Putting your GP on trial

[notafanofsugar]

I read this blog post with some trepidation: http://www.diabetes.co.uk/blog/2014/08/should-doctors-face-harsher-sanctions-for-making-mistakes/

The reason being because I was messed about a LOT by my healthcare team when first diagnosed. I wonder how many people this actually happens to. Was anyone else mistreated by their doctor? I wasn't mistreated to be fair, it's just that I was passed from pillar to post and the healthcare team weren't even sure what was going on!!!

 

[uncle]

They are call General Practitioners for a reason they are not specialist, if you have a concern you have the ability to ask for a 2nd opinion or for a referral even booking double appointments to have more time, we should shoulder some of the onus of our own health.

If you are going to put your GP on trial should they also have the right to exclude caring for people that do not take their advice, if your GP says you should look to losing weight, and gives you a certain amount of time and you don't do it, could they then be able to not treat any weight related ill health.

 

[alaska]

I'm not much in favour of people suing the NHS as that's effectively suing the taxpayer. Increasing personal responsibility of individuals who work for the NHS is arguably overdue.

When the Stafford Hospital scandal was dealt with, the NHS was blamed rather than failings of individuals. The UK seems to have developed a culture of blaming the organisation therefore absolving individuals of all responsibility. Notable cases being the credit crunch and Libor fixing scandals in which offending individuals went unpunished and fines ended up costing the country and taxpayer (including the multitude of people who had lost out) as the fines were handed to nationalised banks.

Another example the PPI fraud. Any individuals held to blame? Who paid for it? Well the likes of Lloyds were forced to set aside billions of pounds but who owned Lloyds at the time? Yes, it was strongly nationalised.

Enough ranting. The point I meant to make was that when the NHS fails, individuals should be held personally responsible in a more significant way than is the case at present.

 

[AlexMBrennan]

That poll question is beyond stupid unless you are suggesting that EVERY patient-GP interaction EVER amounts to malpractice and that every doctor ever has to be put on trial.

Whether doctors should face harsher consequences would be a better question, but asking hundreds of people who have been given perfectly good care if their perfectly innocent doctors should be punished is pointless.

 

[yvonneb52]

I have had type 1 diabetes for 39 years now ,, i was 13 when diagnosed not by my GP because he wouldnt listen to my mum so she took it to a private GP and he found it straight away and rushed me into kings college hospital in london i was given a month to have lived if this had not been found,,to the GP that brushed me and my mum aside nearly caused my death as apparently id had it since i was 2 years old and at 13 i was 3 stone ,, so yes i blame the GP at the time that didnt listen after my mum taking urine samples etc etc and obviously he didnt check them and nearly lead to my death by doctor

 

[Andre Dubois]

They need to be accountable for their actions. Because I had continual 'let's leave it and see how you get on' and 'just keep taking the pills' attitude, this contributed to a heart attack! I now have injections and pills........... all sorted out by the cardiac unit!

 

[dawnmc]

I wouldn't want to put GP's on trial, but I do think they need a **** good shakeup. They seem to have become complacent, they may well be fed up of the constraints put on them - paperwork, patients time wasting, limited time scales etc, but they are very well paid with **** good pensions.
I went to my doctor because I haven't lost weight (admittedly I'm not much overweight) despite low carbing, chucking a kettlebell every day and walking for 40 minutes every day. He couldn't have been more disinterested. So they could be a bit more proactive.

 

[satindoll]

You can always ask for a referral or ask to see another doctor or do what I did move to another doctor simples.

 

[noblehead]

Simple answer NO. unless they were negligent to the point that I nearly paid with my life for their mistakes (or that of my family).

 

[Jaylee]

I have had type 1 diabetes for 39 years now ,, i was 13 when diagnosed not by my GP because he wouldnt listen to my mum so she took it to a private GP and he found it straight away and rushed me into kings college hospital in london i was given a month to have lived if this had not been found,,to the GP that brushed me and my mum aside nearly caused my death as apparently id had it since i was 2 years old and at 13 i was 3 stone ,, so yes i blame the GP at the time that didnt listen after my mum taking urine samples etc etc and obviously he didnt check them and nearly lead to my death by doctor

Hi,

That was the "era".. "The good doctor" & all that..!
My mum & I had a similar deal beck in 1976. I was 8 & around 2 stone. The doc asked my mum "can you afford to pay?" Like I was a sick dog.
I was then rushed round for a second opinion on a kiddie ward (my mum knew a nurse.) & admitted straight away..!

If unhappy with the service..? Go elsewhere..!

 

[Derek1966]

I read this blog post with some trepidation: http://www.diabetes.co.uk/blog/2014/08/should-doctors-face-harsher-sanctions-for-making-mistakes/

The reason being because I was messed about a LOT by my healthcare team when first diagnosed. I wonder how many people this actually happens to. Was anyone else mistreated by their doctor? I wasn't mistreated to be fair, it's just that I was passed from pillar to post and the healthcare team weren't even sure what was going on!!!

Likewise, my doctor was starting me on medication for Type 2 diabetes and it took over a month and several visits to the surgery until finally a nurse in the surgery took one look at me and said "you are a very sick man and you're going straight to hospital" it was only then I found out I was Type 1...when I was DKA and close to a coma. I still think my doctor should have spotted this before a nurse especially since I was initially sent to my own GP by a doctor in a walk in centre who said my BGL was high and I had ketones (at that time I didn't know what ketones were). several visits to the doctor followed before this nurse took charge and sent me to hospital. Credit to the hospital staff and DSN though as I was diagnosed almost immediately and 24 hours later out of hospital and on a very fast learning road to administering insulin to myself and managing my condition independently. that was only 3 months ago yet if I hadn't repeatedly gone back to the doctor's surgery I might not have been diagnosed until it was too late. I am still considering checking this out with a solicitor, as my life was potentially at risk. Thanks to the hospital and DSN I will be able to go back to work very soon and have the rest of my life back

 

[Harpar]

Thats the problem isn't it Dibbles, if they make a mistake, they are not prepared to put their hands up and say, 'got it wrong'. They fafff around and cover things up and ignore stuff hoping that you will go away. Its all very much a 'closed shop' and quite frightening.

 

[Scardoc]

If I make a mistake in my job, I could cost my company a few hundred or tens of millions of pounds. The action against me would, I hope, be proportionate to my error. Do I have the hardest job in the world? Probably not. A lot of what I do is black and white. A GP is dealing with the human body and with humans, a mistake can be fatal. Are they above making mistakes? Of course not.

I have read recently about a local doctor being struck off for negligence so there is obviously a system in place. Like every system it will be bent and twisted in places and I'd rather see this straightened out before people go chasing them with lawyers. Then we're on the Highway to Hell and further Americanisation.

 

[Kat100]

If only the medical profession would say sorry for the mistakes they make ...
So often illnesses get the wrong diagnoses ....wrong medication or none at all ...
People are sent home from A and E with the wrong diagnoses ...
GP, s can have very limited knowledge ....et etc ..
We will never put it all right ...
But my answer is No
Even though I have had many near misses over the years regarding my health .....
Thank goodness I am able to speak up and say what I think .....
I can of course balance the near misses out with good support in some cases ...

A big topic this one .....

 

[connie104]

I agree with Kat for every good doctor there's seems to be a bad one it's the luck of the draw who you get . I spent the last five years being fobbed off by my doctor here in Spain when I complained of pain in my leg and groin. He said it was down to me having a stroke on that side 3 years ago and would not listen when I said I had the pain before the stroke . In the end I changed doctors to a young lady doctor and she immediately sent me to traumatology to be checked out and was told I need a hip replacement ! I think we know our own bodies better than anyone and know when something is wrong . Don't be frightened to change doctors it's the best thing I ever done .

 

[Sid Bonkers]

Is this thread a joke?

Surely anyone who thinks their doctor should be "put on trial" needs to change doctors asap. And if they are serious they need to report him/her to the GMC.

 

[badcat]

Not my current one although shes not brilliant when it comes to diabetes, but yes for the previous one who misdiagnosed gangrene as a bruise

 

[2131tom]

I'm not much in favour of people suing the NHS as that's effectively suing the taxpayer. Increasing personal responsibility of individuals who work for the NHS is arguably overdue.
<snip>
The point I meant to make was that when the NHS fails, individuals should be held personally responsible in a more significant way than is the case at present.

I couldn't agree more.

The aphorism I like on this subject is: "A Committee has no soul". For committee, you can read: NHS Trust, Company Board, Council, Trades Union Congress, political Conference, or any other collection of people who get together formally to make decisions.

What it means is that the committee (or whatever) is made to take on some sort of life of its own, detached from the people who constitute it, such that the decisions that "the Committee" reaches are not necessarily accepted as reflecting the consciences, views or morals of those members - particularly if that decision turns out to be wrong. I've often heard those people say, of totally wonky outcomes: "Well, the Committee made it's decision, who are we to question that?" or "I personally didn't agree, but the Board would have its way"

It's a corporate fig-leaf which is routinely practiced in all sides of industry and the public sector, and is as big a piece of dishonesty as any of us are liable to meet. It's also condoned in English Law (lookup: "Piercing the Corporate Veil"). The banks practiced it, MPs have routinely done it for decades and no-one, but no-one, seems to be able to do anything about it.

Rant over - pass me the smelling salts, Maude .........

 

[Brunneria]

If someone changes to a different practice to get away from a doctor, then they solve their problem.

But all the remaining patients are left behind, and the bad treatment continues.

Also, it isn't always easy to change. I've been trying to change from a surgery a mile away, to a surgery 300 yards from my house. They're not accepting new patients at the moment.

 

[connie104]

I stayed at the same practice just changed the doctor I was registered with. It's quite a big practice about 8 doctors so you can change to whoever you think suits you better .