Worth complaining????

[Alex Manson]

This is a bit long winded but I really am at a loss with what to do about this.

Im a 32 year old male.

For nearly a year now ive had all the symptoms of a disc prolapse, upon going to a doctor the 1st time I was told to "live with it, its just a bit of sciatica", I left the surgery quite annoyed and decided to change practice to 1 reccomended by a friend. Upon seeing a doctor at the start of the year I was reffered to a physio who told me he thought it was a disc prolapse and reffered me further up the chain to a specialist. After waiting a while for the appointment I decided that the Co-coldemol was doing me no favours every day of the week and cut back and just put up with the pain at least 3 days a week. When I saw the 2nd specialist he again said it was a prolapse and put me forward for an MRI scan, while there I asked the specialist about the pain killers and also my ever worsening depression due to not being able to work (im self employed and up and down ladders all day) and the only thing proping me up financially was a very understanding girlfriend who has been brilliant during all this. He told me to see my GP about the pain killer situation and also the depression should I need any help. I decided to ride it out as im not a big fan of pills and potions but after my MRI last week I decided enough was enough and went to the doctors with my problems.

What happened next really tested me and my trust in some medical professionals, I went to see a diffrent GP at the same practice I am with, after getting me on the couch he got me to lift each leg in turn and told me that I didnt have a disc prolapse and there was nothing wrong with me, in 90 seconds this GP had gone against 2 professionals who specialise in backpain and may as well have laughed me out of his office. When I bought up my depression he didnt even answer me so I just walked out of his office.

I went home wondering about my own sanity, had I been imagining all this for a year, all those times in Supermarkets walking round in agony, had I just made them up in my head? and also had the 2 diffrent specialists I had seen really been that bad at their jobs. I phoned the last specialist I had seen and he was as helpful as he had been when I 1st saw him, 5 minutes after calling him he phoned me back and said ive looked at your scan and you have a bad disc prolapse that will if you dont get any better need surgery.


Do you think I have grounds for a formal complaint about this doctor? The thing is I dread to think how many other people have seen this GP with back problems who may well be getting on with their lives and doing themselves no good whatsoever. Ive been in touch with the surgery and they said if you think you have grounds for complaint do it writting to the surgery manager, im not sure if this will do much though as he is a senior doctor at the practice who may well just get the benefit of the doubt over little old me.

Many thanks for reading my long winded post.

 

[Pompal 09.]

I would certainly complain and here is the reason why ... In November 2007 I started having horrific back pain, pins and needles down the back of my legs - went to see GP, didnt even examine me but threw a prescription at me for anti inflams and told me to get on with it. By xmas 07 I was still doing my job as a police officer (I had been backwards and forwards to my GP and kept walking away with pain relief -still no examination) and in total agony with sciatica down my left leg, I ended up in A&E on boxing day 07, I was told I had a herniated disc and would need an MRI scan and referral to see a consultant. So after almost two months I finally knew what was wrong with my BUT still in agony.
I made an appoinment to see said GP two days after - my husband threatened to hit him because he initially told me that there was nothing wrong with me other than a bit of back ache and I should go home and rest - finally he agreed to the scan and referral.
Two weeks later he had the result of my scan which confirmed I had a massive herniation at L4/L5 - he sent me home with pain relief and signed me off work for three months. Two weeks later I was back in his office - this time as well as the pain I reported that my left leg was feeling weaker and weaker and that I was struggling to lift my left foot up - he sent me home and told me to go to bed - the next day I was rushed into hospital with no feeling in my left leg, my left foot had dropped completely and as soon as I tried weight bearing my left leg collapsed. I was kept in hospital and had surgery two days later - I have been left with muscle weakness on the left side of my body and drop foot - the nerve is completely trashed!
My experience of GPs is pretty poor when it comes to back problems - your spine is the integral part of your body- dont be fobbed off.
Good luck

 

[greeK_god_HirYu]

Thanks for your replies. Im currently going through the process of complaining about the GP, although I think the specialist I spoke to may well have said somthing himself, as I saw the GP yesterday in the surgery while waiting to see another doctor and he gave me a very sheepish look.

Thanks again.

 

[WOWbrandywineWOW]

I totally agree with you complaining about the GP.
You are most definitely doing the write thing.
Make sure you get your compaint in asap as well as sorting out the problem the specialist has identified.
The doctor does not sound very good at all.
Just because they are a senior doctor does not mean they are very good.
I am seeing a NHS senior physiotherapist recovering from a prolapsed disc and do not rate the physiotherapist at all. You get good and bad health professionals unfortunately.

Good luck and best wishes

dalep115

 

[? music ?]

Hi dalep115,

I probably didn't make myself clear in my last post.
No-one needs the stress of complaining about a health professional. At best they will be asked to submit evidence, at worst they will be asked to go before a Hearing. It can be a very stressful experience.

Complain by all means, but get your priorities right -
sort out the healing, complaints come later.

David

 

[Shantal]

I know exactly what you mean, I myself was worried about the stress it could bring on but its actually mad me feel better. Maybe getting it all down on paper made me feel like I was letting it all out.

Maybe this is how it starts, the people who write letters into the local paper all angry about nothing, this is where it starts you know, when your stuck at home with nothing to do, you complain and it makes you feel better. Im off to write a letter about the pavement cracks outside my door and the fact that the bin men didnt put my bin back in the right place, il make sure I use words like "outraged" and "not in my day".

 

[uhckcrvg]

If you do decide to complain, I suggest that you don't go through PALs (who are part of the NHS and a thus not unbiased) but through the recently set up Independent Complaints Advocacy Service, that is independent from the NHS and whose sole interest it is to represent you and protect your rights as a patient (apart from unbiased advice they will give you, it may well be that they could represent you if it did come to a disciplinary hearing, rather than you having to be there yourself).

From a quick google search I couldn't find their website (if they have one), but here is a list of all the ICAS contact details in different areas around the country:
http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/Managingyourorganisation/Legalandcontractual/Complaintspolicy/NHScomplaintsprocedure/DH_4087428

Good luck

Masha

 

[Briony]

I agree with David, if you do 'go for this idiot GP' (and who would blame you?) just make sure you are not unsing up the valuble time and mental capacity you will need to use for research and tests, its a long road, this back malaky!

Good luck.

SPINELF