To complain to my GP practice?

[OhhLaaLaa]

Firstly, my GP practice are normally fab and I've been very happy since moving to this new town and therefore new practice a couple of years ago.

However. A couple of months back I had to have a full blood test done for a ongoing physical health matter. That came back that one of my meds for a different physical health matter needed adjusting. I had a phone call from one of the receptionists saying that the GP had stated I needed to more than half my dose, actually it was reduce it to nearly 1/3 of current dose. I queried this straight away as I have been taking this medication for nearly 40 year and the dose has only ever increased, and usually only by a small amount each time. She said she couldnt comment - that she could only state what the GP had said. So as I had just ordered my repeat prescription I had more than enough to reduce to this new dose. I arranged a repeat blood test for 8 weeks as requested.

I have just had that repeat blood test, where the results show that I am now significantly undermedicated! My GP rang me this morning to discuss this and neither of us could understand why my range was all over the place (I was silently panicking at this point as I have a variety of health issues that I am trying to come to terms with and genuinely don't think I could cope with anything else). To give the GP credit, he was very determined to get to the bottom of it, and after a length phone conversation, it turns out that the receptionist had read the GP info wrong - the strength of the tablet was correct, but it should have been 3 x daily. I was told 1 x daily.

For the past 8 weeks I have really struggled physically and mentally whilst not understanding why. My existing health issues hadn't changed, the only thing that had was this medication so I know it was that that was making me so sluggish and irritable.

I know anyone can make mistakes, but the fact that I questioned it at the time, then again when I saw a nurse about something else, and a third time with another nurse (couldn't get in to see GP) yet it was only because of the GP's perseverence this morning that we got to the bottom of it. I now have another 8 week period of adjusting followed by another blood test to check that my levels have returned to normal.

AIBU to politely bring this up with the practice manager just to remind receptionists to check the information they are passing on?

I'm not normally one for complaining (especially about receptionists) but in this case, I absolutely would. I think that's incredibly poor from them and I don't think it's really the receptionist's role to be passing on messages like that where there is a clinical aspect to them. I hope you feel better soon on the new dose.

I’ve would. I don’t think receptionist should be passing on medication adjustments, precisely for this reason. In my pratice, the doctor would either phone to discuss or I’d get a text message.

Thank you both, I wonder if I could request that in future I receive either a text or a phone call to adjust a dose, rather than a receptionist call?

Yes I think that's worth a complaint. Reading out patient's medication wrong is extremely dangerous! What if someone had this happen, didn't query it, and then possibly became very ill/died because they aren't taking enough medication? I agree with above posters it shouldn't be down to receptionists to be passing on medical advice.

At the very least you should request that in future you be provided with the medication instructions in writing from the GP, to view yourself.

I think that's a very sensible course of action, God forbid they make a fatal mistake with someone, they definitely need to review the practice/procedure that failed you.

You should definitely complain, this is a very unsafe way to inform patients of changes to medication.

I will definitely ring to speak to the practice manager. There must be a record somewhere of what the receptionist told me as when the GP was reading out aloud from my notes this morning, he read "drop down to 100mcg daily" - he apologised straight away and said it should have stated 3 x 100mcg daily. I'm hoping that's what that means as otherwise it will be just my word against the receptionists. As I had plenty of my meds from my existing prescription I didn't get a new prescription with the new dose written on it.

Definitely worth raising. I am on warfarin and getting the dosage wrong (too much or too little) could actually kill me.

Yes you must.

mine is life threatening for me

I once argued with a receptionist who said my medication hadn’t been prescribed and it was impossible to have what I asked for and that two was the maximum. I said I would stay on hold until I spoke to the on duty GP and he confirmed it was x2 a packet of two or 4 that had been prescribed.

just state it as a matter of fact.

medication such as antidepressants or for example thyroxine have a huge huge impact.

the fact you queried it and were shut down if of concern.

@Nailsandthesea it was thyroxine

Probably should say that I have namechanged for this as it could potentially be outing.

The only time I have seen DH properly angry was when my request for a repeat warfarin prescription had got lost between the front desk and the office (straight behind the front desk) then once it was found the prescription was messed up (basically less than a quarter of what I had requested).

The response from the reception staff was a shrug and an instruction to put in another prescription request which would take 7 days by which time I would have already run out of warfarin.

I think sometimes the staff can get totally focussed on the process and lose sight of the fact that for some of us these drugs are what keep us alive.

This.
What if it had been heart medication , or insulin?
I really don’t think receptionists should be relaying medical info.

How would I phrase that though without offending them? Or does it matter if I do offend?! I'm such a people pleaser that I am really struggling with this, but I do feel like I need to speak up.

Doesn’t matter if you offend or not, it’s not in the receptionist’s remit to be advising about doses.
My dad was recently unwell with pneumonia. GP saw and gave antibiotics. Said to come back if it better in 48h and not to wait longer. Still unwell 48h later, rang the surgery and the receptionist advised waiting another 48h. He mentioned this to me (I’m a doctor) and I advised him to get to A&E, where he was promptly admitted.
I’ve no clue how a receptionist is able to do this. If my dad hadn’t discussed this with me and just took them at their word, something bad could happen.
What if the receptionist had misread a dose of insulin, for example?
This needs flagging up now.

he read "drop down to 100mcg daily" - he apologised straight away and said it should have stated 3 x 100mcg daily

So it was the doctors fault? The receptionist read out what the doctor had written so she wasn't the one at fault?

I would definitely complain about the doctor and ask for a phone call from them regarding any medication change in future so you can query it immediately.

I work in a GP surgery (not as a receptionist) and in my practice this would be recorded as a significant event - it is serious and needs to be treated as such.

There would be an internal investigation and hopefully procedures would be put in place to ensure this cannot happen again - this is how we learn from mistakes. The Practice Manager needs to be informed about what happened, how unwell you felt as a result and what may have happened had this not been picked up on.

As PPs have said - what if this had been Warfarin or Insulin for example?

Please speak to the Practice Manager OP, don’t see it as complaining of that makes you feel uncomfortable (although you are well within your right) but this is a serious mistake and needs treating as such.

The issue is with the process not the individual.

Dosage changes should not be communicated by non-medically trained staff. You were put in significant harm's way by incorrect dosage information being given by a receptionist who then would not allow the information to be challenged.

The drugs being prescribed are not health tonics. Get the dosage wrong and serious harm can be done.

Sorry for the confusion. The GP kept stating the correct dose as that's what he had on his records and he couldn't understand why I'd been taking lower. It was when he was reading back through other notes that he was stated what I'm guessing the receptionist had recorded when she spoke to me.

Please report. The next patient could be vulnerable, elderly or have learning difficulties and not be able to speak up or understand what's happening.

I had it too when a Receptionist accidentally upped my dose of propranolol from 10mg to 100mg.

It was scary and thankfully my neighbour was a cardiac nurse who found me collapsed on the driveway!

The receptionist had done it before. I asked for a thorough investigation and requested training. She left instead.

God OP I'm on thyroxine and I know the awful effects if there's an incorrect dose. I'd definitely complain and not your problem if its taken offensively. Just be clear and concise.

Surely the GP will report it internally, without you reporting OP? What did the GP say about this error during your consultation?

Sounds like the GP’s mistake. Which was then repeated by the receptionist. Not his/her fault.

Yes please do complain. They need to put much more stringent safeguarding procedures in place regarding this.

I am a people pleaser too, but there are occasions when one must speak up and this is definitely one of those.

He apologized, uhhmmed and ahhed a little then made sure we were both clear on the dose going forward. I didn't really say anything as I was too overwhelmed by feeling relieved that I knew why I'd been feeling so rotten

I sincerely hope that he will speak up, but I feel that I should say something as well as it has really impacted on me. I'm not looking to make an official complaint/lose someone their job or anything, I'd just like to be heard and reassured that it won't happen again.