• Please Remember: Members are only permitted to share their own experiences. Members are not qualified to give medical advice. Additionally, everyone manages their health differently. Please be respectful of other people's opinions about their own diabetes management.
  • We seem to be having technical difficulties with new user accounts. If you are trying to register please check your Spam or Junk folder for your confirmation email. If you still haven't received a confirmation email, please reach out to our support inbox: support.forum@diabetes.org.uk

Complaint re GP

Status
This thread is now closed. Please contact Anna DUK, Ieva DUK or everydayupsanddowns if you would like it re-opened.
M

mum25

Member
Relationship to Diabetes
Parent of person with diabetes
hi all
Our Dd aged 10, was diagnosed type 1, a couple of weeks ago following ketoacidosis. We had seen the GP on the Monday, who sent her for a fasting blood test the following day and by the Wednesday she was in a and e, ketones just under 7 and bg of over 19. We have complained about the GP and asked for a copy of her notes, at the lovely cost of £50. Has anyone complained to their GP and what sort of result did you get? I'm so angry for our daughter, that she could of been given help 48 hours earlier and am blaming myself for not pushing more.
Cheers
 
Please don't blame yourself - I was in exactly the same situation and didn't know enough about it to argue with them. At least you had the sense to come on here and look for further information! It never entered my head to do anything like that, and I didn't find this forum for six months after diagnosis. I have spoken to other parents of T1 children and they all have very similar stories, I think it sort of sneaks up on you and you don't realise how serious it is until the symptoms are very glaring!

How is your daughter now? Are things settling down?

Sorry I can't help with your question though, I didn't complain about my GP, at the time I was just glad that he did something and when the test result came through he looked like he'd had the shock of his life so I hope he learned from his mistake!
 
I do agree that some form of complaint should be made, if anything to raise awareness in GP practices about how to interpret and test in these circumstances. I was told by our Consultant (not diabetes) that my son had high blood sugars in a random test taken (fortunately only about 14) and that I should book him in for a fasting test. I did this and it confirmed high bloods and my GP referred him to the diabetes team at our local hospital on a "non urgent" basis. Fortunately the DSN noticed he was suspected Type 1 and got us in promptly.
 
Sally71 said:
Please don't blame yourself - I was in exactly the same situation and didn't know enough about it to argue with them. At least you had the sense to come on here and look for further information! It never entered my head to do anything like that, and I didn't find this forum for six months after diagnosis. I have spoken to other parents of T1 children and they all have very similar stories, I think it sort of sneaks up on you and you don't realise how serious it is until the symptoms are very glaring!

How is your daughter now? Are things settling down?

Sorry I can't help with your question though, I didn't complain about my GP, at the time I was just glad that he did something and when the test result came through he looked like he'd had the shock of his life so I hope he learned from his mistake!
Click to expand...
Thanks Sally71, she's doing ok, accepting of the injections and bg testing but not so much of the diagnosis itself. We're off to see the psychologist this week. She has autism too so she has high anxiety levels at the best of times.

This for me at least, is almost like a grieving process, I never anticipated feeling this way at all. I'm so glad I came looking for help here and you guys sent us off to a and e, if not I dread to think what could of happened. Really I guess that's why I feel the GP should be held accountable for not referring her sooner. I know she'd still have diabetes, would she of been in ketoacidosis 48 hours prior, possibly, would it of been as bad as it was, maybe. Too many unanswered questions!
Thanks again
 
Hi mum 25. Just wanted to offer some words of comfort. My son also has additional needs, lots of medical issues and has learning disabilities and is deaf. I think I have found the diabetes diagnosis the most difficult to take on board and for a while I felt like I was grieving also. I was very emotional about it all. But, it really does get better, you will gain confidence and it does eventually just get to be part of your everyday routine, like all the other stuff. I still have days when I feel pretty hard done by (mainly on his behalf) but I am very optimistic about all of the scientific research going on and new developments in treatment that will mean that I believe, it won't be for ever. Do stay with the Forum, pretty much everything that I know, I have learned from here.
 
Yes you do have to grieve, it took me a year! I agree with Shirley that it does eventually get easier but it's one hell of a life change and does take time to get used to. Good luck with the psychologist.

I do agree that your GP needs some education but sorry I can't advise on the best way to go about it!
 
shirley said:
Hi mum 25. Just wanted to offer some words of comfort. My son also has additional needs, lots of medical issues and has learning disabilities and is deaf. I think I have found the diabetes diagnosis the most difficult to take on board and for a while I felt like I was grieving also. I was very emotional about it all. But, it really does get better, you will gain confidence and it does eventually just get to be part of your everyday routine, like all the other stuff. I still have days when I feel pretty hard done by (mainly on his behalf) but I am very optimistic about all of the scientific research going on and new developments in treatment that will mean that I believe, it won't be for ever. Do stay with the Forum, pretty much everything that I know, I have learned from here.
Click to expand...
Thank you so much Shirley. As a family we have quite a bit medically going on with different needs and I don't remember grieving to this level with the other diagnoses, maybe to a lesser extent with epilepsy but the diabetes has knocked me for six and I can't seem to shake it off whereas with the other diagnoses I have taken it in my stride, my usual we can cope with anything stance has been derailed and I don't like it. I know we will get there just early days.
Thanks again.
 
Sally71 said:
Yes you do have to grieve, it took me a year! I agree with Shirley that it does eventually get easier but it's one hell of a life change and does take time to get used to. Good luck with the psychologist.

I do agree that your GP needs some education but sorry I can't advise on the best way to go about it!
Click to expand...
Thanks Sally71
 
Sometimes I think the hammer of comprehension is required for some of our medical practitioners. Don't get me wrong most are good but some..................
 
Read this, @mum25 - it's true! - except when you are 22 when diagnosed, it's you that does the grieving not your mother.
http://www.businessballs.com/elisabeth_kubler_ross_five_stages_of_grief.htm

(Sorry about the title of the website - I've never found out what that's all about! I dunno who she was!)

I'd been D over 30 years when someone pointed me at it - and I could plot EVERY stage. Some took much longer than others, and the whole took years. It's useful to re-check every so often to identify when you are getting somewhere. It's also a useful aid with a 'normal' bereavement ie when someone has actually died.
 
Elizabeth Kubler Ross was a Swiss born American psychiatrist who described the five tages of grief in her 1959 book "On death and dying". Her work was important, from early days of hospice movement, and she later founded a hospice project in Virginia state for children affected by AIDS, drawing on experience of Dr Cecily Saunders, another great woman of the hospice movement. She died in 2004.
 
Thanks for the info, it's interesting reading. Definitely feels like grieving, think I'm still in shock/denial, a way to go yet.
 
mum25 said:
Has anyone complained to their GP and what sort of result did you get? I'm so angry for our daughter, that she could of been given help 48 hours earlier and am blaming myself for not pushing more.
Click to expand...

I did complain about my GP after diagnosis, but for different reasons.
I was persuaded by the Diabetes Nurse at the practice to make an appointment to discuss with the GP the impact of his advice and his attitude. At the appointment with him, I went through my notes that I had written for the meeting (that helped to make sure I didn't forget anything) and explained to him the impact of the advice he gave to me. He apologised and thanked me for taking the time to give him the feedback. He is still my GP, but I deal with any diabetes stuff at the hospital with DSN and Consultant. He simply agrees out any changes that I ask for with regard to diabetes. He also invited me in to talk to the Practice Staff about self management of Type 1 as he felt it would be useful, for all of them to be more aware.
 
I complained about my old GP practice several times, some in person and some by letter. Very strange they lost several letters and patient records and did not remember my complaints when I went to speak to them. I would keep copies of any letters and if you speak to anyone regarding a complaint, make a not of the person and the date and time. My old practice is well known for being a not so good practice and even made the local news.
 
I've ended up sending several letters to my GP practice. I did them on the computer and saved them. I can print lots of copies off. I've a folder of them that I take in with me on occasion.
 
Sometimes all we need is a genuine sorry and a recognition that somebody messed up big time. And importantly that they'll learn from that mistake. Sadly, doctors will rarely admit mistakes and probably fear litigation but more than that, they fear loss of face.

I'm sorry that you've been put through this mum25 because you've got enough on your plate and your doctor should have been more responsive to that.

I've had occasion to complain to my GP but I spoke to him personally and made him aware of the how he'd made me feel. In fairness to him he took the information away and apologised to me afterwards. He even said he thought he'd failed me. We've had a fantastic (but occasionally volatile) relationship since.

Medical complaints grind through the system and unless its a legal action, rarely seem to achieve anything. I'd have had to write to him personally setting out his serious error and its impact on my family. Even if he didn't respond, I'd feel better.
 
Status
This thread is now closed. Please contact Anna DUK, Ieva DUK or everydayupsanddowns if you would like it re-opened.
Back
Top