When you visit your GP, you expect to receive the right diagnosis and treatment, and feel better. You have the right to quality healthcare; on the vast majority of occasions, things go smoothly and patients find the right treatment for their health problem. However, there are times when a GP is unable to provide the quality of service you expect, leaving you unhappy. If this is due to GP negligence, you may be entitled to a claim.
There are several reasons why you might find yourself unhappy with your GP. Three common reasons include:
Misdiagnosis: If your GP has dismissed your current health condition as unlikely, you might end up receiving the wrong treatment.
Delayed Diagnosis: If there has been unreasonable and significant delay for your GP or doctor to diagnose your condition, this may be deemed medical negligence.
Treatment Error: If your GP or doctor fails to recommend or prescribe a particular treatment for you – which you know to be correct due to your condition – this may be deemed discrimination. This may be due to race, disability, or sexual orientation.
So, what should you do if you are unhappy with the diagnosis and/or treatment you received from your GP?
Seek a Second Opinion
According to the General Medical Council, patients have the right to seek a second opinion. Although the NHS advises that you request an explanation from your healthcare professional to understand why they made the decisions they made, you can seek a second opinion without talking to your GP.
Usually, this is as simple as making an appointment with another doctor in the same practice to ask about your concern. You may ask your GP to refer you to another doctor.
Do not suffer in silence; if you believe that your GP has acted negligently, then you should be able to pursue the quality of treatment you deserve.
When you make an appointment with another doctor for a second opinion, ensure you write down the things you need to say before the visit. Consider what your concerns are, why you feel your GP has failed to address them, what you believe may be the cause of your health problem, and what your expectations are as regards what your GP can do.
Following consultation with the second doctor, you should clearly understand the quality of medical care you have received. If you want to make a complaint, there are procedures to make this happen.
Make a Complaint
If your GP is an NHS medical professional, you can make a complaint via the NHS complaint procedure; you can rest assured the NHS values the feedback you provide. If you are not happy with the quality of treatment you received at the NHS, request for a copy of the surgery’s complaint procedure and use it to write a letter of complaint.
Take note of who you write to, and the date of correspondence. If you are making a verbal complaint, ensure you write down everything you discussed. Your formal complaint should include the following:
· What or who you are making the complaint about;
· What has made you unhappy and when the incident occurred;
· How you would like your complaint resolved;
· How you can be contacted.
According to the NHS Constitution, you have the right to have your complaint made against your GP properly investigated. Within three working days, your complaint should be acknowledged and the NHS will aim to provide the outcome of the investigation within 10 working days.
Remember that your complaint must be made as soon as possible after the incident. The NHS usually investigates complaints made within 6-12 months of the incident, or of you becoming aware of the incident you want to complain about. There may be an extension to this time limit in special circumstances.
If you received medical care at the hands of a private healthcare provider, you still have the right to reserve a satisfactory service. If the level of care you received is substandard, you may be entitled to a claim against the responsible body. However, private practices do not have any government body overseeing the complaints procedure, so your circumstance will determine who will handle your complaint.
Take Legal Action
Making a complaint will provide the evidence you need if you wish to make GP negligence claims – whether this be against a private provider or a claim against the NHS. If you have suffered as a result of negligent treatment, a medical negligence claim in the UK may be the right course of action, and you may be entitled to compensation to help you move on with life.
In order to make successful medical negligence claims, it is important that you start your claim within three years of the incident.
At Medical Negligence Direct, we work with a panel of experienced medical negligence solicitors who will advise you on the steps you need to take to make a claim. If you are unhappy with your GP as a result of medical negligence, our specialist GP compensation claims solicitors may offer to work with you on a No Win No Fee basis to take off the financial burden associated with making a claim.
Fill out our free claims assessment form or give us a call on 0800 644 4240 for a free and initial no-obligation consultation.
