Doctor dilemma
Question
I feel I've had some really bad advice from my GP recently. Can you tell me how I can make a complaint?
Answer
There are three main ways to complain about your doctor:
- Through the NHS complaints procedure;
- By complaining to the General Medical Council (GMC);
- By taking a GP to court for negligence.
The NHS complaints procedure is in place to allow patients to have their problems recognised and make sure they get explanations about what has happened to them. It's not something that can provide cash compensation and it won't necessarily lead to any disciplinary action against your GP.
To Make an NHS complaint your should first find out who is nominated to handle complaints at your surgery. After contacting them about your concerns they should reply to you within ten working days. If their response is unsatisfactory then you can go to the Healthcare Commission and finally the Health Service Ombudsman. You should be aware that this option to complain is highly likely to be unavailable if you start any form of legal proceedings against your doctor.
If you feel your doctor has been negligent and want the doctor disciplined by the members of his profession then you should contact the GMC and make your complaint there. The GMC is the professional body for doctors in England and Wales and all doctors practising in the country have to register with the GMC to work. If you complain to the GMC and it finds in your favour then the doctor could be 'struck off' and not allowed to work. This could be for a set period while the doctor is retrained or it could be for life.
If you believe your doctor's actions have adversely affected your health and have caused you physical, mental or financial damage, then you could take the GP to court. This is the only process that could result in financial compensation, but it could take a long time and can be emotionally draining. Going to court can also cost a great deal of money, especially if you lose. You will require expert legal representation if you decide to go to court .
Hopefully, after looking through these options you will now have a better idea of how to proceed when complaining about your GP in the future.
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Question answered by CAB
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