never pass this back to a gp, we’d do the referral ourselves.
Have you been told that this outcome could have been avoided if you had been referred to gynaecology earlier?

Destiny123 · 15/08/2024 14:37

Truetoself · 03/07/2024 14:41

@AnnaMagnani not true. Like @5431go said neurosurgeons could have referred directly to gynaecology.

Depends on the trust. Lots have ridiculous funding rules. I've even worked somewhere where the acute pain team can't refer to the chronic pain team it has to go back to the gp, it's a total joke and incredibly frustrating to work in.

Op sorry to hear. See a claims team you've probably got a reasonable chance of success. Be expected to have it be suggested that your fertility success rates independent of this would be reduced at your age though x

Madamechoco · 15/08/2024 14:31

amnidyaa · 03/07/2024 12:47

I've emailed a medical negligence solicitor so I'll update on what they say.

I’d say try more than one firm as they often work on a ‘no win no fee’ basis but their fee (whilst capped by law at certain percentage of compensation awarded) might vary from firm to firm

Mirabai · 15/08/2024 14:24

nocoolnamesleft · 13/07/2024 15:21

Why on earth didn't the hospital doctor make a direct referral to a colleague, for the result they had discovered? Dumping it on the GP just made it more likely to be missed. Yes, it would have been good if the GP had picked up the pieces, but they shouldn't have had to. It's the responsibility of the person ordering the tests to act on the result.

CoI I have experience of this both as the hospital consultant making my own onwards referrals, and also as a patient when my respiratory consultant picked up a possible thyroid tumour on CT chest, and correctly referred me on to the surgeons without faffing about with the GP.

Some do some don’t ime. Usually direct referrals are because the consultant thinks it’s urgent. Less time critical stuff is left to the GP.

JoyousPinkPeer · 15/08/2024 14:22

I don't know which part of the country you are in. If Manchester/North West I would recommend Pannone Solicitors ... they did my mum's medical negligence claim and were excellent and easy to work with.

Lemonyfuckit · 15/08/2024 14:19

I'm sorry you're going through this OP. Good luck with the claim as yes, I tend to think that women so often just dismissed when it's something which really really should be followed up. It certainly sounds like it from what you've posted.

AnxiousAlicia · 15/08/2024 14:18

Blackcats7 · 15/08/2024 14:16

It doesn't occupy my thoughts that much but tbh I have a lot worse things going on.
Knowing it is a slow process with no guarantee of the outcome I just let it all tick along and simply do whatever I need to when the solicitor asks.
Completing my witness statement was quite upsetting though as it makes you think about it all in detail all over again.

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@Blackcats7 see I'm actually writing my witness statement now before I bring the claim just to see how it makes me feel - if that makes sense! I really appreciate your help and hope you have a good outcome - keeping everything crossed for you!

Blackcats7 · 15/08/2024 14:16

AnxiousAlicia · 15/08/2024 13:50

Thanks @Blackcats7 - has it been easy to put it into the background thus far or does it take up a lot of your thoughts? Yep the victim-blaming/mud-slinging I would expect but dread. x

It doesn't occupy my thoughts that much but tbh I have a lot worse things going on.
Knowing it is a slow process with no guarantee of the outcome I just let it all tick along and simply do whatever I need to when the solicitor asks.
Completing my witness statement was quite upsetting though as it makes you think about it all in detail all over again.