A practice in the North Yorkshire area

3. Mrs M complains about aspects of the care the Practice gave her husband between November 2024 and March 2025. She specifically says the Practice did not: • take her husband’s symptoms seriously or act urgently when his condition was worsening • give appropriate treatment or scans • act urgently in recognising signs of a brain tumour.

4. Mrs M says as a result, her husband died. She says his death has left herself and her family heartbroken and left unable to trust doctors again.

5. Mrs M wants to understand if her husband’s care contributed to his death, service improvements, and financial compensation of an unknown amount.

6. Mr L visited the Practice five times between November 2024 and early March 2025 for symptoms of dizziness, reoccurring ear infection and worsening symptoms such as vomiting, faintness and memory concerns.

7. Mr L sadly died in early March due to a brain tumour.

11. Before we decide if we should conduct a detailed investigation of a complaint, we look at whether there are signs the organisation got something wrong. We do this by comparing what should have happened with what did happen. We have done this and have not found any indications that something has gone wrong.

12. Mrs M complains the Practice did not act quickly or correctly in giving her husband care and treatment for an ear condition and did not identify a brain tumour that resulted in his death.

13. The Practice said it acted appropriately and gave Mr L treatment and referrals quickly.

14. GMC, Good medical practice, paragraph 15 tells clinicians: ‘You must provide a good standard of practice and care if you assess, diagnose, or treat patients, you must: • adequately assess the patient’s conditions, taking account of their history (including the symptoms and psychological, spiritual, social and cultural factors), their views and values; where necessary, examine the patient • promptly provide or arrange suitable advice, investigations or treatment where necessary • refer a patient to another practitioner when this serves the patient’s needs.’

15. Mr L went to the Practice in early November 2024. He told the nurse he had problems with his left ear. Mr L had no temperature, dizziness, hearing or vision loss. The Practice diagnosed and gave medication for an ear infection.

16. Mr L had a face to face appointment in late January 2025 at the Practice. Mr L said he felt dizzy and people commented that’ he appeared drunk’.

17. The Practice examined Mr L noted he looked well and had normal observations. The Practice wrote nothing was found from examining Mr L’s ears and diagnosed labyrinthitis which is an inner ear infection causing dizziness, nausea and hearing loss.

18. This is in line with NHS symptoms of dizziness advice which says, ‘It's common to sometimes feel dizzy, lightheaded or off-balance, and it's not usually serious. See a GP if you're worried. Causes of dizziness, Dizziness often goes away after you’re treated for something else. For example: an ear infection.’

19. The Practice organised to change Mr L’s cholesterol medication to a lower dose until tolerated and then increase it again. It also gave three days of prochlorperazine tablets used to treat nausea, vomiting, and dizziness, to treat his symptoms.

20. In early February 2025, Mr L went to the Practice with his wife. He said he had ongoing dizziness, had some urinary problems and was lightheaded when standing. He had also fallen to the floor the day before.

21. The Practice examined Mr L and noted he had not lost consciousness from falling, had no pain but mild itching to his ear. The GP checked his blood pressure and wrote his standing blood pressure was lower than his sitting. Blood, urine, and an echocardiogram (ECG) test was arranged. The Practice asked Mr L to monitor his blood pressure at home.

22. The Practice also asked Mr L to stop taking cholesterol medication and noted this was not likely linked to the dizziness he was experiencing. The actions taken during these appointments are in line with GMC paragraph 15 as Mr L’s history was taken and treatment was provided. Mr L’s dizziness could be explained as recognised in NHS advice due to him having an ear infection.

23. The records show in late February 2025, Mr L went to the Practice with dizziness, unsteady walking with a fall, vomiting, headaches, and memory concerns. NICE NG12, Suspected cancer: recognition and referral, point 1.9.1 tells clinicians, ‘to consider an urgent direct access, MRI scan of the brain (or CT scan if MRI is contraindicated) to assess for brain or central nervous system cancer in adults with progressive, sub-acute loss of central neurological function.’

24. The symptoms he described are warning signs to check for suspected cancer as recommended in NG12 they can indicate sub-acute loss of central neurological function.

25. The Practice organised a referral to the ear, nose and throat (ENT) team and completed a request for a computerised tomography (CT) scan.

26. Mr L went to the Practice in early March with worsening nausea and vomiting. Mr L told the GP his headaches and dizziness were worse and he lost 6kg in weight from his loss of appetite. The Practice referred Mr L urgently to accident and emergency the same day.

27. Our adviser told us the appointment in late February 2025 was the earliest instance where a brain tumour should have been considered due to the symptoms Mr L presented with. Mr L’s unsteady walk, falling, and memory loss would count as a sub-acute loss of central neurological function.

28. An urgent MRI or CT scan should have be completed within two weeks rather than the routine scan we found arranged by the Practice in late February. As Mr L was seen at the hospital eight days after the referrals were made, inside the two week timescale for an urgent referral, Mr L experienced no impact from his scans not being marked as urgent.

29. We understand Mrs M remains concerned the Practice should have considered her husband had a brain tumour sooner leaving her with a loss of trust in doctors.

30. Based on the evidence we have seen, the Practice acted in line with GMC guidelines by providing care and treatment for a persistent ear infection with associated symptoms. The Practice made a referral when it was clear Mr L had concerning walking, balance, and memory changes.

31. We understand and acknowledge the distress Mrs M experienced when her husband was diagnosed with a brain tumour. We hope our explanation goes some way to explain how his symptoms were appropriately managed and the possibility of a tumour was considered appropriately and at the right time.

1. We have carefully considered Mrs M’s complaint about a Practice in North Yorkshire (the Practice). We are sorry to hear about Mrs M’s experience and offer our condolences for the death of her husband. We recognise how devastating it is when a partner is diagnosed with a brain tumour and it is understandable to have questions about the care they received.

2. Having investigated her complaint, the evidence suggests the Practice treated Mr L in line with relevant guidance. We hope she is reassured by what we have seen.