Im seeing red mist over GP and need help writing a letter of complaint

[melsy]

Its all over what happened yesterday at the gp's in the morning around dd1 being unwell again and the doctors lack of care and totally dismissiveness.

She completely missed dd1's raging tonsillitis, which was picked up later on at a private hospital, gave the wrong antibiotics for a re occuring infection, (despite having access to the right information to link the right antibiotics to her bacteria), she had to own up to this not long after I came home via telephone and was extremely unhelpful, defensive and rude. We would not have had to put dd1 through more examinations in 1 day had she done what she should have in the morning. This is the 2nd time she has done this and just gone along with what has been verbally presented to her and not even done any investigation herself.

Ive tossed and turned all night and feel her practises to be unethical and totally letting down the reputation of the practise we are registered with and have been for several years.

I suppose I want word it in a way to be taken seriously and get their support. It will make it very hard to ever see her again, as Im sure they will investigate it further and my situation may be disclosed to the GP concerned. Has anyone had experience of this at all , as I'm quite anxious about it.

I also think it stinks because many people find going to doctors very hard and this kind of attitude makes people even more anxious about approaching gp's.

I would write a letter of complaint to the Practice Manager and copy in the PCT personally. Also change your GP.

Write a letter in as much detail as you can...then re-visit it when you have calmed down a bit. This will help you put your point of view across in a calm and professional manner. Then either deliver by hand or send it recorded. They will have to investigate and within a certain timescale probably.

Who cares if the GP knows - she might re-think her attitude then!

Good luck

I may have complained to the practice manager before about my HV several years ago . She was all very politician on me !

what does PCT stand for ?

You are right , I think I just need to get it all out on paper , from the start to the finish including how she spoke to me also. I also need to find the date of my last appt's with her.

Primary Care Trust - you'll find their details on the web. They oversee primary care in your area.

Right EVERYTHING down - you can always remove irrelevant stuff later.

PCT is primary care trust.

thank you

Sounds as if you have experience of this charlie ?

from the brief outline I have given , do I have grounds for complaint or am I just over reacting ?

No experience - just have a crap GP myself - and I work for the NHS.

TBH if you feel pissed off, you should complain. I think you should explain in a bit more detail why you're pissed off as it did come across a bit unclear - probably cos you're angry. But if you write it all down in a time-line and with facts, it will be a lot clearer and you will see for yourself whether or not you've over-reacted. Does that make sense?

Hope that's OK and not offended you!

no not at all offended , I was a bit sketchy , mainly because I have it all flying around inside and have been up all night for the 3rd night in a row and needed some guidance to make some coherent sense of it this morning , rather than raging anger inside, which blocks any clarity of anything lol >>>>>.

As soon as you made your suggestion the letter has started flowing !!!

Good! Let us know how you get on!!

just to warn you melsy....the Gp may put you ( and your family) off her list once she finds out you have complained. not nice i knwo, but there is nothing you can do

is there another practice in the area you could register with if this happens?

That is true, but the PCT are legally obliged to provide you with a GP

I had a similar situation at our gps. The dr did apologise for being a cow (her words!) but I make sure I don't see her now.Even though she's my gp and the practice always try to let you see who you're registered with. I did try to register with a different gp but they wouldn't let me
I seem to see a steady supply of locums instead and they have been much better tbh.
Half of me thinks defo complain...the other half thinks avoid confrontation as you could end up worse off...eg looking for another practice etc etc
GOOD LUCK!

Do complain Melsy, no-one can do anything about crap GPs if they don't get any complaints. And it may well make the GP herself realise she has to shape up. If you get taken off their list, as Charlie says, the PCT has to find you another GP - sadly GPs have the right to chuck patients off if they feel like it.

thankfully I dont think this gp is a partner in the practise.

Why would they chuck us off if we have a valid and reasoned complaint , surely they dont feel it right to have bad practises ? Ive verbally complained about another gp there several years ago and coincidently he was barred from their surgery !!!!I dont think it was my doing. I dont get it that they can tell you to leave if they have someone behaving incorrectly , what are they higher than GOD ???? Its actually making me feel even more angry now !!!

There is however another surgery (not connected to this one) next door !! My sister is registered there with her kids.

Hotcrossbunny why did they not allow you re registereing with another gp , was it at the same surgery ???

Yes it was in the same practice. I didn't really understand why, presumably for target/patient numbers? I was quite cross about it though...

contact your local Patients and pubblic Ivolvement Forum (PPIF) who will help & advise. Your local PCT or Hospital PALS group will put you in touch (every hospital has a PALS group which handles patients omplaints)

hotcross in our surgery it doesnt matter who were registered with ,we see about 20 different gps anyway !!!

wrinklygran thats really helpful , I did t know of that body , Ive managed to find my boroughs online just now , I may phone them in the morning , are they like a medical ACAS ????

Im struggling with this letter

The PPIFs, or Patient and Public Involvement Forums replaced the community Health Councils, we are lay volunteers who monitor the PCT, dentistry, mental health, the ambulance service, GP practices, and we are consulted as patient and public representativs over policy, reorganisations, complaints, procedures and bring up problems brought up by members of the public. I also act as a reader, commenting on the readability and public invovement in new leaflets and documents produced.
PALS are Patients Advice and Liaison Service, and are based at your local hospital.

The practises main GP partner called me this morning , he has a copy of the private referral I asked for , he was making sure that my dd1 was being seen by a paed and that she had a scan booked in , so he must be taking this seriously then to have made this call.

I havent sent the letter yet , Im not sure what to do really. I just want her told off I suppose, but Im really anxious about it all.

Just seems odd to have called , Im glad he did , but its not the norm is it???????.

To me its a vague admission of guilt on their part of treating this too lightly. I mentioned I was unhappy about one of his GP's completely missing dd1's tonsillitis and he said nothing .
I know that they will never apologise or say they did worng , as then they are held liable if it ever went to court, is that right ???

I need a copy of the lab report too for the private paed form the same surgery and the info line women said they need to get permission 1st for me to have it, surely by law I have a right to see my daughters notes and results , is she talking bollox ???? I always get this officious one , especially when feeling crap and edgy!!