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Case ref:201800349
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Date:February 2019
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Body:Grampian NHS Board
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Sector:Health
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Outcome:Not upheld, no recommendations
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Subject:clinical treatment / diagnosis
Summary
Mr C was attending the endocrinology (the branch of medicine concerned with endocrine glands and hormones) department at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary for tests associated with his body's ability to make a natural steroid hormone. Several month's later he suffered a stroke and he believed that this was a result of him taking testosterone replacement therapy. Mr C complained that during a clinic attendance he was not warned about the risks and benefits of this therapy.
We took independent endocrinology advice. We found that Mr C had been prescribed testosterone replacement therapy by his GP and that it was the responsibility of the prescribing doctor to discuss the risks and benefits with him. When hospital clinicians became aware of the testosterone therapy, they contacted the GP practice to obtain more information and suggested a way forward. We considered this to be reasonable and did not uphold Mr C's complaint.