Decision Report 201504465

  • Case ref:
    201504465
  • Date:
    May 2016
  • Body:
    A Medical Practice in the Greater Glasgow and Clyde NHS Board area
  • Sector:
    Health
  • Outcome:
    Not upheld, no recommendations
  • Subject:
    clinical treatment / diagnosis

Summary

Miss C complained about care her late mother (Mrs A) received from the medical practice. Mrs A had experienced chest pains and called an ambulance. Paramedics came to Mrs A's home and carried out an echocardiogram (a way of monitoring the heart). The paramedics did not believe Mrs A was suffering angina (chest pain caused by a problem in the blood supply to the heart) or a heart attack. They offered to take her to hospital. Mrs A, however, declined and said she would attend her GP the next morning.

Mrs A attended the practice the following morning, where she was seen by a GP. She was diagnosed with acid reflux and was prescribed medication for this. Mrs A passed away at home later that day.

We took independent advice from one our medical advisers who is a GP. They considered the evidence and found that the GP who treated Mrs A had made a reasonable diagnosis based on the symptoms at the time, and the previous advice of the paramedics. Therefore, we did not uphold the complaint.

Updated: March 13, 2018