Overview
The complainant (Mrs C) raised a number of concerns about the treatment which her son (Mr A) received from the GP Practice (the Practice) and that doctors failed to diagnose that he was suffering from pneumonia which resulted in an emergency hospital admission.
Specific complaint and conclusion
The complaint which has been investigated is that doctors at the Practice provided Mr A with inadequate treatment and failed to diagnose that he was suffering from pneumonia (partially upheld).
Redress and recommendations
The Ombudsman recommends that the Practice shares this report with the GPs concerned to reflect on the lessons learned in relation to the importance of chest examination in diagnosing chest disease and the difficulties of assessment of patients with communication difficulties. The Ombudsman further recommends that GP 2 shares the case with his/her appraiser at annual appraisal if this has not already been done.
The Practice have accepted the recommendations and will act on them accordingly