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.

I'm not originally from the UK and it absolutely blows my mind why a gp is the gatekeeper to all further treatment. Why is there a referral process. I'm from a country where you literally pick up the phone for an appointment to a consultant or specialist directly. There are waiting times, but you cut out all those trips trying to get your gp to believe it's serious enough to be referred. I've heard far too many stories about horrific experiences with the nhs. I'm also shocked by the pregnancy care here.

This.

I qualified as a staff nurse in 2008. I'm in a senior role now and I could agree more with this comment.

@mummabear18 yeah I was reading a similar conversation just yesterday on a different forum where someone who works in surgery said just that day on ONE operation they'd wasted 8 pieces of equipment - forget the name - at £500 a pop due to sheer carelessness.

I know there would be MASSIVE issues with a US system but it has to be said - if there was profit involved that's probably far less likely to happen (or in my private sector they'd have quality engineers to ensure corrective action was taken immediately).

I've worked for places with unlimited government budgets and it was always a fucking nightmare because nobody cares about budgets when they know it's an unlimited tap (prime example being the US gov defence budget... what's £3000 a day when you're charging them millions and will just charge them millions more on the next order?!)

5 years being told I had chronic costochondritis, sent to pain clinic to learn to, "close the gates of pain in my mind".

I had acute cholecystitis, my gallbladder was so inflamed, full of stones and thickened it had damaged my liver. I'd changed job, reduced hours, lived in agony and they said I was just depressed. No, I was in pain.

My GP transferred me to another GP in the surgery after I complained she had not investigated what were screamingly obvious gallbladder dysfunction symptoms and refused me an ultrasound for years.

Strange pains and weakness in leg, appeared overnight. Went to GP three times, was told I was stressed. Finally GP sent me to neurologist, who noticed a difference in strength b/w arms.

Was sent to Nat. Hospital For Neurology and Neurosurgery and diagnosed with 'likely MS', now confirmed.

Thing was though, the diagnosis was worse than the illness at the time because the neurologists lied to me about the aftermath of lumbar puncture. Said 'bureaucratic rules mean we'd normally keep you in for hours afterwards but it's fine for you to go home, just discharge yourself. You may get a bit of a headache, but if that happens, just drink lots of fluid and take some paracetamol, it will pass. Just sign here- bye!'

I got a full-fledged post lumbar puncture headache, caused by lack of spinal fluid around the brain as the fluid flows down to where some was extracted. Hellish agony for nine days, which no amount of water or pills would touch. All drinking water did was force me to use the toilet. It was about seven steps from my bed to the loo, by the time I sat down I'd have tears running down my face from the pain. Hospital doctors not interested, GP even less.

I suspect I had PTSD after. When I got to see the consultant weeks later, his underlings had not even told him that I had missed an earlier appointment due to the headache. He started yabbering percentages at me - 'did I say it's a 50/50 chance you have MS? Actually rather more like 80/20....' and when I asked for reading material fobbed me off with inane brochures.

He wore one of the most expensive suits I've ever seen and is considered quite the luminary. Fucking bastard.

The only person who advised me against going home early was also the only woman on the team, a nurse. I remember the urgency in her voice, but I thought surely the doctors would not tell me to do anything unsafe. Hah.

My step father was told he had constipation - only when he mentioned shoulder pain did they investigate and discovered he had liver cancer secondary to bowel cancer - he was dead in about three months.

My mother spent two years being told she had IBS and to live by the Fodmap diet. She then talked to her GP about extreme tiredness so they considered HRT (she was in her early 70s and had been very fit and energetic) A pre-prescription blood test revealed late stage ovarian cancer. She reacted badly to chemo but it bought her a couple of years. The second lot hospitalised her for a week. Her quality of life in those last months was shockingly bad.

My friends wife had waterworks issues. She was repeatedly told she had anxiety. It turned out she had bladder cancer. She died after it metastised to her brain. She was possibly one of the least neurotic people I’d ever met.

This January my DP died of undiagnosed oesophageal cancer that had metastised to his lungs, liver and brain. He did have symptoms looking back, indigestion and fatigue - all things which he felt were lifestyle related and which he felt didn’t merit investigation as it would be dismissed - not exactly the fault of the NHS but sad he had so little faith in the medical profession.

On the flip side, because my anxiety at being a ticking time bomb myself is through the roof, my GPS are bending over backwards to give me an MOT to reassure me, because my Mum and her sister both died of the same cancer, my Dad has splenic lymphoma and his Mum and sister both died of breast
cancer, fair enough it was my Nana’s third time and she was nearly 90, my aunt however was in her early 60s.

I’m 53, I’ve had my tubes and ovaries removed to pre-empt risk, as has my cousin, and we are still high risk for primary peritoneal cancer.

In the past I’ve avoided the doctors due to things like being offered anti-depressants for foot pain that actually is arthritis, just like my Mum…..

Now I am grateful to be taken seriously even if all my various IBS issues etc do turn out to be anxiety related - at least if I get peace of mind to a degree I can work on my state of mind.

It’s all very well to say it’s on individual HCPs not the NHS when it goes wrong, but they do need to get past this idea that most things are “in your head” even when symptoms are blatantly physical. It does happen to both sexes, but there’s proven research that women get fobbed off “because hormones/age/depression” an awful lot, and given how volatile our reproductive systems can be, I think more attention should be paid.

My late dad.
Never, ever went to the drs.
Went to drs at 4pm on a Friday with left arm pain radiating into neck. He must have felt really bad to go.
He was a smoker and had high BP.
Dr diagnosed tennis elbow.
He had a massive cardiac arrest at 2pm the following day and died.
He was 67.

I said something was wrong, when I was in a ward after I’d been rushed into hospital for severe pain and vomiting. I explained to the doctor that in my experience with my body but before I could carry on he cut in and said oh YOUR experience? How much experience do you have exactly? I think he felt pretty silly the next day when I was diagnosed with a very rare and aggressive cancer by another consultant…

Ah. Kicking them whilst they are down. Interesting this keeps coming up. The propaganda machine is a few years behind schedule though.

I have recently spent 6 weeks housebound, only able to walk to my kitchen and bathroom like the tin man from wizard of oz. On ten tramodol a day plus paracamol being told it is a muscle/tendon problem. 2 visits to hospital, weekly gp telephone consultations, brutal 111 advise. Actual problem? RH Arthritis uncontolled flare up. Given steriods now mobile again. Makes me want to weep

@Bangolads well to be fair you do have an entire life’s experience with your own body versus the Drs 30 seconds. So yes, your experience should trump his by a bloody long mile.

GP and HV refused to refer my ds to a paediatrician regarding concerns over his development because I had PND. They ignored my psychiatrist's letter asking them to refer my son as I had justifiable and real concerns and they weren't a symptom of my mental health which was stable and I was recovering.
Eventually they agreed to refer to a SALT because he had no speech but referral stated nothing wrong with child mother has PND and attention seeking.
SALT spoke to me like dirt and wouldn't allow me in the room for assessment and didn't want to listen to my concerns just told me to wait in waiting room when every other parent went in with their child.
Twenty minutes later, she came through and asked me in saying "I am sorry, I am so sorry" I said "do you believe me then?" and she replied "your child has some difficulties with his development, he needs to see a paediatrician I will contact GP and ask him to refer.
She later phoned to say GP had refused to refer and so she was referring him herself and suggested I complain about the GP before apologising again.
At first paed appointment he said so your GP thinks this is normal? I am really worried just how bad things need to be before they refer children on.
HV attended the Multi disciplinary meeting and continued to state I had fooled them all there was nothing wrong with my son I had had severe PND and that was the problem. The paed was so incensed he ordered her to leave telling her that he had advised that I found a new GP and so her attendance and input wasn't wanted as I had followed his advice and reports would be sent to new GP.
I later pressed a complaint and got an apology and the surgery had extra training. Ds had classic autism.

How much my DS had to suffer as a young baby as GP wouldn't accept he had allergies as 'breastfed babies don't get allergies'. Ended up having a huge allergic reaction at 6 months old when starting weaning, and ended up under hospital consultant. Anaphylactic to milk and peanuts and also severely allergic to eggs, shellfish and mustard.

Laughably when his younger sister presentes exaxtly the same as a newborn, again, tried to tell me 'not allergies'. Low and behold, she requires epipens too.

Also my brother in law had his appendix taken out as was told he had appendicitis, but actually, he didn't and has Crohn's.

Numerous visits to GP, where I was often just seen by a nurse. Rare and potentially fatal disease was diagnosed as eczema, then scabies, then attention seeking.
Paid to see a private specialist and was diagnosed correctly within 5 minutes.

Oh how could I forget - pregnant with my only DS.

I had all the symptoms of pre-eclampsia in the last three months - recurrent UTIs requiring multiple antibiotics, extreme swelling etc….. but my blood pressure was always “normal” - I and my Mum both were Rhesys negative blood groups and this is linked to low blood pressure- my “normal” was actually high…..

DS was induced at 35 weeks after I started projectile vomiting and it was 50 / 50 in the survival department for both of us. Fortunately we both pulled through, but looking back I do think we were somewhat neglected due to rigid adherence to “the average”.

DS was born with oral thrush because I had it after all the antibiotics….,

With a newborn I called in because I was a type of tired that I'd never felt before. Every muscle in my body ached, I was cold constantly, I was gaining weight. They said it was being a new parent.

Turned out my thyroid had given up, it took 4 months to convince them to do the blood tests. The dr who eventually told me what it was told me to stop breastfeeding and never have any other children because they'd be brain damaged. I now know this to be incorrect, he denied ever having said it.

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Referred to an endocrinologist as I kept having hypoglycaemic episodes. Was told not to tell him again because he'd have to tell DVLA and have my licence removed. Was finally diagnosed with reactive hypoglycaemia during pregnancy, though I seem to be reactive to adrenaline rather than sugar/carbs. Easily managed once we knew what it was!

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My eldest I raised concerns regarding when he was 3. I was told that he wasn't speaking and potty trained because I was lazy and needed to try harder. It took 6 years and a complaint but we eventually got in front of the MAAT for ASD diagnosis. They queried why it'd taken so long to see him when he was textbook ASD, met near enough every criteria, and the paperwork showed I'd been pushing for years to be taken seriously.

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DS2 had reduced movements in pregnancy. They said he was moving and I couldn't feel it. I eventually complained loudly enough that they admitted me for monitoring. Heard them discussing in the corridor that I was just sick of being pregnant and wanted inducing because of that. My mum as an ex midwife identified that she thought there was cord compromise on the CTG results I was sending her, warned my DH to not be surprised to end up with a c-section. Eventually convinced them to induce me, DS had a very tight true knot in his cord, we only avoided an emergency c-section by sheer luck at the speed of the labour. The head midwife took the cord to show the consultant who hadn't believed me to show them how wrong they'd been. DS could have died. I was told afterwards in a debrief that it could have been caused while in labour, which is absolute bull (and the midwife for DS3 said as much, it'd have been caused when he was small and "skipping with it")

My friend had unexplained weight gain and swollen ankles plus weird stomach pains.

Three GPs fobbed her off. Until she went into labour and, thankfully, delivered safely in hospital when her farmer neighbour found her and diagnosed the problem and called 999.

Same happened to my dear friend
she kept going back to see the doctor as she knew something was very wrong
he kept fobbing her off-no meds,no taking it further no nothing-just a very uninterested doctor telling her it was all in her head
this went on for about 6 months,until she saw the nurse as part of a check up
it was lung cancer and she was dead 4 months later

same doctor-my son had a red ear and he said it was painful
same doctor who’d fobbed off my friend (I didn’t know it was him) said there was nothing wrong with him
sent him to his nans later that day,who took him to the walk in clinic and not only did he have an ear infection-it was now in both ears
it was hours away from bursting his ear drum

a while later,I had to take dd to the gp and when I rang,I said I didn’t care who we saw as long as it wasn’t this doctor
the receptionist laughed and said ‘nobody wants to see doctor x,you wouldn’t believe the complaints we get about him’

i can believe it-he was bloody nasty to boot

Many years ago before I met DH his mum went to the GP complaining of breathing problems and chest pains. GP kept saying it was a chest infection. Antibiotics had no effect. After a lot of badgering, DH's mum was referred for a chest x-ray. She was riddled with lung cancer. She died in her late-40s.

She was a smoker. But if the GP hadn't kept fobbing her off she might still be here today.

Failed tubal tie, which, yes, can unfortunately happen, but the surgeon made an error and didn't apply one of the clips properly. When I wrote to him to inform him of the failure, I got a very snarky letter back about how failure is higher in overweight patients. Report from a different gynaecologist suggested she would have applied two clips on that tube, but also cauterised to be certain. The clip that failed is now floating around in my abdomen somewhere. I had the tubal tie because I take medication that is a teratogenic. Failure resulted in child with significant learning disabilities. In general, if you're 1. a woman, 2. an overweight woman, 3. a woman of colour, your chances of being mis diagnosed or labelled as exaggerating pain/anxious/depressed/medication seeking, increase with each category. I work for the NHS, and am proud to work for one of the highest performing trusts in the country, but it has its limitations and its faults.

I don’t understand attitudes like this. Have you read all these posts? They are horrifying. I don’t think the answer is to keep quiet or go on about how wonderful the health system is and how lucky we are to have it. It’s dire for many reasons, probably a lot to do with far too many patients per GP and pressure by the government not to spend too much, but whatever the reasons, it’s awful and it needs saying.

That it was normal for my symptoms to vanish completely after 20 weeks.
That it was ok that my hg vanished overnight as each pregnancy was different.
That it was perfectly normal to not feel movements at that stage.
Perhaps these things can all be normal, but if they'd actually looked into it I could of spent far less weeks carrying my dead son in my womb.
Complaints were made and apologies given but it felt like the NHS let me down all over again with their shoddy mental health services whilst I tried to work through the trauma afterwards.

@Alphabet1spaghetti2 Exactly.

Stress fractures don't show up on X-rays at first, only an MRI can pick them up. You can see the healing with an X-ray after some weeks.
They are very hard to diagnose.

I had my appendix out age 16. The pain I was in post op was unimaginable, my septic burst appendix was nothing compared to post op pain. It took 6 weeks for me to be able to even get out of the house.

I then struggled with persistent stomach pains they never went, I was in agony, I was labelled pathetic, dramatic, told I was doing it to avoid my exams, I was told I was drug seeking. By the time I was 17 I started having unexplained infections along with the pain. I'd end up in hospital, have a few days of IV antibiotics and then br discharged, a couple of weeks later I'd be back in.
I was then told I was making it up, I was told I was obviously faking a high temp, blood results. I was rarely at school, lost 3 stone in weight (accused of having an ED), when I became depressed and suicidal due to my lack of any life constant pain I was sectioned. I kept telling everyone it wasn't wasn't my head, it started when I had my appendix out.

Age 19 (so 3 years into this) I weighed 5 stone, had a feeding tube, near bed bound, I was admitted for another round of IV antibiotics. Part of my bowel started to die and as a last ditch effort they operated to remove it, they found leftover medical waste from the previous operation.