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.

Urgh you want like a list?!

Endometriosis - textbook symptoms ignored and dismissed by multiple gps and A&e medics over 14 years. Lost 3 babies, suffered a twisted ovary and multiple occasions of severe blood loss leaving me anaemic. Finally diagnosed as a result of surgery for ectopic pregnancy, that surgeon told ME off for not getting it diagnosed and treated before that point. Told them I had bloody tried and nobody had listened/taken me seriously even ONCE even suggested referral to gynae

Asthma - repeatedly erroneously diagnosed as basically just a cold until an attack so severe it finally could not be ignored - around 5 years after symptoms onset

EDS - daughter born with classic symptoms, repeated symptoms occurring and seen by gps, a&e, radiologists, finally diagnosed when dd almost 12 when a locum gp referred us to specialist who took one look and instantly sussed what was wrong (later confirmed by various tests) even AFTER diagnosis when taking dd to gp AS ADVISED TO BY SPECIALIST for certain illnesses and symptoms (because the condition means she can suffer more and in more unusual ways than people without Eds) we'd be treated as if making a fuss about nothing. On one occasion this ultimately resulted in dd being extremely ill when finally admitted to hospital for a severe infection that Damn near killed her

Gall bladder disease - my mum reporting again classic symptoms for 7 years before a severe attack and finally admittance and treatment via a&e

Fairly minor one for 2 summers running had a very painful skin flare up. Gps prescribed the usual steroids and creams for dry skin issues - but basically they were saying it was cos I was fat and had skin folds! - which made things worse. During pandemic phone consultation where the gp didn't know I was fat, took note of the symptoms prescribed very different treatments and advice to previous and it cleared up within days!

Aunt - repeated visits to gp with stomach problems and vaginal bleeding and discharge etc smears always unclear in various ways but never followed up, collapsed at a wedding, A&e found cervical cancer - too advanced to do anything but total hysterectomy at the age of 22 no kids possible

@ChocolateAndT that's appalling but at this point I can't say I'm surprised arse covering galore ime

Various notes of mine and dds have been "lost" funnily enough mainly ones that would support our experience of not getting diagnoses as soon as we should have

@Switchin assuming you are male you may perhaps not be aware of a phenomenon medical misogyny huge issues with this throughout medical profession globally. I had a thread running about it several years back and there are a number of celebrities who've spoken out about it also. Medical training, textbooks, medication doses etc are based on the male body as default when women's and girls bodies do not only differ in terms of the reproductive system but many other ways too. The one that is becoming common knowledge is that when women have heart attacks it often presents very differently to men having a heart attack and as a result they are often not diagnosed until too late. There's starting to be similar research relating to stroke too coming into mainstream consciousness

Which is not to say I doubt men get shitty treatment too

Human error can apply with rare conditions and unusual symptoms - not classic symptoms of common conditions imo

@TwittleBee are you a redhead or of Celtic descent? There's a gene we can carry that means we metabolise certain things much faster than others - particularly pain meds and anaesthesia I have had SUCH a battle over the years getting various Drs and dentists to acknowledge this and that I am not just a wimp! My last dentist also a redhead also has had the same experiences was fab but I've moved house and dreading next dental appointment. I've come around from general very quickly, not responded to IV pain meds etc on one occasion the medication also needed to slow blood flow for the procedure involved, I warned them, they didn't listen and then blamed me for how much I was bleeding!

I also have ocd, and other mental illness. Try getting taken seriously for ANYTHING with a mental illness diagnosis and don't even get me started with the obsession with cbt which in my opinion does fuck all good

but they do need to get past this idea that most things are “in your head” even when symptoms are blatantly physical.

I've had rashes and bruises dismissed as psychosomatic! Visible symptoms!

I'm not originally from the UK and it absolutely blows my mind why a gp is the gatekeeper to all further treatment.

Totally agree

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.

Yes I would add Mh dx in there too

Hi @12Thorns I'm currently in hospital with pneumonia.....5 days after I was misdiagnosed by my GP practice.

48 year old father told rectal bleeding was due to piles by GP so no sigmoidoscopy/colonoscopy done. Eventually referred when change in bowel habit became too obvious to ignore. It was too late - he died 3 months later at 49 from colorectal cancer.

My DD has coeliac disease. I had to basically do all the research and then repeatedly ask for tests to be undertaken to confirm it. Kept getting told it wasn't likely and probably just "intolerance" to something or other. Also given incorrect advice (against NICE guidelines) about giving up gluten before diagnosis.

I feel particularly bad for people who (for a variety of reasons) don't feel able to challenge medical opinion or to insist on tests or examinations. It's well known that diagnosis of CD is significantly higher in wealthier areas where people are more likely to demand answers and seek out help and less likely to accept being fobbed off. Undiagnosed CD can lead to all sorts of long term health problems.

Scarlet fever can cause heart problems, My friends nine year old granddaughter had it at the age of four. Her mum was told the AB’s are given as a precaution to prevent this. My older sister got it as a child but antibiotics weren’t routinely given back then, fortunately she was one of the lucky ones.

@CherryRipe1 antiobiotics are required for Scarlet Fever to prevent rheumatic fever developing which can lead to heart problems. That’s why Scarlet Fever caused deaths prior to the invention of antiobiotics.

Repeatedly went to A&E with troubles in my first pregnancy.

Warning signs were missed and I lost my son at 20 weeks.

Oh yeh, aren't the NHS great

Not quite a wrong diagnosis but an abrupt a and e Dr who just thought I was an anxious mum. Took dc3, age 3 to a and e one night as he was very unwell, Dr examined him and said viral infection. Whilst I was explaining all his symptoms and that they were identical to dc2's he just quipped that her illness was incredibly rare, she had strep A bacterial pneumonia. He did a more thorough examination when I said that even though dc2's illness was rare she was still dead because of the illness and the resulting sepsis. Turned out dc3 had a nasty urine infection.....

I had an ongoing leg problem and after months had an mri. Had an appt where they were like oh your mri looks quite normal. Asked for a print off of my mri report and sat in the car park reading it and it said my fibula was broken! I went to another hospital who put me in a plaster cast. When I had surgery to fix the leg my tendon was torn in two as well, which I’d told them it felt like it was, the initial mri interpreter had said it was torn but the hospItal consultant had disagreed. It’s still not properly fixed as the tendon dislocates but the consultant doesn’t believe me.

I was told I wasn't in labour. I was told I could go home; I said no chance . I was allowed to stay, but if I hadn't given birth by the morning, they were going to be cross. I gave birth that evening, no-one checked me until I advised that I needed to push. Apparently no-one had heard of a pregnant woman giving birth having only had a bit of a backache. Odd because I knew several women who had done just that.

It is actually cheaper to buy new. The sterilising departments cost a fortune to run - paying staff to work day and night, scrub the instruments with special solutions, maintain the sterilising unit, package the instruments up in sterile wrap, deliver to wards. This costs more than a huge factory mass-producing new items.

P.S re: Scarlet fever, other possible long term complications include kidney damage, rheumatoid arthritis and two others that I can’t recall.
Im not sure if I’ve had it, I was quite ill once with an ear infection, I was hospitalised for two weeks on IV antibiotics, the first time I’d ever had AB’s, I developed a rash on my face and upper body, after a couple of days the rash faded but my hands a feet felt like they were on fire if I put them into water, the skin peeled of my hands and feet like a glove, leaving the skin red. I was about ten. The doctor said I was a allergic to penicillin but reading about the symptoms of Scarlet fever am I allergic to it? Or did I have SF? I’ve never had penicillin since, which can be a pain at times as in certain infections it works more effectively than other AB’s. I am not going to risk it though, to test my theory.

My fasting blood glucose is regularly over 8 and I struggle to get it below 6. My GP recently asked the nurse to take blood “to put my mind at ease”. Apparently glucose levels of 8 aren’t anything to worry about.

every single piece of literature I can come across suggests pre-diabetes.

my mum lived for nearly 50 years with type I so I’m reasonably clued up about diabetes.

sooner or later I’ll collapse (again) - had a hypo IN hospital and hit the deck when I took DD in for something else.

For the majority of people, they use the NHS, so anyone wrongly diagnosing them, will likely be an NHS worker.

I take offence to people claiming the NHS is great, and it's workers are heroes. It's not, and nor are a lot of its staff.

Not in my case they aren't. My long list is just a fraction of the incompetence experienced from a plethora of GPs, doctors and consultants.

Humans are not infallible, and mistakes happen. However in my case, most of the medics, had superior attitudes that they knew best. Except they didn't, and it's killed people, rendered me infertile, and ruined 2 kids lives, who are still having chemotherapy.

Some of these stories are shocking!

Mine seems relatively tame compared to many of yours.

I was passing many loose stools containing blood and mucus, throughout the day. GP examined me and told me I had piles and sent me away with a prescription for suppositories.

Two weeks later and still as bad, back to GP who referred me for a colonoscopy, she told me they would probably be able to ‘tie’ or whatever they do to piles while examining me.

Imagine my shock when after the colonoscopy I was given a diagnosis of Crohn’s disease, absolutely no sign of piles, none whatsoever!

The GP did apologise!

I’m just thankful that this happened in a short space of time and that at least I was referred for a colonoscopy, I know many people have suffered for years before being diagnosed.

Oh, and with my first successful pregnancy ,( after 3 miscarriages) I bled constantly. Back and forth to GP's and constantly being told that there was nothing wrong, getting through several pads per day, eventually I presented myself at hospital after bleeding horrendously and still being told I was OK by the GP. The consultant arrived and admitted me, when I could eventually be examined properly it was found I had a cervical erosion. The consultant asked me about how many times I had been to the GP, and who was my GP? When I told him, he actually said ' Oh her, she's useless'.

We also had issues with ASD diagnosis- 4 referrals just rejected even though I already had 2 dc diagnosed with ASD.

We had to go privately in the end as nobody would help. The speech therapist was even fed up as she kept referring and they got rejected

You don’t get rheumatoid arthritis after Scarlett fever, it’s rheumatic heart disease

It’s not just Scarlett fever, it’s any strep A infection so can get after pharyngitis and tonsillitis. But - most of these are viral, especially in pre schoolers and the damage to hearts, kidneys etc isn’t from the toxin itself but from immune complex deposition.

So - in practice - if a child has a sore throat AND that is die to step A a doctor has 7-10 days to treat it to prevent kidney/heart complications.

best practice in a pre schooler is to swab and treat only if culture grows group A strep (it usually doesn’t)

The misdiagnosis is human error. It happens.
I could forgive that if it wasn't for the arrogance and the lying.

If they would hold up their hands and say I got it wrong. I am sorry. Then you could forgive human error.

But that rarely happens.
What mostly happens is you get treated like shit and lied to . They double down on their wrong DX and are offended that you dare to not be meek and grateful. Yes doctor thank you doctor whatever you say doctor I'll just go away and quietly die doctor so sorry to be a bother doctor.

I sued over what the Dr did to my son (pulled his head and caused nerve damage instead of performing the mcroberts manoeuvre) and the hospital lied, altered notes and were just awful.

Thankfully they were as incompetent at their cover up as they were at his birth and I won and my son was awarded £300,000 for what they did to him.

I could have sued for myself too but I didn't. I didn't want money for me . I wanted an apology. My lawyer laughed in my face.

My younger son was very unwell. I tried for 3 years to get help. I was fobbed off at every turn. Eventually the Dr snapped at me and my husband that she'd organise blood tests but it would be a waste of time and distress him etc (he has add and ADHD).

He had the tests.

Severely, severely anaemic.

Here's the part that makes me particularly angry. The doctor who was so foul to us - never saw her again. She was still at the surgery but she clearly told reception to not book appointments with her for us.
Because she did not want to have to face us.

@Oligodendrocyte without minimising all these stories what's your solution ? Please don't just say it needs an overhaul. It's had numerous reorganisations over the years.
And if you use MN you can be reassured that nurses are not viewed as angels on here. Far from it.
Much of this is to do with poor training and communication skills, arrogance and cultural issues. Not to mention all the other problems like inadequate funding and lack of staff.

That is exactly what I was talking about.
This attitude that the NHS is perfect and any attempt to say otherwise is propaganda. Aka lies.

Pages and pages of awful experiences and it's 'propaganda' designed to pull down Saint NHS.

I suppose we're all russian bots or some such shit.

Just to add, my family has also had exemplary service from all parts of the NHS. The problem, as others have said, is that when something goes wrong there is no apology forthcoming . Admitting a mistake is unlikely to cause a patient to take legal as most understand that errors happen, if they learnt and moved on we would be better, but some just won't do that.

My heart goes out to those who have been failed by a system (& some horrible individuals within it) that is supposed to protect us 💐. I have & continue to have my own struggles with disbelief, gaslighting & misdiagnosis. It’s institutional abuse. I agree with a pp - the nhs heroes rhetoric just helps the government justify gross underfunding & for negligent, abusive practise to continue to go under the radar.

Not me but a woman I knew was having surgery on her back, she had a cannula in her wrist for fluids etc, during the operation a nurse noticed her hand was changing colour, it seemed swollen too, she alerted the anaesthetist and the surgeon, who asked the anaesthetist to check her cannula, reported back all was fine. The hand became even more discoloured. by this time nurse was getting increasingly concerned and checked the woman’s hand and pulse, the hand was cold and she couldn’t find a pulse in that wrist, the nurse told the surgeon who stopped the operation and checked for himself, he then went ballistic at the anaesthetist. The cannula hadn’t been inserted properly and the fluids had been going into the tissue stopping blood supply. A vascular surgeon was called for to try and repair the damage but it was too late to save her fingers, she lost all four fingers on that hand. The woman sued and the anaesthetist was struck off after investigations showed he’d cocked up other operations.
She was compensated but no amount could give her back what she’d lost.

These tragic stories read like something out of the third world.

I'm not originally from the UK and it absolutely blows my mind why a gp is the gatekeeper to all further treatment.

Because its a state-run system and therefore encourages collectivist, nanny-state led thinking and the patient is assumed to meet the lowest common denominator because thats what is most convenient for the state.

Everyone knows that the NHS is simply a healthcare system, amongst many in the world. There are many, many examples of better run European systems, but NHS defenders will shriek shrilly that the only alternative is the American system.

Everyone also knows that the NHS is woefully inefficient, prone to medical misogyny and writing off women in particular as having nothing wrong with them, mainly because theres very little accountability for getting things wrong.

The NHS also seems to produce an extremely large proportion of arrogant consultants, doctors, GPs and nurses who get things wrong but insist they are right. It seems to be characterised by brutality and a near pride in its insistence on "doing nothing" as some kind of magical panacea.

That is not to say there are not great examples of competent, dedicated, skilled workers within the NHS. But that isn't due to the NHS and its an outdated, inefficient system now.

I'm one of those people who looks very healthy no matter what hits them, and on at least 3 occasions when I have desperately needed antibiotics, I've been refused them because I "look too well to be [insert condition}. I've ended up going to a private GP or A&E to resolve what the GP shouldn't have fobbed off. I really don't have any faith in the NHS, its far too inconsistent depending on what day of the week you fall ill, the mood of the doctor, their caseload that day, their pre-conceptions, etc. A lot of mistakes occur due to lack of time.