Home > Publications > Selected Cases > Selected Investigations Completed December 2002March 2003 > Case no. E.780/02-03
Complaint against Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust
Summary of Case
Mrs C had waited five months for an appointment with a consultant gynaecologist after being referred by her GP for an opinion about a cyst on her left ovary which had been identified by ultrasound examination. At the appointment Mrs C was asked to relate her medical history. The consultant decided that she did not need to be examined and that her symptoms were related to a previous diagnosis which she had described. As Mrs C continued to experience pain she returned to her GP. She was referred to another consultant and underwent extensive surgery for endometriosis just three months after the original out-patient appointment. The Ombudsman found that the consultant should have examined Mrs C as this may have revealed discrepancies in Mrs C’s medical history which would have expedited her diagnosis and treatment. The consultant agreed to review his practice in the light of the findings. The Ombudsman also criticised the Trust for failing to follow the NHS complaints procedure. The Trust agreed to review its complaints handling processes.
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