Unsure whether to raise a complaint with the doctors

[CheesyBadger]

My grandad died yesterday of antibiotic associated diarrhoea which led to pseudomembranous colitis.

The symptoms started about 3 weeks ago and I don't feel the doctors picked up on something which could have been treatable.

He had blood and mucus in his stools and a sample was sent off which was lost in the system due to 'lack of information on sample' - still to clarify what was missing. By the time they wanted another one he was in hospital and died after 2 days.

The out of hours doctor wasn't very pro active and just kept saying if my grandad wanted he could book him into outpatients. He even examined him and confirmed inflammation but still did nothing.

I can't help being angry and wondering if he had had the stool test and started antibiotics he would still be here.

I don't want to upset my nan though...

Hi, sorry for your loss, I dread my grandparent passing.

I'd leave it for a while, and let yourself grieve. See how you feel in a few weeks.

It sounds an awful situation, having been through NHS complaints I really wouldn't recommend it, they close ranks and back each other up.

However this sounds pretty clear cut that they are at fault, it may help prevent it from happening again.

Xx

I think you should, if you do think they messed up. It might help someone else.
Sorry about your grandad.

oh I am sorry for your loss

It sounds unlikely that two days of treatment would have made a significant difference to the outcome. But I would still raise it with PALS to try to prevent it happening again.
incomplete info can mean lots of things, either some pt details were missing or reason for test/what test was required wasn't fully completed. its extremely common for pathology samples to need repeating.

having said that, it's a common and known side effect of antibiotic treatment so they could have/might have treated for this even without path lab reports to confirm, based on the symptoms and history.

It may well be that the risk of not giving the antibiotics outweighed the risk of side effects IYKWIM

I'm an hcp BTW

Thank you all so much. I m not sure what I want from it really. I don't think I am even looking for an admission of fault, but just want them to know that as you say based on his history it was a consideration and I feel they missed it. I don't want them to miss it in anyone else.

Didn't mention in op, but he had been in hospital with pneumonia for 10 weeks before Christmas on industrial strength antibiotics and they wanted to get him home before the winter bugs made an appearance, so they were aware it was a possibility.

My mum is on the phone and is just as angry as me. I know this is a natural part of the process and I think we will wait to raise something.

The fact that it was treatable is getting to her