GP mucked up my blood tests

[jt1952]

I feel like crying right now.

I saw my GP with a suspicion of an under active thyroid. He agreed with me and said he would book in the following blood tests:

FBC
Liver function
Renal function
Thyroid function
Tests for ferritin etc
Vitamin D
Cholesterol

I have had the blood test and got the results today. He only ordered FBC, renal function, liver function and HBA1C.

For full context I am overweight, I’ve lost 10 stone and I am still losing (intentionally). The GP has messaged to say the blood are all fine and as far as he’s concerned that’s the case closed. I can access my results.

I feel so frustrated that half the tests he promised haven’t been done. Now I need to start the entire process again, wait four weeks to speak to a GP and wait another four for a blood test, wait a week for the results and see if I actually get the tests I need.

AIBU to make a complaint? It really feels like he was trying to pull a fast one with the HBA1C, and blame this on me being pre-diabetic. In actual fact it’s at the bottom of a normal range!

There comes a point when fighting the nhs becomes counter productive. Just go private and use the info from the private tests as a lever.

good luck - hopefully you’ll get to the bottom of this.

If its anything like my local practice, my sisters and the one before that...

They can order a whole range of tests, however if they don't make it very very clear WHY they are ordering some of them, the lab will not run those tests.

So if they've filled out the form quickly and nothing in your most recent notes refers to why you may want that tested or why the Dr thinks they should be tested - they may not be and he may not actually be aware they have not been tested until you get in touch and he looks at your file again.

This is to stop Drs ordering every test under the sun because the patient wants it doing, though they'll probably give you some other reason for that.

Never accept a 'this is normal' or 'this is within range' response without having the actual numbers AND the reference range to hand. Normal for one person is not normal for another, and for things like, for example, TSH, whats normal in one county and therefore does not require treatment may not be normal in another and would (I am hypothyroid in Worcester and yet the same numbers mean I am not hypothyroid in Manchester).

So change your bloody GP!!!

My GP. surgery has an online contact system and in this kind of situation I would just send a message and tell them what happened and they would issue the new forms. Absolutely no need to see the GP again.
Also, when I was diagnosed with an underactice thyroid they tested for diabetes too, so pretty standard.
Did you have a form to take to phlebotomy or is it computerised? In my area I take a form and a couple of years ago they definitely had a couple of things listed and those results never came back, so it maybe wasn't the GP but the system. Either way just contact the surgery and let them know.

Just FYI, it’s about £16 a tube, you’d be better off (and quicker) just getting the test from Boots

I've just read that your amazing weight loss (10 stone is incredible) well done you is medically assisted. Was that gastric surgery or are you on mounjaro/wegovy? I only ask because I've had all these symptoms on mounjaro so it could be that, it makes you feel really bloody cold xxx

My DH had blood tests last week, results came through on the app Friday. I was fuming as the most ‘important’ tests appeared to have not been done as the result were not there. However, they dropped on the app Monday morning.

Im assuming some results take longer than others. These were thyroid, PTH and bone profile related.

Is it likely you’d GP can see them but they aren’t visible to you yet?

Also, my sister was saying cold hands/feet and tingling lips are a side effect of losing weight/mounjaro

As I’ve said these symptoms have gone on for longer than I’ve been on the WLI.

Fair enough- apologies

I had a blood test recently and the gp told me that the tests he had requested hadn’t been undertaken, it was a real odd mix. It could have been a lab, phembotomy or gp error. I am sure if you call or email it can be resolved.

Pay for blood tests

I use monitor my health. It's quick and easy

Ah I've had similar

Had symptoms and family history that made rheumatoid arthritis be considered and GP spent most of the appointment telling me it was more than likely just tendonitis (despite having had the pain in symmetrical joints for about 5 months at that point) and very begrungily said they'd do blood tests...and she sent me to the physio.

Physio examined me and said in her opinion it did not seem like tendonitis and when she looked she told me that the GP had actually not even ordered the actual test for the rheumatoid factor and she told me when I had my bloods done to make sure the nurse added it on.

Not that it mattered because they all came back normal, although relevent to tell OP they told me they all came back normal...and then 2 days later left me a voicemail one came back later than the others and was abnormal and to take folate and be detected in 3 months.

When I returned to the GP cos my symptoms were no better and I had new symptoms including a skin condition, she told me that as my texts came back normal 6 months ago they had ruled out ANYTHING autoimmune and therefore would need no blood tests again.

And then told me it was most likely just anxiety and depression.

So I kind of then just sort of accepted it wasn't getting better and tried to be less stressed and just dealt with the pain (though apparently my pain is real enough to be prescribed naproxen on repeat?)

It got to a point where the skin sores ended up infected and I was starting to feel very very ill and and I ended up having a telephone appointment with a different doctor.

She contrary to the previous GP was that concerned she told me she wanted me to come in for a f2f appointment that same day and she also arranged for further blood tests to be done the same day as well. When she examined me she was quite shocked about how visibly bad and painful the sores were and asked me "why on earth didn't you come back sooner?! " So I told her about my last experience and she apologised and said she was sorry I felt like I couldn't come back for help, and please don't feel it ever has to get as bad as that to get help.

She admitted she didn't know if the skin issues and the pain issues were the same issue or 2 different issues but she assured me either way we will try to find out and treat it. She also used to be my main GP several years back when my mental health was at a very very bad point and she told me "I saw you a lot during that time and genuinely I do not think this is being caused by mental illness, there is something else going on and we will try to find out what" and also it was completely understandable that my mood was somewhat low as by that point I'd been dealing with pain, fatigue and a catalogue of symptoms and it wasn't surprising it was making me feel pretty shitty.

Unfortunately there are great GPs and there are perhaps not so great GPs,.and plenty in-between. Both the ones in my case were female and at the same GP surgery. But they treated me very very differently.

I can't say what the case is in the OP, it may have been a genuine oversight, everyone makes mistakes. But also know it is also possible that the GP had already made up their mind and really didn't care to order to test. None of us can say whi h it was.

I would however advise getting a second opinion.

Are you sure there aren't more tests still to upload? Some of those tests take much longer than others to come back and then there's a delay in them being visible to you after they're visible to the GP. The 'extra' tests are just standard ones that would be checked routinely if you're having blood tests done.

Honestly, who would be a GP? Patients like you must be an absolute nightmare. Wait a few days to see if any more results come through, then phone the surgery and ask - preferably in a more pleasant manner than you are demonstrating on here!

Last set of blood tests I got, one result came back over 5 weeks later due to 'corrupted sample'

It's not unusual at all for my usual results to trickle in over a couple of days - under active thyroid and a couple of other bits they're monitoring.

If your notes say he's ordering ABC and you didn't get them, then call and ask. You shouldn't need another appointment - if so ask for a conversation with the practice manager to ask why you need to wait another 8 weeks for the tests you were already promised. Simple.

You come across as nuts on this thread OP although I suspect you are just very stressed.

It makes huge sense to check the HbA1C in a morbidly obese individual who suspects another autoimmune condition.

You have a whole load of other conditions and symptoms common to being overweight with malnutrition- hair loss , fatigue , feeling cold and knee pain. There may be a thyroid issue too .

Instead of believing simple explanations of either human error, results not back yet or miscommunication you have jumped to gaslighting and lying and incompetence.

Honestly the world is not against you!

You know OP, there's a saying I like: 'What appears to be coming at you is actually coming from you.' I think you might find a lot of the awful attitudes you report experiencing are in response to your own projected anger/bitterness that's coming across in spades on this thread.

You should work on that if you want a nicer life.

Not read the full just @jt1952 commments

you do have a right to be pissed off if you’ve been specifically told that tests would be done then they were omitted - I would be too. By them telling you all results are fine it suggests that this is the completed panel of results - BUT I do not think you can see from your portal what has been ordered - just what the results are. I understand your frustration which is valid alongside the long wait times to see a GP, your symptoms which you were hoping for an answer to, a new physical injury and needle phobia. I think your response is probably overwhelming frustration at a number these things. There are a few things that can however be done.

1. call the surgery asap on Monday and demand to speak to practice manager to get to the bottom of whether the TFT, cholesterol vitamin d, ferritin were actually done. It may be as previous pp have said that some other tests are outstanding but a different person reviewed the results and didn’t realise and has therefore signed off and sent the message. Every practice is different and some won’t have an automated system that sends the SMS after results. Requesting GP could have been on annual leave / sick and it could be as simple as the test has been requested but still outstanding
2. if indeed the test has not been requested, then ask if it can be added on to the sample requested. The lab keep samples for a number of days and often a blood test can be added to a sample that is already there - with there being a weekend in the middle this unfortunately may not be possible.
3. if test not done and too late to add on result, then ask for the next available appointment - they have made an error so they should be rectifying as a matter of urgency even if that means double booking you in. If there was resistance to this - I would think this would be grounds for complaints as you shouldn’t be expected to wait another 4 weeks for a test you were told and is documented as being requested.
4. you can ask for local anaesthetic cream as other pp suggested but in my experience I have never known general practice to stock this - it’s usually in hospitals only and even then difficult to find for adults so I think it is a good idea to ask but also prepare yourself that it may not be available and decide what is more important having the blood test urgently or completely pain free.
5. If all else fails and you can attend a local urgent care centre or emergency department. This does not sound like an emergency however untreated hypothyroidism is v unpleasant. They should be able to do the blood test very quickly. Explain the symptoms and that you’re willing to wait for the blood test as you’ve been told it’s a 4 weeks for wait at the GP. This is not how the nhs should be used however if your GP is unwilling to solve the issue then it does and will lead to inappropriate emergency department attendances - I have seen people attend with far less pressing issues. Most urgent care will be happy to do this and a lot of ED have GPs attached to them for less severe issues.

My only point of yours I don’t agree with is the hba1c shouldn’t have been done. Opportunistic tests are important especially if there is raised clinical suspicion and. A lot of serious diagnosis will never be made if clinicians didn’t use their initiative to request certain tests.

I hope it gets sorted and sorry you’re having such a rough time

Maybe it’s concerning your GP.

So sorry to hear this, what a terrible experience. This is the knock on impact of being dismissed by GPs, it makes you avoid going in the future. GPs really struggle with chronic and autoimmune conditions, they don’t appear to be equipped to handle anything that isn’t a simple infection.

Then surely they should have mentioned that to me? It’s been 4 weeks since I had the appointment, if he had told me he was concerned it was diabetes I’d have been on at them every day for a cancellation test so that it could be diagnosed faster, because leaving it untreated could be incredibly dangerous?

I have a very nice life, thank you.

I think they might have extended hours at one of their sites today so I’m going to give that one a call later and see what they say.

I have to admit I didn’t actually find it that painful it was just unpleasant, but something about those big needles just makes me feel all funny and out of sorts. Never known why, it’s the same with the injections at the dentists, IVs, vaccinations. The thought of it was almost worse than the actual experience 😂

They would not have done it on purpose - it’s a small box to click and it’s easily done by either clicking the wrong box or the click not being done quite in the right place

Rather than jumping to a complaint and wasting peoples time investigating, just ring up/email and explain?