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Selected Investigations Completed April - September 1998 > Part I, Case no. E.1324/97-98

Chapter 1: Hospital, Community Health and Ambulance Trusts

Case No. E.1324/97-98 - Arrangements for female patients who wished to see a female General Practitioner

Matters considered: Implementation of a change in policy with regard to patients wishing to see a female doctor; response to complaint about that

Complaint against: GPs in the North and Mid Hampshire Health Authority area

Summary of case

In 1989, Mrs D registered with a male GP at her local GP practice. She was told that she could consult a female GP at the practice whenever she wished. However, when she asked to see a female GP in August 1997, she was told that the practice had changed its policy in May of that year and that she could only see the GP with whom she was registered. She complained that, as she had been unaware of the change in policy, the practice had unreasonably refused her access to the female GP. She also complained that the practice's reply to her written complaint had not fully addressed the issues she raised.

Findings

Although Mrs D was unaware of the change in policy, the Ombudsman found that the practice had taken appropriate action to publicise it. It was not clear whether the practice's female GP had been consulted about Mrs D's request to see a female GP in August 1997 but the Ombudsman thought it likely that the new policy was enforced too rigidly and that little consideration was given to Mrs D's particular needs. He considered that to be unsatisfactory, particularly as Mrs D visited the practice infrequently and could not reasonably have been expected to be aware of the policy change. He upheld the complaint. He also upheld Mrs D's complaint about the practice's response because their written reply to her complaint did not offer any explanation of the new policy, or say what consideration had been given to her request to see a female doctor.

Remedy

The GPs in the practice apologised. The Ombudsman was pleased to note that, in light of Mrs D's complaint, they had already recognised the need for greater flexibility in implementing their policy and had taken steps to ensure that each request to see a particular doctor was considered on its merits. The GPs had also recognised, and learnt lessons from, the shortcomings in their written reply.

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Last updated: 12 January 2006