GP misdiagnosed a condition, would you file a complaint?

[chatenoire]

Posting here for traffic. I went to my local surgery and got seen by GP A. Said GP diagnosed me with a chronic and life changing condition. Most ladies who suffer from it take months if not years to get a full diagnosis, a biopsy can be part of it. Normally diagnosed by specialist, but GP can diagnose if confident. I had only had symptoms for like 8 weeks and were not debilitating and I knew if I didn't cause them at least I made them worse. My symptoms didn't not match that condition.

The more I read about it, the more I started to question the original diagnosis. I also fully recovered within 48hrs and that diagnosis normally takes months to get back to remission. In the meantime, my cousin a dermatologist said that it was extremely unlikely to be what they diagnosed me with (it's a skin condition).

So I went back to the surgery to be seen by another GP. GP B said that as much as she could see where the original GP was coming from (although she said that would that never have been enough to give a full diagnosis), GP A definitely misdiagnosed me when you looked at the whole set of symptoms, circumstances, timelines, etc... and that I most certainly wouldn't have recovered so quickly. In fact I needed to stop the treatment cold turkey as it was going to cause more harm than good.

So the question is would you complain about GP A?

I would 100% give feedback. Maybe not a formal complaint as I'm not sure they're worth the hassle (I had a GP mess up a life changing diagnosis and I can't face the stress of making a formal complaint) but feedback should be appreciated by any organisation with responsibility over people's health, and it should be acted on.

Yes, I’d give them feedback. I’ve had to recently regarding a diagnosis my daughter had with our GP. Not a rahhhh!!! formal complaint, but a kind of “DD was diagnosed with X, I am concerned due to Y reasons, it would be great to discuss it”

DD was diagnosed with a condition that is commonly given when there doesn’t seem to be a medical reason for certain symptoms, which is fine, however, she wasn’t investigated for any of the medical reasons she may have the symptoms (such as a brain tumour, MS, epilepsy).

I spoke with the practice manager and a different GP who then went onto contact a large charity dealing with DD’s diagnosis and they are now far more clued up on it.

DD does have mental health issues so they’ve just looked at that and jumped to conclusions and I do see why they made the diagnosis they did, however, the medical reasons for the symptoms she experiences should always, always be ruled out first.

I'd complain. It's all very well for people to say "all Drs make mistakes", but where does it stop? My sister was misdiagnosed by her GP...it turned out her "pulled muscle" was, in fact, pneumonia for which she ended up on a ventilator for a week with a chest drain. The OP's GP may have made a less serious error now but next time it may not be.

I'd complain. It's all very well for people to say "all Drs make mistakes", but where does it stop?

Yes, I agree.

In my daughter’s experience, the original GP did not follow the NHS guidelines of ruling everything else out before diagnosing and simply jumped to conclusions based on her mental health history.

Ultimately, nothing showed up on the tests she eventually had, so he was correct, but he should have ruled everything (brain tumour, epilepsy, MS, etc) else out first.

When I brought this up with him, he simply said “well, she’d be dead by now so it obviously wasn’t a brain tumour” - comforting!

I think a letter to the practice manager describing what you described here, pointing out that the outcome was a deviation from accepted practices for the misdiagnosed condition and asking for a formal response letter and assurance that this case will be internally reviewed would be proportionate.

Happened to me..
Was given steroid cream.
But didn't clear.
Went to specialist.. was vulvovaginal atrophy.. due to my prolapsed bladder.
It's an easy mistake to make according to my urogynocologist.. think yourself lucky you got seen and at least some treatment in the end.
I am certain it will be on your medical records and things will have been discussed.

That must have been pretty devasting as you say to be told you have this when you didn't. I would definitely be raising their follow up processes as an issue when something so serious is told to you with no aftercare or follow up.

Yes, you should complain because you were given treatment which was unnecessary and could have caused problems itself (Dermovate is a very strong steroid).

My GP misdiagnosed me with a blood disorder (I do have a blood disorder but not the one he diagnosed). But there was no treatment given, and he referred me to a haematologist who gave me the correct diagnosis within a month. So no harm was done and I didn't complain, but I would in your situation.

i would frame it more as feedback and learning curve for that GP.

Medicine is experimental, hence they are General Practitioners, they practice. Every mistake is a learning opportunity.

If you can prove complacency or malice, then go right ahead and complain.

My GP (many many GP's and another county ago) told me I couldn't possibly have heart failure, despite all the classic symptoms and an x-ray showing an enlarged heart.. on the basis that I was a 'fat but fit' 28 year old and it doesn't happen to 28 year olds.

It does. It was. I did not make a complaint, because it was the same GP who had a frank discussion with me (and another with his colleagues), apologised, and began treating me in a much more open minded manner (guided more by symptoms than numbers) which ultimately lead to me still being here today.

A constructive complaint if there cannot be an open and useful discussion is probably the way forward. People can only learn and do better if they have all of the information after all!

General Practioners are just that, they are not experts in everything and cannot/ will not/never will be right 100% of the time. Did he do much testing to confirm his diagnosis?

Not sure what you will get from complaining.

No, no testing was done which is part of the problem

Medicine is not an exact science.

I don’t really see what grounds you have for a complaint when you yourself said it’s a condition that takes time and biopsies to diagnose.
That said, I don’t see any harm in giving constructive feedback so GPs may be aware for next time.

That's the point they have a definite diagnosis instead of a differential one. It is needy for some like this

I had something like this happen years ago. GP A prescribed me something for a particular problem. Saw GP B when I needed a medication review some time later before being allowed a repeat prescription. GP B horrified at my having been prescribed this particular medication (which apparently is normally only prescribed with another medication as well which I wasn't given) and which could have led to me developing cancer. GP B referred me to hospital for biopsy which luckily showed no cancer but hospital consultant was furious and apparently sent a scathing letter to GP surgery. I did not complain as I felt the hospital consultant's letter would probably do the trick much more eloquently! This was not the only time I had had a problem with GP A but she left the surgery soon after this episode.

No I wouldn’t.
they diagnosed you based on the information at the time.
You’re reviewing that through the rose tinted glasses of time- knowing that it has settled.

At the very most I might ask for the info to be passed to them, that you’re well and stopped the steroid cream and think it might have been x instead.

No that's not the case. I never presented any textbook symptoms which is why I questioned it in the first place..

But surely the diagnosis was a differential and would have been confirmed by a biopsy?

if they didn’t tell you what they were thinking and just took the biopsy, then how would you feel ?

Diagnosis is a journey, it’s rarely correct first time, that’s why your admitted/observed/followed up.

You flagged it with the second GP, why not ask them to flag it to the first GP for reflection?

Primary care and secondary care are slammed, I think it’s correct for a GP to initiate a treatment that might make a condition better while waiting for secondary care. Derm waiting lists are 2 years in some places.

Yea, but the first GP thought I didn't need a biopsy, in her professional opinion I definitely had it and didn't need any future appointments, nor a biopsy, nor to be seen by a specialist!

No. You said you fully recovered within 48hrs. Doctors are not perfect and they do and will get things wrong. Does someone report you in your job every time you make a mistake?

Wait, if you never had the classic symptoms, how on earth was the GP meant to know? Sorry maybe I am being dense!

Well exactly! Why would you diagnose someone with pneumonia when it could be as simple as a cold or even hay fever.

(Taken to the extreme) - you have constipation therefore it's colon cancer

Yes complain. Its their job. And you do not know how many other patients before you they have misdiagnosed. (Or possibly after)
My late mother suffered something similar (GP saying she had constipation) She actually had kidney failure and very nearly died from that. She always wanted to complain and I feel bad to this day that I told myself 'mistakes happen'.
I subsequently had a very bad experience myself (its a lot more common than you think) and complained to the GMC. I learned then that GP's are very protected. I left the GP surgery and didn't return to a Doctor until ten years later. Now, if I am unhappy about something, I put it in an email to the Practice Manager in the first instance so it is on file .
I think I spoke with PALS at one point and said I was concerned that filing a complaint might mean that you may get lesser care. I was told that to the contrary, they were likely to be more cautious. Everyone will have their own opinion, based on their own experience - but I would advise you to do what's right for you.

It's your body and its the only one you are going to get.