Decision report 201300045

Summary

Mr C complained that his medication for anxiety had been stopped as it was no longer on the list of approved medication compiled by the Scottish Medicines Consortium. He said that when he went to his medical practice for assistance, a GP told him to return home and arranged for an ambulance to call at Mr C's home and take him to hospital for an assessment by mental health services. Mr C said that he did not receive appropriate and timely medical treatment, and believed that he should have been allowed to wait at the practice for the ambulance. He was also concerned at the time it took to arrive.

We took independent advice about this complaint from a medical adviser, who is a GP. The adviser said that it was appropriate for the GP to have arranged for the mental health assessment and that the assessment result confirmed there was no clinical need for an urgent referral to hospital by emergency ambulance. We did not uphold the complaint as there was no evidence that the GP acted incorrectly.