What to do if you think your GP has misdiagnosed you

If you are worried that your GP might have missed something, or made a mistake, it can be an extremely worrying time. Issues relating to GP errors typically include missed opportunities to refer you to hospital for more tests, which can in turn result in avoidable delays in conditions being diagnosed and treatment starting. 

If there has been a delay, then the treatment needed might be more significant than might otherwise have been required. Your GP might also seem unconcerned about symptoms which are causing a significant impact on your daily life.

What are the next steps? 

It is important to speak to your GP if you are worried and explain your point of view so you can give them the opportunity to either explain their reasoning or rectify any perceived error that may have occurred.

If you are still worried, then you can request a referral to hospital for a specialist opinion.

If you remain unhappy with your GP care, then you have the option of writing a formal letter of complaint to the GP surgery Practice Manager. The reason why that can be a helpful is because there are rules which govern how your letter must be treated so they cannot overlook it or fail to reply.

Firstly, they will write back to you to confirm safe receipt of your complaint. They will then conduct a thorough investigation of your care within the Surgery. 

The Duty of Candour says that if their investigation uncovers any evidence of poor care, then they have to be open with you about it.  Therefore, at the conclusion of their investigation period, which typically takes around 3 months, they will write to you to confirm their findings.

If they uphold your complaint, then that will hopefully trigger any further action that might be necessary to rectify the situation and get you the care that you need. It may also give you helpful information if you are thinking about taking legal advice to see if you might have an actionable compensation claim.

If you have urgent concerns about your health, then you should seek advice from 111 or go to A+E.

How can we help?

If your GP has misdiagnosed a medical condition, we can help you with your next steps. Contact our expert medical negligence solicitors by calling 0330 123 1229, completing our contact form, or sending us an email via info@smithpartnership.co.uk.