Overview
The complainant (Mrs C) raised a number of concerns about the care and treatment given to her late husband (Mr C) by a locum doctor (the Locum GP) at his GP Practice (the Practice) between 17 September 2013 and his death on 24 September 2013. She said that the Locum GP did not visit Mr C but, nonetheless, overruled the suggested treatment by an out-of-hours doctor who had visited; he made decisions about Mr C's care and treatment which were contrary to her and Mr C's wishes; he made an error in writing a prescription; and he failed to attend their home to sign the death certificate.
Specific complaints and conclusions
The complaints which have been investigated are that:
- (a) the Locum GP at the Practice provided inadequate care and treatment to Mr C (upheld); and
- (b) the Practice's response to Mrs C's complaint was inadequate (upheld).
Redress and recommendations
The Ombudsman recommends that the Locum GP:
- make a full and formal apology to Mrs C for the omissions and failures identified in this investigation;
- ensure that he discusses all the issues that have been identified above at his next formal appraisal; and
- demonstrate that he has learned lessons as a consequence of this complaint by completing appropriate professional training.