Decision Report 201305957

Summary

Mrs C complained that her medical practice had not provided her with reasonable care and treatment. Mrs C had suffered from cancer before so, when she noticed swelling on her leg and groin, she suspected it had returned and went to the practice immediately. During the following months she went there a number of times and various tests were arranged. When the practice then referred her to hospital, cancer was diagnosed. Mrs C did not feel that the care she received from the practice was appropriate.

We took independent advice from one of our advisers, who is an experienced GP, who reviewed Mrs C's medical records and explained that they showed that the practice had been alert to the possibility of cancer throughout Mrs C's consultations and had arranged appropriate tests and investigations. The adviser also said that the practice made reasonable referrals, on the basis of the information available at the time, and had considered the whole picture of Mrs C’s symptoms.

Although we recognised that this was a most significant and distressing matter for Mrs C, our role was to consider whether, based on the evidence available to the practice at the time and without hindsight, they had provided her with reasonable care and treatment. The advice we received was clear - that the practice had investigated and referred Mrs C appropriately - and on this basis we did not uphold her complaint.