What is the Serious Complaints Procedure for Medical Negligence - mostly GP ??

[RockinHippy]

Didn't know where to put this question, so hoping here is okay & that someone knows how this works please.

It's a very long & convoluted story, so I won't go into details, but in short, my DB has been seriously ill, leading to a stroke, constant severe pain & significant disability. Originally treat like he was an alcoholic by one specialist & it was self inflicted. It wasn't, he wasn't. Eventual apology for that by different specialist. A ton of tests & departments later & until recently nobody was listening to us telling them we knew the cause as it's in the family.

I have a copy of an email going back to pre his having a stroke complaining to PALs & asking in his behalf that they push the doctors to trial the treatment myself & daughter are on (B12 injections. Ignored & no help with the awful unfounded accusations either.

Roll forward to now. This treatment was approved in an appointment I went to with DB, I argued the case for it & specialist agreed it was worth trying. Over 6 months ago GP received letter from specialist stating more in-depth tests showed a severe, dangerously low B12 deficiency & to start treatment urgently. We knew someone was blocking treatment from this appointment, but didn't know who or where

We've now found out that this week, that someone at the GPS surgery decided they knew better than the specialist & went by the basic unreliable tests & DB didn't need the injections he's been asking them to trial for him for well over 2 years.

Long story short. After my calls to the surgery. He had his first B12 injection with co factors yesterday. Practice manager still not returning calls to either of us

One injection & already I have my DB back, the volatile zombie that replaced him has disappeared overnight, he sounds so different & reports using a paralysed hand that was so painful he couldn't touch it with a feather without passing out from severe pain, to stroke his cat. He cried when he woke fully & realised what he was able to do after so long.

This surgery & a specialist refused to trial this treatment years ago, even though guidelines say they should. Surgery have then ignored an urgent hospital request to start this treatment immediately for over 6 months & still tried to refuse this week

DB, who was a professional with his own flat etc, has lost his job, his life & is in the process of having his home repossessed thanks to their negligence. Even treatment 6 months ago would likely have saved him losing his home as after only one injection he feels the difference is so great, that he will be well enough to work again soon.

The arrogance & ignorance we've faced has been astounding.

GP surgery is one of the stealth privatisation ones if that makes a difference to complaints procedure. Virgin care I believe.

Can anyone help as I'm getting very confused by it all, but they should not get away with this

TIA

This sounds awful. You need to keep records and go to PALs or the GMC - but what do you want to get out of it? Retraining for the GP I suppose??
The only thing is in the GPs defence you can buy B12 in a pharmacy so you could have tried it if you were sure B12 was the problem. Are you all vegan or veggie? They may also try and blame your brother as it being self inflicted if this is the case.

Thanks for the reply Bio

No, he's a meat eater, we eat fish & seafood which is the best source of B12. In our case It's a genetic condition & there is a ton of it in our wider family. They were given a family tree listing everyone we know who is diagnosed with years ago.

You can't buy B12 injection ps otc in the U.K., pills don't work when there's an inability to process it in the body. Plus a slight risk of allergic reaction means that first injection always needs medically trained supervision & an epipen to hand.

We want them taken to task over it, heads should roll & I think he deserves compensation for all he's lost due to their negligence & they need retraining. My DF is still with this surgery & we've been asking for him for years too, even given his great age, they still refused. Unfortunately his deteriorating mental health means he is now NC with us & SS have been worse than useless. He needs treatment too, which he will get if they follow correct procedure.

I forgot to add. PALs saŷ it's not them, they are for sorting problems out, not the complaints. They passed me on to another body & the same again. There's a lot of confusion & passing the buck. Last I heard was it's NHS England Ombudsman, but also told they won't look at it if complaints to practice manager don't happen first. But practice manager ignores complaints

So I'm hoping someone knows the correct procedure & where as I feel like I'm being fobbed off so far

There are charities and medical negligence no win no fee law firms who would look at this. Find a specialist company and read every review you can find.
You could try PALS but IME you won't get far.

Just a word of warning. I am in the process of a medical complaint. I took advice on here to enquire about legal advice through my home insurance. The law firm they recommended have been beyond useless and my case has timed out.

I am so sorry your poor DB's life has been ruined.

Thank you end* I'm sorry you've been through this rubbish too. My DB did contact one of those solicitors before he lost his job & they were doing nothing bar accuse him of alcoholism. His is ex boss insisted he knew someone personally. Turned out he didn't, it was a no win no fee service he pulled off the Internet & as in your case, they've been worse than useless
. DB has heard nothing from them in over a year & they were rude if he rang them. Though these latest developments might make them take more notice as it least the last 6 months of it is now clear negligence. Though I can provide evidence that we asked for this trial 2+ years ago. I might try & speak to them myself. DB hasn't been able to handle things like that very well, which probably hasn't helped.

Mainly hoping for NHS/GP serious complaints procedure though as I want them to sort out the negligence as it would help other patients, including my dad