Doctor lying on report..

[Anon662120622]

So I've sent a very blunt email with threats to report to the ombudsman and GMC after appointment with specialist.. Long story short - Shoulder trauma injury, felt shoulder pop out and tear. Still no improvement after 21 weeks, unable to lift arm out any further than 30 degrees. Extreme impact on quality of life

I've been to multiple appointments and four physio sessions (referred by doctor.) Last one was extremely dismissive and actually lied in the report. Physio wrote a letter suggesting he thought I had a paralysed muscle, muscle wastage and nerve damage. Doctor completely wrote that of as he "doesn't trust that physio" because he doesn't specialise in my kind of injury... Why send me there and waste two whole months then?! He told me I was holding my arm down.. it's completely deformed, as mentioned above, I felt it like pop out and it was instantly lower.

He lied on the report saying
*I could touch my thumb to my lower lumbar spine which was an outright lie. I can't get my arm to rotate backwards at all.
*He noted there was no muscle wastage - my shoulder is pretty much skin and bones, there has definitely been a massive amount of wastage.

• noted no weakness of rotator cuff. I'd say not being able to lift my arm out any further than 30 degrees indicates a significant amount of weakness?

I've written a complaint email to the pals team noting that I'm going to complain to the ombudsman and GMC and will even go down the legal route if a delayed diagnosis leads to further problems/permanent paralysis.

I asked for a second opinion and they've just booked me back in to see the same doctor.. fastest response and appointment offer I've ever recieved I might add.

Am I being unreasonable to ask again for a second opinion from a different doctor?
I'm still going to attend the one with the same doctor and have said I'm requesting to be able to audio record this next appointment so any discrepancies can be properly noted with no denial. I'm also requesting for the report to be changed.

I believe the reason he said all of the lies as mentioned would be to downplay my injury to avoid having to take the reasonable steps to treat me properly? He referred me to a rehab saying they'd give me a diagnosis on my first appointment and he'd trust everything they say. They phoned to book my appointment and told me that the doctors massively lie and act like they're some kind of miracle workers. They said they're essentially just another physio and they wouldn't be able to give me a diagnosis.)

I've honestly just had enough, I'm going to have to pay to go private.. maybe our NI and Tax should be a thing of the past, or massively dropped as we obviously aren't recieving what it's all advertised to be. 🙄

OP, how awful for you. I'm glad they are taking it seriously, ita a known issue that women's healthcare is lacking and we are not believed.

I have doctors tell me I cannot be in 24/7 pain, otherwise I wouldn't be able to continue to live my life the way I do. Or, I still have bills to pay and want to live a life worth living so have spent 40 years learning to grin and bare it. I cant even imagine what its like not to be in pain.

Keep fighting OP, incorrect physio could really mess you up more so you need a correct diagnosis.

I was actually told I must have a low pain threshold 😂 I've had two cesarean sections and the pain is much worse from my shoulder that it ever was after my cesareans.. it really is awful. I hope you're feeling better

@StrawberryJamisBest -the point I was making is that physio was useless for my situation, rotator cuff damage. Make the correct diagnosis, THEN treatment. There are many things that go wrong with shoulders & surgery isn’t necessarily the solution. I am glad PT helped your brother.

you don't know for sure what her medical issue is @StrawberryJamisBest and although you are trying to be helpful, you can't know what she feels, knows using anecdotal information regarding your brother.

You sound like a drama llama - just see a different doctor for another opinion;

All replies here are anecdotal.
No one knows what is wrong with her.

Have they looked at your spine OP?

OP you need not to be so combative here.
The surgeon had nothing to gain by ‘lying’ . Either the examination findings were different when them saw you or your notes were mixed up with someone elses . These things do happen.
Go and talk to the doctor, be reasonable and you are far more likely to get help.
Physio’s can be excellent diagnosticians - different people within a service .

You have a really pronounced curvature and I wonder if your pain is from spinal nerve compression. Perhaps you have already had spinal xray/ scan but I don't think you have mentioned it.

Wtf do you mean? Your post reads as though you don't believe the OP. If that's what you are getting at then say so, or better, report.

There have been numerous examples of doctor incompetence, of people who aren't qualified passing themselves off as doctors and of sociopaths who have no interest in helping patients working in the profession.

Oh dear poor doctor. Just get a second opinion. Threatening a complaint isn't going to make him change his professional assessment of you.

endofthelinefinally no, the only real diagnostic testing they've done was the initial xrays and mri.. they're not looking at doing anymore tests, the last I heard was rehab and they would see me again in another 6 months

olympicsrock I have definitely been combative, I just broke.. I just feel like I'm getting nowhere and with some of the things he wrote in the report he couldn't have had "different findings". For example - saying I could put my thumb to my lower lumbar spine, That is completely untrue and there is no way he could've had different findings as he never asked me to do so. I may have worded everything I said really strongly out of frustration and probably should've taken a breath and thought a little more calmly about what I wrote. There is no way for me to just talk to him, he is a specialist in a hospital about an hour and a half away from me. They only do clinics every four weeks and I can't just request to talk to him. I waited a 10 weeks to see them last time when it should've been 6 weeks. I'm just really frustrated, I have two very young children, I can't work and I'm battling severe depression.

Vimova has helped so much.
I have my mri which shows the nasty tears, but not rupture.
I will bring my mri's of both shoulders to an orthopedic surgeon who is excellent.
My GP actually said "christ you must be in agony" when he read the mri.
He is lovely and very sympathetic.
I'm hoping a steroid injection in both shoulders will do the trick.
Sleeping has been very hard.

I really hope you also get sorted quickly.
I felt relief to be finally diagnosed.

OP he really should have offered you a steroid injection on the spot. I had one given firstly by the medic that did my ultrasound, then orthopod gave me another after my MRI results consult, about 6 months apart. Kept pain at bay.

Insist on seeing a different Dr. for a second opinion. A colleague of mine had a situation last year when she was experiencing strange symptoms dizziness loss of coordination etc.her Dr. kept fobbing her off. In the end another colleague took her to A&E as she suspected she'd had a stroke. They did an emergency scan and she was admitted for surgery straight away. She has a cyst at the base of her brain as big as a grapefruit. Her consultant told her son who insisted on seeing her medical records (son is also a Dr.) If the cyst had increased by a few more millimeters it would have been fatal. You know your body best

Have you looked him up and seen whether he is an expert witness, and if so whether he often acts for Defendants? Some Defendant experts (not all!) are oddly sceptical of injuries and like to suggest patients are malingerers (some may be but most people are honest).

If you can afford it, go for a private consultation. If it's vastly different, then you may have grounds to complain. If not, that may reassure you about your treatment so far.

I work in NHS in another speciality you should be able to go for a second opinion with another orthopedic surgeon within the same department. You shouldn't need to go private. In my department which is Colorectal we often get patients request second opinions from other consultants within the same department and should not be met by any drama. Some surgeons will even offer to send for second and third opinions where necessary. I hope you get a satisfactory resolution. I hope PALS also work on your behalf.

I'm so sorry to hear you've had such a horrible upsetting dismissive experience from someone whom you should be able to trust & expect more from 😢
Wishing you all the utmost very best moving forward & hope other commenters have helped you
You deserve so much better
Take great care of yourself
💚🙏💚

You need to manage your expectations
Shoulder is a very complex joint.
The damage done is done and it is not the doctors fault you had a traumatic injury to the shoulder.
They shd not lie though, that's not on.
The second opinion doctor may not be able to do much either if scans have not show anything amenable to surgery. MRI is a detailed scan so you have had good imaging.
You need to be sensible in your approach to those treating you. There is no point going in looking for a row. Ultimately you want treatment that will return function and reduce pain so be mindful.

Can you not go a&e for xray? That would've been my first step

I've been mulling this over and thought I'd copy and paste everything written in my email to see if the majority of people think I was too abrasive.. I'm really not too sure that I was?

Around the 6th of November I was seen in clinic by Mr redacted and Mr Redacted

I had previously been referred for physio by Mr *Redacted and attended my appointment on the 6th with a report from the physio, stating that I had noticeable poor muscle strength in right shoulder shrug, noticeable muscle wastage in the right upper trapezius area and exhibiting signs of a certain degree of RT upper trapezius paralysis. He also believes there may be nerve damage.

Mr * Redacted completely dismissed everything that the physio reported - including the muscle wastage. Bear in mind I have been seeing the physio monthly and he has witnessed the muscle wasting over this period. He essentially said that he didn't trust what the physio said as they don't specialise in my kind of injury. If this is the case then I've been delayed proper treatment by being referred to them in the first place.

He reported that I could touch my thumb to my lower lumbar spine with no restriction which is a lie. He never asked me to do so, and I had told him in my own words that I wasn't able to do so. He noted that my right shoulder is lower and that he could correct it passively (I believe this to be untrue). He noted there was no muscle wastage and there was no weakness of my rotator cuff. - I physically cannot lift my arm pass 30 degrees which I would believe exhibts signs of severe muscle weakness.

He also noted that they had discussed operative and non-operative options with me which is untrue.

My husband attended this appointment with me and has also noted the same points that I have.

I feel as though this report is resulting in delayed medical treatment by downplaying my injury.

I would firstly like to dispute this on my medical records and make a formal request for this to be corrected.

Please could I also be referred for an urgent second opinion.

I would also like to make a formal complaint against Mr Redacted and Mr Redacted due this possibly leading to a delayed diagnosis or incorrect treatment.

This will also be reported to the ombudsman. If this is delaying treatment due to improper diagnosis or treatment causing more/ possibly permanent damage to myself, I will seek legal advice and report to the GMC.

Correspondence can be made either through this email address or by phone - *redacted .

Regards, *redacted

Personally I think the current funding practice is a conflict of interest as the referral comes out of gp funding so there is an incentive to fuck patients around imo

Also request referral to another orthopaedic consultant as you can have no faith in this one!