A practice in the Richond upon Thames area

3. Mrs U complains the Practice failed to diagnose her with mastitis (an inflammation of breast tissue) in August 2021.

4. Mrs U says that, due to the lack of the Practice’s action, she is still recovering from the infection and experiencing pain. She is also angry and frustrated.

5. Mrs U is seeking service improvements and a sincere apology.

6. Before we decide if we should investigate a complaint, we look at whether there are signs the events complained about had a negative effect, which the organisation has not put right.

7. We discussed this with Mrs U to understand what more she was looking to achieve by coming to us. Mrs U explained she did not feel enough was being done to confirm changes as a result of her experience. She also expressed dissatisfaction with the apology provided by the Practice and felt that it was not sincere.

8. During our conversation, Mrs U said she would be satisfied if the Practice would confirm the service improvements it has made after her complaint, and revisit its apology. We have already seen that the Practice has explained that the results of its investigation, along with feedback, would be discussed in its clinical meeting. However, we have not seen what action the Practice has taken. We have also noted that the Practice apologised in its final response. However, we appreciated Mrs U’s viewpoint and agreed to consider if there was more we could achieve.

9. We contacted the Practice to discuss the action it has taken. The Practice confirmed that it has taken on board what it learned from the issues and it has agreed to having a lower threshold standard for patients who are new mothers. Specifically, the reception team will inform a clinician when a new mother has called regarding herself or the baby and, where possible, an appointment will be offered either by telephone or face to face, depending on the patient’s symptoms.

10. The Practice also confirmed that the consultant was very sorry to hear that Mrs U was admitted to hospital four days after the appointment but was pleased to hear she made a full recovery.

11. The Practice also reflected on its apology and explained it is sorry to hear that Mrs U did not feel the apology was sincere, as the sentiment was genuine. The Practice hopes that its review of Mrs U’s complaint and the actions it has taken reassure Mrs U that complaints are always taken seriously. The Practice shares what it learns from feedback with the teams as soon as possible after a complaint and, where appropriate, introduces new ways of working.

12. During our call on 20 February 2023, Mrs U confirmed she is satisfied with the Practice’s actions and apology and is happy this concludes the matter for her. As such, no further action on our part is required.

1. We have carefully considered Mrs U’s complaint about a practice in the Richmond upon Thames area (the Practice). We are sorry to learn of the upsetting circumstances that led Mrs U to complain and the symptoms she still experiences.

2. The Practice has provided information on the service improvements they have implemented after Mrs U’s complaint and evidence of the clinical meeting where her complaint was discussed. The Practice has also expressed that its apology was sincere. We appreciate the events that occurred were deeply distressing for Mrs U and her family. Having discussed the actions taken by the Practice, Mrs U has confirmed she feels that this brings the matter to a close for her.