Complaining about a G.P.

[Tilly2]

This is going to be a bit long winded.

My Dad, aged 81, an ex coal miner has serious mental health problems as well as pneumoconiosis, diabetes, and arthritis

I took him to see his psychiatrist yesterday who said to me as we were leaving 'Get your Dad to a G.P. as he has a chest infection'.

I took him back to his care home and informed them and they rang his doctor.
The doctor prescribed antibiotics over the phone and has not been out to see my Dad.
I asked them again today to call the doctor in to see my Dad in his home but apparently they 'usually just do phone consultations ans write a 'script for the resident.'

I think this is appalling.

Last week, when my Dad was having problems with his delusional disorder problems, the GP said take him to A and E. I refused to do that but that is another story.

I rang PALS today to talk to them and they suggested I put in a formal complaint about this G.P. practice.

Do you think I'm justified in doing this?

[MissCommando]

Oh, I just read the part about the GP telling you to take your dad to A&E, yes I think you should definitely complain about that. That is not a case for A&E at all. Just the GP fobbing you off. Disgusting!

I don't know anything about your dad's mental health and please forgive me if I am being ignorant (and probably totally wrong) but I know sometimes infections can really play havoc in the elderly with confusion etc so I wonder the infection exacerbated his problems. Like I said, I'm prob wrong.

I'm surprised there isn't a crisis team that you can contact or a social worker for your father. The way the elderly in this country are treated is shocking.

[Sqad]

Be clear as to why you are complaining.

It is routine practice that a GP cannot go to every call that is requested, there simply isn't enough time in the day.

Contrary to the opinion of many ABers, a diagnosis can be made over the phone and appropriate treatment given. In the UK this is routine practice and is no way negligent UNLESS, the diagnosis is incorrect and harm is done to the patient..THEN...there may be cause for complaint. MAY.
In many European countries and particularly the USA home visits by medical practitioners are uncommon.

In my opinion....so far....there are no grounds for a formal complaint.....but please do what you think.

I hate the GP referral to A&E when it is not necessary,but in the case ofa patient with mental problems, it may be the most expedient method of treatment. Again, I don't like the procedure, but is often used and in my opinion forms no ground for complaint.

From what you have said, I can see no grounds for complaint.

[mike11111]

Some folks are never satisfied. When I took ill a few months back with a serious chest infection I begged the surgery to prescribe some antibiotics over the phone. They refused, saying I had to see a doctor first.

[Tilly2]

Thanks for your responses.

Just to clarify, when the doctor told the home to take my Dad to A&E, that again was done over the phone. The doctor did not see him first.

If my Dad had been in his own home, and was poorly with a chest infection, then surely the doctor would have come out to see him. Just because he's in a home, they don't seem to bother.

[boxtops]

Tilly, not necessarily - home visits are much more rare these days, where it used to be the norm. There is no time to visit everyone any longer.

[Tilly2]

I'm going to ring my doctors' practice today and ask what their policy is on home visits. Then, I will ring my Dad's doctors and speak to them.

[Wak]

Tilly, Even if you don't feel like complaining officially then at least write directly to the Doctor in question and let him know how you feel about his attitude and treatment. You will feel better having done something about it and, you never know, it might give the Dr. something to think about and eventually change his attitude.
Best of luck.

[ladyalex]

Although you may not have had the care from your Dad's GP that you wanted or expected, Tilly, from your post, it sounds as though the GP has done what was needed for your Dad.
He listened to the care home staff and immediately issued a prescription for antibiotics for his chest infection. I have no idea of the mental health services in your area, but going to A&E is sometimes the quickest way of being seen by a
Mental Health Specialist.
As others have said, if you feel aggrieved, by all means make a complaint.
I do not want to sound harsh when you are clearly concerned about your Dad and probably also rather worn down by caring for him, but try to see the 'big picture'. He has had the treatment he requires for his chest.
You might , however, want to ask questions of the Care Home staff as to why they had not spotted his chest infection.

[Tilly2]

I've been in the A&E situation with Dad in the past. He has been an out patient in the psychiatric unit for eight years and yet the doctors say take him to A&E were we wait for hours for a psychological assessment and then he is taken the the psychiatric unit anyway. That's why I refused to take him this time. A CPN came out to see him instead.

I have spoken the the care home staff about him being ill. Because he has a 'bad chest' anyway, they obviously thought it was his usual cough. They gave him some linctus.

They do tend to leave him sleeping in his room if they can get away with it, especially at the weekend when there are less staff.