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Selected Investigations Completed April - September 1999 > Part I, Case no. E.2449/98-99
Complaint against: A GP in the Avon Health Authority area
Summary of case
Mr K complained to the Ombudsman, on his adult daughter's behalf, about the care and treatment she had received from the deputising service used by their general practitioner, Dr J. On 28 January 1999 Dr J was sent a letter from the Ombudsman's office to inform him that it was proposed that the complaint should be investigated. On 29 January Dr J wrote to Mr K, saying that the complaint would cause him and the practice great stress, and that he felt the doctor/patient relationship had broken down. He suggested that Mr K should register with a different practice. Mr K replied saying how much he valued the care he had received from the partners in the practice. On 18 February Dr J wrote to Mr K informing him that he would be removed from the practice list.
Findings
The Ombudsman upheld the complaint. He recognised that being complained about is stressful and Dr J had concerns about the effect that would have on him and his ability to treat Mr K properly. However the complaint was not about the actions of Dr J or his partners, but about a deputising doctor acting on Dr J's behalf. Mr K had not put his complaint in an unreasonable or aggressive way, and responded in a conciliatory way to Dr J's first letter. The Ombudsman found that Dr J had not approached the situation constructively or made any significant effort to maintain the relationship. He considered that it was wholly unreasonable for Dr J to remove Mr K from the practice list.
Remedy
Dr J apologised.
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