A 92-year-old Islander was wrongly told she was dying of organ failure after an Isle of Wight GP misdiagnosed her via video link, a national report has found.
The former NHS nurse, who has dementia and lives in a care home, was recommended to start end-of-life care following a diagnosis from a doctor at Cowes Medical Centre, The Telegraph reports.
It was stated in the report that she was recovering from COVID-19 at the time, and her GP would not see her in person, due to that reason.
The woman’s son, Michael Gough Cooper, from West Sussex, was apparently told the doctor was able to “spot from the video that her skin was yellow” all from a video link conducted online.
He told The Telegraph he was “shocked” to find out the GP never visited his mother in person and asked for them to call him and explain the assessment and how it was made.
Her Son, Mr Gough Cooper, asked for a second opinion, only to be told his mother would have to go to A&E. The next day she then had to undergo an ultrasound which revealed she had no liver abnormalities, instead, noticing a history of gallbladder infection in her medical notes and decided to administer antibiotics.
After a four-night stay at St Mary’s Hospital, the woman was discharged and has now made a full recovery.
Unhappy with the treatment his mother received, Gough Cooper has now submitted a formal complaint to the Care Quality Commission (CQC).
A senior GP for Cowes Medical Centre told The Telegraph:
“We are sorry to hear of the family’s experience. When a patient, their relative or carer, shares concerns like this we always offer to discuss the matter further.
“For our patients who are residents in care homes, we are in regular contact with the home throughout the week and always support patients if the care home raises a concern relating to their health.”
We are sorry to hear of the family’s experience. When a patient, their relative or carer, shares concerns like this we always offer to discuss the matter further.
Shame they didn’t do what they should have in the beginning; face to face diagnosis and some treatment. Discussing the matter after the event has no value. Doing the job properly is preferable, or am I just old fashioned?
Yep, you’re right, you are old fashioned.
The Cowes Health Centre is not fit for purpose and the GPs have all but disappeared from sight.
They are using Covid as an excuse to do less and less
my dad complained about feeling unwell, cowes health centre wouldn’t come to see him for months, no reply to emails or the phone and then when they eventually did it was too late..dad died about a month ago..thanks a bunch , bunch of ****s
The advice they gave a diabetic member of the family could have killed them. The only thing worse than the doctors is the receptionists who were often borderline abusive at times.
I can never see my doctor in Ryde and have to phone at 8 in the morning to try and get a appointment and still never get one ,where have they gone
Yes this is the problem! Yesterday my grand daughter (3 years old) was struggling to get her breath – she can’t have an asthma consultation until she’s 5! The surgery in Ryde were called 3 times and finally we had a call from the duty doc and guess what she couldn’t even talk to her mother until 3 o’clock – goodness sake – she rang to tell us that! But couldn’t spare the time to listen then! Littleone spent the night in hospital thankfully the ambulance did listen!
New this had to happen sooner or later how can you tell over the phone
*Knew
Does it REALLY matter….?
Nob…..*Knob.
Ther we have in a nutshell the exact problem with video meets/diagnoses etc. Pathetic (and potentially life changing). Hang your heads is shame GP’s and GET BACK OUT THERE AND DO YOUR JOB. WE ARE SICK OF YOU.
ive had it with the woke NHS
Going Private then? That will shorten the backlog.
A couple of observations, the patient was recovering from COVID, it is entirely reasonable to do a video link in those circumstances. The patient was in a care home, the staff there would be able to talk to the doctor about the skin colouration. Gall stones can turn your skin yellow. The Doctor wouldn’t discuss about end of life based on a video link alone.
The GP wouldn’t have suggested to go to A&E for a second opinion.
The CQC don’t deal with complaints.
Not surprised at all. That surgery uses every excuse in the book to not see patients. Your vetted by the receptionists to see if your worthy to see a doctor or if they think you’d be better seeing a practice nurse.
I honestly didn’t realise that the receptionists these days had done a medical degree & doctorate to be able & competent to know who you should be seeing!! Better training would be in answering the phones quickly & being compassionate & not playing god! If we say we want to see a GP it’s because we know our bodies & want yo see them. Not to see a nurse who dishes out antibiotics like smarties!
This lazy doc bs needs too stop ! Do a& e make you do video chats???nope.In fact KNOW WHERE else does!!
covid is a daily virus we live with.cut dic pay untill they go back too pre covid work as before.its crazy. Stop the excuses and DO YOUR JOBS.your no better than anyone else.
People NEED face 2 face fgs.wear a mask if your still scared
I think everyone should remember that we’re getting the NHS for absolutely no cost at all. You can’t expect every single doctor or specialist up and down the country to get it spot on week in week out. They’re only human after all not miracle workers.
But the nhs isn’t free – we pay for it through national insurance and taxation.
No, some of us pay for it, all the breeding masses get themselves as well as they numerous offspring treated for free, and receive free dental care, for ‘blessing us’ all with their wonderful children.
Workers pay for them to sit on the beach all Summer and in the Cafe’s in Winter.
Free ? It’s only free at point of delivery . We need to stop blowing smoke up up
The NHS backsides, they are not delivering a good service ! They need to sit at their desks and see patients. This refusal to see patients is being replicated everywhere . I don’t think a single GP works full time at our surgery . We are staring at a healthcare catastrophe in this country .
We are paying for it but not getting the service the amount we pay hasn’t been cut we are still paying the same amount and more yet getting less service
Its about time all the doctors see their patients, we can still wear our masks if necessary, and to get past the receptionists is another thing, I want to talk to a DOCTOR not a receptionist.
GPs have had it too good for too long it’s about time someone jumped on these people who should be giving a much better service than any of them are , disgusting .
no wonder A and E is over run And people call for ambulance as they know they get seen .
Absolutely no excuse for doctors not to see patients. This should not be allowed.
surely the doctor couldd of visited wearing a mask and ask for all in the room to wear a mask as well
Imagine if a doctor called a plumber and the plumber said let me do a zoom call and you can fix your own boiler would they see this as acceptable?
This is what happens when you have governments funnelling money into the pockets of their oligarch mates instead of helping the people who pay the tax.
Might be wrong but I doubt Cowes medical centre is run by a oligarch!!
But it might be better if it was