Summary
Mrs C complained to us that the medical practice had failed to provide appropriate care and treatment to her son (Mr A) who had attended an appointment with one of the GPs with symptoms of sore lungs and a cough. Ms C said that the GP had failed to listen to Mr A's lungs or chest and did not prescribe an antibiotic for him to take. Mr A was still unwell the following week and was taken to hospital, where he was diagnosed with pneumonia.
We took independent advice from an adviser in general practice medicine and concluded that the GP had provided a reasonable level of care. We found that the GP had examined Mr A's lungs and had found no signs of an infection. We also found that an adequate medical history was recorded and that it was not unreasonable for the GP to have diagnosed a viral infection. As such, it was not unreasonable that the GP did not prescribe antibiotics. We did not uphold the complaint.
Related reading
View Decision Report 201702838 as a PDF (11.04 KB) Updated: March 13, 2018