|
From the helpline: misdiagnosis and delayed diagnosis
|
|
This week we heard from Susan* who got in touch with various concerns following a misdiagnosis at hospital. After an accident in 2017, Susan was admitted to hospital where she was told that her elbow was dislocated. Upon further examination she was informed that she had suffered ligament damage and that surgery would be necessary.
Susan was referred to a specialist and after a 10-month wait it was discovered that her injuries included a problem with the nerve in her arm as well as a torn muscle – injuries that had been missed by the hospital conducting Susan’s initial examination. Due to the passage of time since Susan sustained these injuries, her treatment options were very limited. To compound matters further, Susan was concerned that the two hospitals appeared to have lost parts of her medical record. Having lost faith in medical advice and concerned that the recommended treatment may result in further complications, Susan contacted our helpline to seek advice.
Our helpline adviser explained the complaints process and directed Susan to the various resources on our website. We explained that even though her complaint would be raised outside the 12 month period in which it should ordinarily be made, the hospital may accept Susan’s complaint if she outlines the reasons for the delay.
We informed Susan that she can select one of the two hospitals to be the ‘lead’ hospital for her complaint. This means that, if both hospitals accept Susan’s complaint and investigate what went wrong, Susan would liaise with just the lead hospital rather than having to correspond with both separately. With regard to her treatment and diagnosis, we recommended that Susan inform her GP that she would like a second opinion, and outlined the process involved in doing so. We also advised Susan to contact the Information Commissioner’s Office regarding the missing hospital records.
Finally, we recommended that Susan share her experiences with the Care Quality Commission, who may visit the healthcare provider in order to better understand why things are going wrong. We asked her to keep us updated with developments and to get in touch if she required any more information.
*Name has been changed
|
|
Despite the milder weather than usual for this time of year, more than 2,000 people have been admitted to an intensive care unit or high dependency unit because of flu since the start of October. In total, 2,182 people in the UK have required hospital treatment. That is more than the 2,045 who needed such care in the same period last year, when the virus was much more prevalent.
Those who have not had the flu vaccine appear to be most at risk.
The flu vaccine is routinely given on the NHS to young children, adults 65 and over, people with certain medical conditions and pregnant women. Find out more about the vaccine here.
NHS England is encouraging patients to visit their local pharmacy for advice if they start to feel under the weather. You can find your local pharmacy here.
You can also contact NHS 111.
|
|
|
What our team is reading this week
|
|
|
|
|
