Summary
Mrs C complained to us about the care and treatment that her mother (Mrs A) had received from her medical practice before her death. Mrs C considered that Mrs A should have been admitted to hospital earlier and that her death could have been prevented.
We took independent advice from a GP adviser. We found that the examinations carried out by the GPs and the treatment plan put in place for Mrs A had been reasonable. A urine infection had been treated appropriately with antibiotics and it had been reasonable to delay a blood test until she finished the antibiotics. The clinical entries in her records were of a reasonable standard and were in line with guidance from the General Medical Council.
We also found that on the final occasion Mrs A was seen by the GPs, the treatment given to her in relation to her chest symptoms had been reasonable and in line with the relevant guidance. However, her condition deteriorated later that day. She was admitted to hospital and died on the following day. There was no evidence that Mrs A's death was caused by or hastened by the GPs' actions or that it could have been prevented. When Mrs A saw the GPs, there had been no indication that she should be admitted to hospital.
We found that the care and treatment provided to Mrs A had been of a reasonable standard and we did not uphold Mrs C's complaint.
Related reading
View Decision Report 201507788 as a PDF (11.24 KB) Updated: March 13, 2018