Do I have a legitimate grievance?

[tormentil]

The situation is this: About twenty years ago, I was bullied by my GP to the extent that I became shaky and ill in his presence and also felt unable to visit the surgery. We are in a remote location - this effectively made it almost impossible for me to have access to health care. Two years later, my DP developed terminal cancer and required ongoing medical care. At this point a letter to my MP brought about 'reconciliation process'. This achieved nothing, my GP would not acknowledge that he had created a problem. My DP died traumatically at home - pulmonary embolism on the kitchen floor. It wasn't dealt with well. At the time I had three primary school children. I was both extremely stressed and traumatised and I was unable to get the help and support I needed at the surgery because of the previous bullying. I am now being treated for PTSD , I have fallen to pieces and my life is a mess. I didn't have access to the help that I needed at the time due to the actions of my GP.

My question is this: do I have any valid reasons to sue - and if I do how might I go about it?

I think that's all that would be said is 'the GP and surgery were willing to put the complaints behind them, move on and see you as a patient. You involved lots of other people (MP, the GMC) who all thought you should move on from it.

You didn't think that was good enough so effectvely boycotted the surgery. And you still don't think it was good enough but I don't think you have grounds to sue anyone.

And you probably won't be back to the thread but I do wonder what you'd have done if you or your children were physically ill. Surely you'd use the surgery then?

OP -i don’t think you are going to come back to this thread but you might still be reading.

What exactly is it you would hope to gain from suing the GMC? It would be costly and hugely anxiety provoking and to what end? An apology? Money? Neither of these things are going to help you get better and give you closure. You can only find that in yourself. You will not find peace pursuing this.

I hope you resolve your issues and can move on from this.

blueskyinmarch yes, I'm still reading. It's money I need - the result of PTSD is no money, no friends, no work, very nearly no place to live. A sense of falling out of society.

With regard to this issue, I am at peace and I don't feel any need for closure - it's in the past - however the fallout that I've had to live with is the big struggle and still with me. If it's costly and not a no win no fee situation, then it's a non starter. It was a very messy situation in which I was powerless.

And, to emphasise - I am over it. I'm exploring possibilities of helping my recovery. If I had a legitimate grievance, I would pursue it for money because that is what I need. But it doesn't look like I have - so I'll leave it.
Thank you.

I think to find out if you had any chance at all of suing the GMC for money you would need to seek legal advice. However this will cost money to do and may set back you recovery in terms of the amount pf anxiety it will cause you. It may be worth phoning around lawyers and asking advice just so you can be certain that it is unattainable (or not i guess)?

blueskyinmarch Well, I don't want any more anxiety, that's for sure... I'll give some thought to phoning around lawyers. It's worth doing. Thank you for the conversation - it's clarified my thinking.

Look, I understand. I have PTSD myself from my daughter's cancer and death at the age of 9. Life's been a bitch ever since, DS has since been diagnosed with autism, too. But looking for a magic bullet of money to solve my problems won't do me any good. I have to look for ways to improve my life under my own steam. I'm responsible for my own life, it's not someone else's to pay me money, give me friends, improve the home, etc.

You'll get nowhere with this because there's no case to answer. The GMC did not find fault with the GP, they did their job and investigated and the facts are they didn't uphold. They did not deny you access to healthcare or cause your PTSD.

Please, just move on and find other ways to be happy other than some imaginary windfall because this is flogging a dead horse.

And yes, lawyers want paid for advice.

and yes, there will be LOTS of anxiety involved, you may be called on to testify in court and here's the beauty part, you could also be held responsible for their legal expenses if you lose.

expatinscotland Please leave it, I've got the message.

Obviously not if you're still considering ringing round lawyers.

expatinscotland Enough.

tormentil, you don't get to dictate to people how they post on this site. . I'm afraid that's not how it works. I truly hope you are getting the help you need to move past this and stop thinking there will be a magic bullet to solve your problems in the form of a chunk of money because that's a truly negative and futile way to go through life.

To be fair expat I suggested the OP should ring round lawyers mostly so she can hear it from the horses mouth as it were. She may harbour this desire to sue for a long time if she isn't able to put it to bed.

expatinscotland This conversation is over. I have said that I get the message. That means I don't want any more advice. So, rather than 'dictating how other people post' I am clearly saying to you that this conversation has ended. Please listen.

Um, you don't get to decide that, tormentil. You want advice from people telling you what you want to hear and when you don't get that, and haven't from anyone because it's a non-starter, then you go round telling people how they can and cannot post or when they can post. It is terribly sad you have harboured these thoughts for so long. Life is so short.

I agree in that respect, blue.

The GMC did not find fault with the GP

It is this test means that it won't go anywhere.

for you though.

*that

To be fair expat I suggested the OP should ring round lawyers mostly so she can hear it from the horses mouth as it were. She may harbour this desire to sue for a long time if she isn't able to put it to bed.

I asked for advice- not to be treated as stupid.

I am not suggesting for one moment you are stupid. I am trying to help you to make decisions that you are in your best interests. I had a friend who was a GP who was supremely shafted by the GMC. I don't want you to suffer the way he did.

blueskyinmarch using the third person to a poster who has been talking down to me implies that you are colluding in the assessment of stupidity. Thanks for that the info re your friend. No, I don't want to go there.

I was responding that way as I was speaking to the other poster and not to you. I think you said you are new to mumsnet and it might take a while to get used to the style of posting. It is perfectly normal in threads for people to respond to other posters and not to the original poster.

blueskyinmarch Not that new. I just don't post much.

Okay. I wish you well for the future.

Thank you.

Is there any way you can give people an idea of what happened with the GP, that may have triggered ptsd? Was it a patient/GP or GP/Surgery worker, type of relationship?

I'm being treated for ptsd currently. My therapy is emdr - can I ask what cmr therapy is?

I think the thing with ptsd is, that you can't move on, and are stuck. It's hell and i hope you don't mind me saying this, but it does sound like you're stuck. Are you stuck at your DH situation as well as the GP situation?

Sorry, just checked my reply and I've asked lots of questions!