-
Case ref:202108773
-
Date:July 2023
-
Body:A Medical Practice in the Lanarkshire NHS Board area
-
Sector:Health
-
Outcome:Not upheld, no recommendations
-
Subject:Clinical treatment / diagnosis
Summary
C complained on behalf of their late parent (A) who passed away from cancer. C complained that the practice had unreasonably failed to diagnose A’s cancer. A was suspected of having a chest infection and was given multiple courses of antibiotics. A also had a number of blood tests which C said that A was not always sure what the blood tests were for, nor were they told the results.
We took independent advice from a GP adviser. We found that the blood tests which were carried out were done so for clinical reasons and that there was no error in the taking or analysing of the blood test results. Some of the blood tests were requested by hospital departments. The practice explained that they would not normally contact a patient if the test results were normal. A CT scan carried out by the hospital did not show any malignancy and this would have been reassuring for the GP’s treating A. We did not uphold this complaint.