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Selected Investigations Completed October 1997 - March 1998 > Part I, Case no. E.1253/96-97
Matters considered: GP's inappropriate response to call made to emergency answering service - inadequate arrangements to communicate call to the surgery
Complaint against: A GP in the Wolverhampton Health Authority area
Summary of case
In June 1996, Mrs X contacted an emergency answering service because she wanted a syringe-driver (a device for administering intravenous pain relief) to administer morphine to her mother. The answering service contacted the GP; but he did not visit or contact Mrs X or her mother, who died the next day.
Findings
The Ombudsman obtained a report on the clinical aspects of the case from two independent professional assessors. The investigation found that the GP received the message from the emergency answering service and was familiar with Mrs X's mother's state of health at that time. However, the Ombudsman strongly criticised the GP for failing to visit the patient or contact the family. The Ombudsman also criticised the GP's standard of record keeping; and he upheld an aspect of the complaint about that. He concluded that the arrangements for communicating emergency calls were adequate.
Remedy
The GP apologised, and agreed to base his future clinical decisions on appropriate assessments of his patients' condition and complete medical records.
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