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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To consider reporting this doctor to the GMC?

82 replies

Rawrster · 20/08/2019 20:22

Short version of the story. I have had anaphylaxis on and off for the last few years and have just been diagnosed with an extremely rare allergen.

Six months ago I collapsed and had to be intubated by the air ambulance. Spent four days unconscious in ITU on life support at a major hospital. A week after coming out of hospital I used an epi pen due to facial swelling and went to my local hospital where a doctor told me they had done allergy tests on me, all were negative and that they wouldn’t prescribe me an epi pen to take home.

Turns out no allergy tests had actually been done and that I do have a severe, all be it, very rare allergy.

As this is my local hospital and the one I’m most likely to be taken to for treatment I am wondering how best to proceed. I’m also pretty peed off a doctor could be so incompetent (I had actually reacted to a medicine in that hospital just the month before so it was well and truly documented on my notes).

OP posts:
Original poster
Rawrster · 20/08/2019 20:23

That should read “the allergy tests had never been done”...

OP posts:
Disfordarkchocolate · 20/08/2019 20:25

I think you should start with a complaint to the hospital.

IAskTooManyQuestions · 20/08/2019 20:26

GMC wont touch it until you have exhausted the hospitals own complaints procedures.

You may well find that an error is in your notes - and not by the doctor you want to string up.

Athe · 20/08/2019 20:26

In the first instance, would it be wiser to request PALS investigate and possibly request your notes under FOI to find out what is documented?

PookieDo · 20/08/2019 20:28

You can complain to NHS England if you do not wish to complain to the hospital directly. They will ask the hospital for a response, set out to a certain criteria. If you are not happy with that response you can escalate to the Health and Social Care ombudsman

I would complain, but not directly to the GMC first without even following the complaints procedure.

puguin86 · 20/08/2019 20:29

Agree with all of the above. Complaint first. Then the ombudsman

PookieDo · 20/08/2019 20:31

Agree with PP this could be a notes issue. If local hospital did not have any notes from major hospital they would not have had full info. The complaint should be assessed as a full process - were your notes accessible, were they requested etc. The doctor you saw may have acted on limited information

0lga · 20/08/2019 20:32

The first thing is to get your health needs sorted. Then complain as PP explained.

OrangeSwoosh · 20/08/2019 20:36

How did you find out allergy tests weren't carried out?

NameChangerOfTheNorth · 20/08/2019 20:50

Is it possible the testing wasn't done for what you are allergic to? I would ask for a full explanation from the hospital as to what treatment you had, test results etc. Then go from there.

HeadintheiClouds · 20/08/2019 20:52

Turns out no allergy tests had been done. How did it turn out, who told you this?

sugarplumfairy28 · 20/08/2019 20:53

Definitely follow the complaints procedure, document everything, get copies of your diagnosis, and maybe even get a bracelet with it stated on there. You cannot risk that 'next' time will be any better and you may not be in a position to bridge the gap between notes.

Original poster
Rawrster · 20/08/2019 20:56

Another doctor told me about the allergy tests never being done. The bloods were only sent for FBC.

I had a full letter from major hospital explaining that I had been intubated due to anaphylaxis.

My major concern was the lack of prescribing the epi pen and having to wait all weekend to get the script from the GP on Monday morning.

OP posts:
thedancingbear · 20/08/2019 20:56

I'm sorry this has happened, but I think you would be better trying to establish what has actually gone wrong, before you set about trying to end someone's career.

INeedNewShoes · 20/08/2019 20:56

This sounds horrifically frightening and exasperating not being prescribed a much needed EpiPen.

I would ask PALs to look into it.

I would say though, that they can't test for everything under the sun at once so they tend to start by testing for common allergens first. If you're allergic to something unusual they wouldn't have tested for it even if they had run tests (unless you had been able to tell them exactly what you'd eaten/taken prior to the reaction).

Original poster
Rawrster · 20/08/2019 20:57

The time I went in and the epi pen wasn’t prescribed I was sent home with swollen lips and eyes.

OP posts:
Original poster
Rawrster · 20/08/2019 20:58

Don’t want to wreck someone’s career but don’t want my life out in danger like this. I have rebound anaphylaxis so it’s pretty stupid to send me home with out a couple of epi pens I think.

OP posts:
LolaSmiles · 20/08/2019 21:02

"I'm sorry this has happened, but I think you would be better trying to establish what has actually gone wrong, before you set about trying to end someone's career.*
I agree with this and many of the suggestions on the thread.

PALS or hospital complaint and investigation first before deciding on arrival information to go gunning for someone's career.

thedancingbear · 20/08/2019 21:03

Don’t want to wreck someone’s career but don’t want my life out in danger like this.

And how will a (probably futile) GMC complaint achieve this goal?

HaudYerWheeshtYaWeeBellend · 20/08/2019 21:04

Swollen lips and eyes are a reaction, and don’t necessarily means you going into anaphylactic shock.

Epi pens are on a huge shortage at the moment so they aren’t giving them out as easily as they do.

I’m hugely surprised you’ve went into anaphylaxis and on your discharge your consultant hasn’t prescribed you some pens due to an unknown allergy. Confused

can I ask what your allergy is?

Lemonlady22 · 20/08/2019 21:05

Do you not know yourself if you have had allergy tests...usually this involves going to the Allergy Clinic where you have loads of skin tests, blood tests and breathing tests...ive never just had a blood test, i have had so many tests i couldnt begin to count. I would ask to see your notes as a first point of call in case there has been a mistake there somewhere

PookieDo · 20/08/2019 21:05

The problem with a GMC complaint is that it isn’t challenging the hospitals procedures which could have been a big factor in event.

This gives more info

www.gmc-uk.org/-/media/documents/DC6512_Who_to_complain_to___England.pdf_57957369.pdf

Perunatop · 20/08/2019 21:06

I think you are justified to report to the GMC if you know the doctor's identity. To tell you tests have been done when they have not, and to refuse to prescribe an epipen given your history do merit a complaint IMO.

dollydaydream114 · 20/08/2019 21:07

Complain to the hospital first. They will investigate and then, if they find the doctor was the one at fault rather than some other failure (eg an admin error like the doctor being given wrong notes or something) they will refer the doctor on to the GMC.

At the moment you don’t know the doctor was the one who made the mistake. He may have been given the wrong test results, for example, or there may have been an error in the handover from a colleague, or any number of other issues.