In complaining about the NHS? I need advice. *trigger*

[RP1X]

Firstly, I don't want this thread to seem like i'm bashing the NHS. I'm aware i'm very luckily to be able to access free healthcare, which, is usually, very good. My post is long so please bare with me. . It has reference to abortion, apologies if this offends anyone :-(

In Jan 17, I found myself unexpectedly pregnant and opted for a termination. I made a GP appointment who was awful, he told me to think about my options, he didn't agree with abortion and handed me a tissue and demanded I do not cry in front of other patients in his surgery. I went home and contacted an NHS family planning clinic who referred me for a surgical abortion 4 weeks later on January 27th. I'm a young professional who used to work full time (this has some meaning later in my post)

After the op, I seemed to recover well until 10 days after. I collapsed at work and was rushed to the walk in centre, I was checked over and my heart rate was sky high and I was bleeding heavily. I was admitted to A&E. After I had settled, felt well and the bleeding had stopped I was admitted to EPU - I was fobbed off told this is normal. No tests were done except STI's (this had already been done previously whilst pregnant, all were negative)

To shorten my post (I will expand if needs be) in the space of 2 months I was still bleeding heavily, feeling tired and generally unwell. I went back to A&E again (referred after a call to 111) after this incident a week later. I was sent back to EPU who tried to fob me off again and gave me two types of acid for bleeding and pain. Still no change. The doctor was horrible, I felt I would rather bleed and be in agony than go back there.

Since that point, I called 111 five times, was referred to A&E another four, I visited my GP again who referred me for an emergency scan. I attended that emergency scan (should this not have been offered the second time i'd visited EPU?) and confirmed there were remains of conception that were large. I was recommended to go back to my doctor and they would send the results there. I had no call from my doctor since receiving my results!

That night, I collapsed in a pool of my own blood in the supermarket, it was seeping through my jeans and onto the floor. DP took me back to A&E and explained I had retained product, I was sent home and told to come back tomorrow. Finally, they scanned me again twice and I had a second OP to remove it. This solved the problem - it took 9 weeks.

I had so much time off work, I slipped behind and was sacked at the end of April for perfomance issues. I feel this whole episode is to blame. I'm struggling to pay bills (I don't claim anything) and i'm becoming more and more depressed. I never want another woman to go through what I did. I sent flowers and a thank you card to the final doctor I saw and got the ball rolling. I just feel the others should not get off with this! I could have got a serious infection!

Do I complain? I doubt i'd get anywhere against a big teaching hospital ;-(

YY about the heavy bleeding/gynae issues etc. I worked with a woman in her early 40s years ago who was fobbed off several times over 'flooding'. It turned out, when she eventually got admitted to A&E with severe anaemia that she had cancer and was dead within a year. Tragic for her young family.

OMD OP definitely complain!

I held my breath reading your post because for a minute I thought you were going to say you ended up having to have a baby, I have literally had nightmares about that.

You have been through hell and treated very badly and you should complain.

also I think GPs who don't want to refer for abortion should have it flagged by their name so people know not to go - we've had posters here who have had to make a second appointment with someone else, wasting valuable time. That might be a point worth raising with the practice manager.

I am sorry for what you've been through and would like to offer an unmumsnetty hug

Fight for sexual discrimination as I think the payout is unlimited whereas a unfair dismissal tribunal has a limit. Get good legal representation on a no win no fee basis

Although there is no minimum employment period for discrimination, there is still a limitation period of 3 months from the last act complained of, so the OP would be out of time. Again, she would need to speak to a specialist lawyer- discrimination claims are far from straightforward to prove. I think the NHS complaint/legal action route is the better one rather than the employer one.

I would check with the ACAS help line. I believe there may still be different rules about length of service if it is discrimination. I know my DB won a case a few years ago for disability discrimination when he was let go a few weeks before he would have had a years employment back in the days when you only needed a year.

I'm not fighting my previous employer. I don't have the energy/funds and won't qualify for legal aid.

Plus, I'd rather raise awareness regarding treatment of women in these circumstances.

I've made a timeline with dates/times from old what's app messages. There's actually more than I thought. Shocking.

I work for the NHS and am normally supportive of my employer. However, in this case I would see a solicitor. In my experience (both as a patient and member of staff) PALS will investigate but you normally end up just getting a generic apology letter.

Contact AVMA who are a charity tgatxrill help you with this. Then write/email PALS and ask fur s copy if your full notes. You don't need to know exact details. That is shocking and surprised they didn't rescan you the first time you went to a and e tbh.

I don't have any good advice but couldn't read and run. I am so sorry this happened to you.

I'm writing my complaint, do I mention I'm seeing a lawyer? Thanks for all your messages.

I originally went through my notes and was continually fobbed off by NHS staff
Until I saw a private consultant who advised me the doctor had fucked up

It's up to you whether to sue or not, but I can tell you it's a long haul, it took 4 years for my claim, so don't think that will help you right now

I agree with others that you were also failed by your employer and should take action against them too for unfair dismissal and the financial mess they've left you in

I wish you lots of luck

No,month mention the lawyers it will make them immediately defensive. You want a proper investigation and explanation of your very poor treatment.

It sounds like a long catalogue of errors rather than one individual one.

As someone who has been through a clinical negligence case I would say by all means seek advice. Don't worry about getting all your records etc as if they decide your case has the chance of winning they will do all of this for you. However, it takes a very long time and is highly stressful so any compensation and losses will take a very long time. Most cases will settle out of court but even so it takes a long time.

Put together your timeline and talk to PALs. They should want to understand and see how they can improve and then explain and apologise. This doesn't in any way compromise a future legal claim. You have three years to submit a legal claim so I would concentrate on getting well and strong and back into work before taking this on.

Best wishes. Do pm me if you want to ask any more.

I agree, concentrate on a good correspondence

if later you want to sue or even get some related costs, then take up that bit after you have had some explanations.

I had an issue with a GP screw up which could have been serious, I wrote to them straight away and said my main concern was that it didn't happen to anyone else. I think this conciliatory tone was the right one to take. I wasn't going to sue them or ask for costs, it wasn't anything like what's happened to you, but I just think you will get better information and results and hopefully they won't do it again, if you start without mentioning lawyers.

You can always do that later when you have fuller information.

Agree with what everyone else has said and you could also consider making a complaint specifically about your GP to the General Medical Council.

I really feel for u what an awful thing to go through. Please complain but don't sue the NHS as that will just take more money away from care.

OP I'm sorry that you've had such an awful experience.

I recommend putting in a complaint - it doesn't matter that you don't have evidence of calls/ dates/ times etc - if you make a complaint and put your name, address, date of birth the trust will be able to find your records.

You can complain to PALS or alternatively, have a look on the trust website to see if there's a contact for a particular dept that you were cared for in (e.g. Gynaecology) - you'd be looking at Matron or a head of dept/directorate.

This needs to be looked at. 9 weeks of pain and bleeding is unacceptable and there should have been some sort of incident reports done for the multiple readmissions.

With regards the GP, you'd need a separate complaint as they are under health and care or primary care trust rather than acute, so you'd need to send a complaint the practice manager of the surgery.

If for nothing more than your story being heard in important to prevent this happening to anyone else.

So sorry to hear about your horrible experience.

Just wanted to say I don't think it is the case that you forfeit any right to compensation if you approach the Parliamentary and Healthcare Ombudsman. They won't be able to look at your complaint if legal action has already been taken or is ongoing, but can consider a case before legal action is taken. I don't think an Ombudsman investigation will affect any future legal action you might wish to take (though do be aware of the time limits for this). Do double check this though as things may have changed in the last couple of years.

You will need to complete the complaint process with the NHS before the ombudsman can look at the case.

I work in the NHS and I think this is truly disgusting, I'd initiate a complaint with PALS and start litigation, you lost your job because of what is basically a routine procedure. This should have been picked up right away. Disgraceful.

Get legal advice and make a claim OP.

It disgusts me that women are generally so poorly served by NHS. My experience was trivial compared to yours, I was given the contraceptive injection (basically bullied into it) and when after the first month i started bleeding was basically accused of exaggerating (you will get some spotting they said. Yes but I'm wearing regular tampons and changing every 4-6 hours, so hardly just spotting). Kept telling me the bleeding would stop after the next injection. I bled every day for 9 months. I felt disgusting. My gp practice couldn't care less. They basically dismissed me as a complainer.

We have to get a LOT better in this country at dealing with gynae issues, and not just tell women to stop making a fuss . It worries me female drs are often equally unsympathetic.

OP, you've had loads of good advice but I just wanted to say that I'm so, so sorry for everything you had to go through. That's just utterly awful.

Your local family planning clinic may be able to offer counselling to help you process emotionally what has happened. Alternatively contact BPAS.

If I'm unsure of dates I will check back through texts/WhatsApp messages as that usually indicates what was happening when in my life.

I'm very sorry this has happened to you.

Having had six miscarriages and four ERPCs (which I presume is not much different as a procedure from a surgical termination), and never anything like this, it's obvious to me that elementary and dangerous mistakes were made in your care and your health was treated in a cavalier fashion. Depending on what happened when - which will need identifying from your timeline/notes etc - I would also be considering GMC complaints against individuals.