Decision Report 201810977

Summary

When C became a patient of the practice their 'as required' medication was reduced and stopped. Within a couple of years C moved to another GP practice. They complained to the practice that the decision to reduce and stop their medication had been unreasonable, that they had not been reasonably monitored following the ending of these prescriptions and that the practice had failed to provide their notes to the new practice within a reasonable timescale. The practice responded that they felt the decision to stop medication had been reasonable and that C had received good and safe clinical care. They also stated that, while one specific summary part of C's notes had not been provided to the new practice initially, this had been corrected as soon as they had been made aware of it, and they had apologised for it.

We took independent advice from a GP adviser. We found that the decision to stop the medication was reasonable in principle given C's circumstances and the possible long-term effects of their use; that the withdrawal was carried out in line with applicable guidance; that a reasonable level of follow-up was provided; and that the practice's explanation that the failure to provide part of C's medical record to the new practice had been reasonable. We did not uphold C's complaints.