GP Appointments: man dies after NHS Rules he should have been seen in person

BBC News have released the story of a patient who sadly passed away due to the failure by his GP to provide him an in person appointment.

The patient contacted his GP four times over a period of three weeks initially reporting a lump in his neck, followed by ear pain 9 days later for which he was prescribed ear drops.

Five days thereafter the patient was reporting blood in his urine and a fever, and a further five days later with debilitating neck pain, pain in his sinuses and a fever. The patient never had a video consultation, or a face to face appointment despite his ongoing and persisting symptoms.

NHS England have said “a face to face assessment should have been offered or organised to confirm the diagnosis and initiate definitive management”. An independent GP expert has also confirmed that the patient should have been seen face to face at “several points” and the failure to do so was a breach of duty of care.

This story comes just days after the UK Government have pledged to make same day appointments available. Despite the Government’s plans, GP leaders have said that they are ‘lumbering a struggling service with more expectations’. This leads to the question of whether the Government’s plans are feasible at all.

This story is only one of the unfortunate stories that has happened in recent times with a number of people having similar problems with their GP surgeries, and patients have started to express their concerns. This has been an ongoing issue for a number of years but seems to be more prevalent following the Covid-19 pandemic.

Many people are struggling to obtain appointments for issues that can have significant consequences if not dealt with promptly. Even where remote consultations are available to the patient, they are not always conclusive due to a lack of visual aids and a physical examination and carry risk of missing or delaying diagnosis.

The failure to provide face to face appointments can lead to a delay in diagnosis, a delay in referral for further investigations if necessary and a delay in treatment.

Delays can occur in diagnosing any medical condition, however very common medical conditions include:

• Orthopaedic issues
• Cancer
• Diabetes
• Infections

If you feel that you have suffered harm as a result of the lack of face to face appointments leading to a delay in treatment, you may be eligible to bring a clinical negligence claim. Please contact our clinical negligence team to discuss any queries you may have.

Further reading

GP negligence claims – Oakwood Solicitors

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