Examples of Wrongly Being Told There Was Nothing Wrong By The NHS

[Westover]

Interested in examples of this, as it appears to be a growing trend to be fobbed off, sometimes repeatedly by a GP, and told there is nothing seriously wrong when there is an issue requiring treatment. I'm also wondering if it is bad in other countries. In my case:

• Developed what turned out to be pneumonia. 2 initial visits to the GP, first visit told there was nothing wrong and it was just a virus and couldn't be treated, second visit a few days later and was diagnosed with a kidney infection and given antibiotics appropriate to that. Ended up collapsing at home that weekend, ambulance called, taken to hospital, chest x ray and diagnosed with pneumonia. Was given penicillin. Unfortunately, it turned out to be a penicillin-resistant strain and so felt increasingly terrible over the next week. Managed to persuade my GP to give me an emergency appointment (this was pre-Covid), during which he barely looked at me and took a lengthy phone call before dismissing me, telling me that the antibiotics took time to work. Phoned 111 the next day and was given an appointment at a local health clinic who sent me back to hospital, where I was admitted for 4 days and put on intravenous antibiotics.

• Fell while out running and slightly dislocated my kneecap (as diagnosed by my GP). A week later, felt a sharp pain and was unable to bear weight after that. After being phone triaged, eventually got an appointment with NHS physio some weeks later where I was x- rayed, told there was nothing wrong with it and told I was being lazy and there was no reason I couldn't exercise and I should be walking properly and not using crutches (I have never been lazy in my life!). Went back 2 months later as it was worse and was told the same again by a clearly even less interested physio. Refused an MRI scan. Paid for a private MRI scan, which showed a stress fracture. My knee is now severely damaged as a result of not resting it for 5 months after it occurred.

• Fell off my bike and got a bad cut which caused scarring to develop on my face. At A&E where it was initially treated, I was told by the consultant that I should refer for possibly laser treatment or to have the scar revised once a year had passed. GP happily did this and in the consultation, I was told that "the best option" was to have psychiatric counselling to help me "get used to the change in my appearance". I wrote a stinker of a letter back saying that I would not be taking up that option as I wasn't that bothered by it but I had been advised to get further revision surgery by a consultant. I then moved house, got another consultation elsewhere and was given laser treatment to revise it which was successful.

Dm was back & forth at the drs for about 9 months with awful cough leading to gagging, shortness of breath, tiredness & some other symptoms, she was fobbed off the whole time & told it was just a chest infection, in that time, she had about 8 lots of antibiotics that did nothing at all. The last time she went, her usual dr was unavailable, so she saw a different one, who listened to her chest, & sent her straight to the hospital, where she was diagnosed with stage 3 lung cancer & her lungs were full of fluid, they drained over two litres!

The first dr had listened to her chest the first visit, then just kept prescribing antibiotics, she didn't even think it could be anything serious as she wasn't coughing up blood!

The hospital were just as bad, the didn't scan above her chest as they should have & missed that the cancer had spread to her lymph nodes & brain, she died 6 months later from stage 4 cancer. Her oncologist decided it wasn't worth exploring any treatments as lung cancer has such a low survival rate, my mum was 51

As a child, diagnosed with childhood bed wetting. I actually had recurrent UTIs. GP gave me a reward chart and would give me 50p if I hadn’t wet the bed on the next visit. I had no control over whether I wet the bed. It depended on whether I had an infection or not. Lots of signs he should have picked up; diagnosed with a UTI as a baby, wetting myself at other times if the day, complaining of pain…

As an adult, was repeatedly told by my GP that my severe abdominal pain was indigestion. Five months of hell. Started to turn yellow. I had gallstones which had caused a blockage in my bile duct. Got an emergency consultation with a private consultant. He put his head in his hands. Said I had a textbook case and he couldn’t understand why it had taken my GP so long to pick it up. The fact that I had recently given birth was a major risk factor which GP had ignored. Had an emergency op to remove gallbladder. Surgeon said that I was very lucky as it was about to rupture.

DC2 - DH took him to the GP as he was quite unwell, high temperature and rash. GP said it was a viral rash. I came home from work, took one look at him and said that it wasn’t a viral rash. Quick Google search suggested it was Scarlet Fever. Paid for a second opinion with a private GP. Didn’t tell them what I suspected. They diagnosed Scarlet Fever immediately. Gave him the antiobiotics required for Scarlet Fever (very important if there’s to be no long term effects). Asked me to bring him back the next day as they wanted to check he was ok. I did, they could see that he had improved and told me that if he hadn’t they were going to admit him to hospital. They didn’t charge me for the second visit, so it wasn’t a money making thing. They were genuinely concerned. Thank goodness someone was.

A good friend of mine repeatedly told that her symptoms were all just typical for a woman in her late forties and she just needed to get used to it. Was in so much pain that her DH borrowed money for a private scans and consultations too late …. her ovarian cancer had spread through her body and there was nothing that could be done. GP refused to accept the results of the private consultations.

She died during the first lockdown at the age of 51.

My GP just kept telling me that I just need to admit I’m getting older … after spending ££££ on private investigations the private doctor wrote a stinking letter to my GP pointing out that I have very obvious hypothyroidism plus possibly lupus and recommending the GP refer me as it was non sensical for me to be paying when the NHS should be doing it. GP was adamant that it was “impossible” for me to have lupus. Guess what ….. hypothyroid, lupus and awaiting further tests for possible Sjrogens.

docs told my mum the same, colon cancer took her, RIP Mum,25 years on she is still loved and missed daily. If only the doctor had listened instead of having preconceived ideas...such an arrogant bastard GP

I was told I had vulval dermatitis, then genital warts. I was eventually diagnosed with vulval pre cancer after demanding a biopsy. I was 29.

My nan had lung cancer. They treated her for 6 weeks for hay fever because her face was so swollen, and then she died.

The literal exact same story happened to my cousin - think it was around the same amount of ascites,too.

Shocking.

20 years of being told to suck it up with really painful heavy periods, "IBS", fainting, infertility and eventually bleeding from the bowel was blamed on haemorrhoids. Eventually after collapsing in work they diagnosed stage 4 endometriosis that had infiltrated my bowel.

Very outing - but just in my family, and why I have no faith in the NHS. All of these were multiple appointments, multiple practitioners, and every time sent away as though they were an inconvenience:

1. Grandad, told constipation, actually bowel cancer. Dead within 6 months
2. Niece 1, aged 4, over protective mother - bone cancer
3. Niece 2, aged 5, accident prone and/or implication BIl was abusing her due to bruises - leukemia
4. Me, growing pains - actually hypermobile
5. Also me, IBS - actually endometriosis and PCOS
6. Aunt, muscle strain - actually breast cancer. She survived it only to be beaten by bowel cancer
7. Mother, hypercondriac - actually gallstones that needed surgery. 7 years of absolute agony
8. Sister, period pains - actually endometriosis, PCOS and POS
9. MIL, bronchitis- actually lung cancer

Being told I had depression, my symptoms were in my mind, I should go on holiday, get away from it all. Ended up having emergency surgery for ectopic pregnancy.

Snap!

I will never trust a dermatologist again. Repeatedly told my condition didn't exist, until they published a document changing their mind.

Most of the NHS staff should resign and find more satisfying careers. Then we can't be misdiagnosed or fobbed off.

The fact was they refused an MRI scan when the OP told them there was clearly something wrong and dismissed her as lazy. A private MRI scan showed the problem.

Bloody hell @WhoWants2Know !!!!

The stories on Bowel Cancer U.K. website of people being fobbed off again and again, especially young people, before being diagnosed with bowel cancer are heartbreaking.

Close family member (age 39) told repeatedly by GP that he was depressed. Went for a routine opticians appointment who referred back to GP as they could see something wrong. Several more months of being fobbed off by GP so he eventually paid for a private MRI scan - diagnosis was advanced brain tumours and he was dead 18 months later. The GP was very apologetic!

DP had pain in a specific area of his body for many years. Initially he could feel a lump there, over the years the area became so tender he couldn't bear to touch it directly. He was told for a long time it was just a bruise or strain or he was imagining it. Eventually he managed to get an x-ray. He suggested MRI but they refused on costs grounds. The Dr felt it was an inflamed nerve so injected the area with steroids. DP said this was agony and it felt like the lump was on fire.

Another couple of years later he got another referral, and this surgeon (at the top hospital in the UK) agreed to operate. They found the lump DP said was there. It was sent for routine testing, and they discovered it was a rare sarcoma which can often be fatal. If he'd not kept on at them he would be dead by now. The recurrence rate within 10 years is very high in any event ☹️

●Got sent home from A&E after being told its just anxiety turned out to be a P.E.
●Got told by a G.P my symptoms are just anxiety it turned out to be severe anemia

My sister, had a pelvic scan after months of pain. She was told that her ovaries couldn't be seen because she had so much bowel gas. 6 weeks later she couldnt even walk. It was a 12 x 15cm tumour. She lasted a few more months

my dm had ulcerative collitis -a change of symtoms she went to be checked a few times oh its just the menopuase

was cancer and she died a few months later

i wanted to complain my df didnt so let it go but im still angry

My God , i am chilled reading this ,it seems unbelievable but i don't doubt you for a moment ,i can't imagine how you would begin to prove this , and we put our faith in these people .

Fell over and broke my hand. Told it was just a bad sprain after an x ray. 3 months later had a letter to say oops! Sorry, you broke 3 bones in your hand. Hmmm so that’s why I have had to strap it everyday for work and didn’t have full movement back.
It has taken a further 3 months of therapy (private) to gain full movement in my dominant hand - important as I am a cleaner….

5 days postpartum - persist high temperature, felt like I was dying. Suspected mastitis . Telephone 111 and referrred to A&E. Saw doctor, and they said I was extremely unwell. Wanted to admit me. Sent to post natal ward. Examined by midwife, told nothing wrong with me, refused to let me see the doctor even though I'd been sent up from A&E. Gave me anti biotics sent home.

Next day, feel worse. Take myself back to A&E. Doctor horrified I wasn't admitted yesterday. Said they'd give more anti biotics for an infected finger than what I was given. I'm now delirious and almost unconscious. Sepsis.

Over a week on IV drugs.

Traumatised with a new born baby. Easily avoided by getting the correct dose first time.

1. DS2 didn't have sepsis - he did and died
2. I wasn't in premature labour and sent home - I was and nearly lost DS3
3. My anesthesia had worn off but told it can't have - 9 minutes i lay there tortured until they realised it had

I have more but those 3 examples haunt me

When I had a subarachnoid brain haemorrhage, 111 and then my GP diagnosed flu. (I like my GP, and he was mortified by this misdiagnosis).

Furthermore, when I then eventually collapsed and went to ITU, the hospital mistakenly emailed my GP to say I had died. He then kindly telephoned my Mum to pass on his condolences. Luckily she was sitting next to (the alive, but unconscious) me in hospital when he said he was sorry to hear I was dead. I’ve actually seen the letter stating my time and place of death. 🙄

I’m so terribly sorry, @TwittleBee .