When you visit your GP, you trust them to listen to your concerns and help you to access the healthcare treatment in which you need. But what happens when your concerns are overlooked or your treatment is delayed?
In this blog, we will explain what GP negligence actually means, some of the circumstances in which it may occur, and what to do if you believe you or someone close to you has been affected by negligent care.
What is General Practitioner (GP) Negligence?
GP’s have an important responsibility to assess symptoms, consider possible diagnoses, prescribe medication safely and refer patients for specialist assessment when necessary. And although GPs cannot be expected to identify every condition immediately, they must take reasonable steps to investigate a patient’s concerns. When a GP’s actions, or inactions fall below the expected standard and cause injury or a worsening medical condition, this could amount to medical negligence.
What are the most common examples of GP negligence?
GP negligence can arise in several ways, in some cases, it could involve a clear error, while in others, it may be a failure to recognise warning signs or take appropriate action when a patient’s symptoms persist. In the past year, our internal enquiry figures show that GP negligence has made up 26% of our medical negligence claims, with an increase of 15% in the last 4 months alone.
Patients are often the first to notice when something changes with their health, their descriptions of symptoms, concerns about deterioration and knowledge of their medical history can all be important when reaching a diagnosis.
1. Misdiagnosis or delayed diagnosis
One of the most common concerns in GP negligence cases we see is a missed or delayed diagnosis. Some examples of this may include:
- A failure to recognise concerning symptoms
- Misdiagnosing a condition
- Overlooking symptoms that require urgent assessment
- Failing to reconsider an earlier diagnosis when a patient’s symptoms change or worse
This list is not exhaustive, and you may feel that you have suffered harm as a result of some other form of medical negligence. Feel free to contact us today to discuss your circumstances with a member of our team.
2. Failure to refer
Your GP should arrange appropriate and timely referrals if your symptoms or any results show that that is necessary. A failure to refer, or an avoidable delay in arranging a referral, may amount to negligence if it falls below the expected standard of care and causes harm.
3. Failure to investigate symptoms properly
A GP appointment is often the starting point of identifying a medical condition. For example, persistent or unexplained symptoms may require further investigation, particularly where they are worsening or accompanied by warning signs.
4. Failure to act on test results
If a GP fails to recognise an abnormal result or arrange necessary follow-ups, this could amount to negligence. Some examples of this may include:
- Failing to act on blood test results that indicate a significant medical problem
- Overlooking findings that require further investigation
- Not informing a patient about results that need timely treatment
- Failing to arrange repeat testing or monitoring when necessary
- Medication and prescription errors
Medication-related negligence may include prescribing the wrong drug or dosage or overlooking a significant allergy.
But it’s important to know that not every adverse reaction to medication is evidence of negligence. Some medications do carry known risks even when prescribed appropriately.
5. Failure to provide appropriate follow-up care
Some conditions require consistent monitoring and if a GP fails to arrange appropriate follow-ups or ignores a patient’s worsening symptoms, this may amount to medical negligence.
What should I do if I suspect something is wrong with my GP care?
It can be difficult to know where to turn when something goes wrong with your care, but you do not need to have all the answers before speaking to someone who can help.
Remember to prioritise your health: If you are still experiencing symptoms or/are concerned that your condition is getting worse, always seek appropriate medical advice. Do not delay urgent treatment while trying to establish whether negligence has occurred.
Keep a record of what happened: If you feel able to, make a note of your appointments, the symptoms you reported, the advice you received and any subsequent changes in your health.
Request your medical records: You can request access to your medical records, which may help you to clarify what was recorded during your appointments and what action was taken. (you do not need to obtain these records prior speaking to a medical negligence solicitor)
Consider raising your concerns: You may wish to make a complaint to the relevant healthcare provider to seek an explanation of your care. A healthcare complaint and a medical negligence compensation claim are separate processes, and you can run them both at the same time. But if unsure which route to take it is always sensible to seek legal advice at the earliest stage you can.
Speak to a specialist medical negligence solicitor like the Medical Law Partnership: A solicitor can listen to your account, review the available information and explain whether there may be grounds for a claim. If further investigation is appropriate, they can take the reins and help obtain medical records and independent expert evidence on your behalf.
How the Medical Law Partnership can help
We understand that questioning the care provided by your GP can be difficult. That’s why our team of dedicated clinical negligence solicitors are on hand to support you through this difficult time. Our specialist team have many years of experience successfully pursuing GP negligence claims, and we pride ourselves on achieving the best possible outcome for all our clients.
Our team combines both legal and medical expertise to examine what happened, identify the relevant issues and establish whether the care provided fell below the required standard. We understand that compensation can’t bring someone back or prevent your suffering, but hopefully it can help to lighten your financial load and shine a light on the mistakes made by your GP.
We also recognise that not every poor outcome amounts to negligence. Our role is to investigate the facts and provide honest advice, so you can make an informed decision about your options.
You can call us for free on 0800 014 7551 or visit medicallaw.co.uk to get in touch
You deserve to be heard, to understand what happened and to have the opportunity to move forward with the right support.