Decision Report 201304153

Summary

Mrs C complained about the care and treatment given to her late mother (Mrs A) when she went to an out-of-hours GP service. Mrs C said that the doctor there did not properly assess Mrs A's new symptoms and consider them in the context of her recent medical history. Two days later, Mrs A died of a bilateral pulmonary embolism (a clot in the blood vessel that transports blood from the heart to the lungs).

The complaint was investigated and all the relevant information was taken into account including the complaints correspondence and Mrs A's relevant clinical records. We also took independent advice from our GP adviser on Mrs A's care and treatment. We found that the doctor had made reasonable records of her examination of Mrs A, and had recognised the important details of Mrs A's recent medical history. She had made logical and reasonable decisions, which were in line with current guidance. Although we recognised that Mrs A's death was sudden and unexpected and caused great distress to Mrs C and her family, we did not uphold the complaint.