GP appointment: who am I seeing?
There was once a time when you could arrange an appointment at your GP practice and be confident that the person who you saw would be a qualified GP. This would almost go without saying.
It would have been unthinkable that such a trusted position would be given to anybody who lacked sufficient knowledge and experience to fulfil that role. This reasonable expectation is what creates a sense of ‘trust’ on the part of the patient; this being ‘trust’ that the advice received will be correct advice and in their best interest.
Most of us do not know precisely what is required to become a GP, but we imagine that the person we are seeing has undergone many years of study at university and medical school accompanied by ‘hands on’ and practical experience in a clinical environment. The truth is, it can take up to 10 years of study and training to become a qualified GP.
In recent years there has been a sharp increase in alternative practitioners working within GP practices. These include:
- Physician Associates
- Nurse Practitioners
- Clinical Pharmacists
Whilst there is no doubt that the vast majority of practitioners are highly skilled and passionate about the service they provide, it cannot be ignored that there is much less education and training involved in becoming one of these practitioners. For example, it may take 5 years to become a Physician Associate compared to 10 years to become a GP.
Nowadays, it is common for people to attend their GP practice and be completely unaware that the person they are seeing is not actually a qualified GP.
In cases of minor ailments this may not be such a big deal and, often, a patient is just glad to have been seen and prescribed medication to help them. However, things can go horribly wrong when a patient attends with what may seem to be a minor ailment but later turns out to be something far more serious.
In such cases, a knowledgeable and experienced GP may be better able to appreciate the complete clinical picture and either offer treatment or make the necessary referral. By taking appropriate steps at primary care level the outcome for the patient can be much different.
The truth is, patient safety is being compromised by the increasing use of Physician Associates, Nurse Practitioners and Clinical Pharmacists at primary care level. Although such practitioners may work under the supervision of a qualified GP, this relies upon them seeking advice or a second opinion from that GP. But as the saying goes “You don’t know what you don’t know”, and unfortunately there are increasing incidents of missed opportunities, misdiagnosis and, to be frank, outright negligent care.
These errors in clinical care can have serious consequences for patients, as highlighted in recent cases reported within the media:
- Emily Chesterton, died from a pulmonary embolism at the age of 30 after she was seen by a Physician Associate (who she thought was a GP) and who wrongly diagnosed her with long covid and anxiety.
- Susan Pollitt, died from bacterial infection at the age of 77 following a Physician Associate’s mismanagement of an ascitic drain which had been inserted during an hospital admission.
At Aston Knight Solicitors we are regularly contacted by clients who have experienced the effects of negligent care provided at their GP practice.
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Case Study
Solicitor, Andrew Thompson has recently been instructed to represent (at the inquest) the loved ones of Mr C who tragically died following alleged multiple missed opportunities to take steps to diagnose and treat Mr C’s cancer. In this case, Mr C was seen by a Clinical Pharmacist who did not suspect cancer and this ultimately led to a negligent failure to place Mr C on a two-week cancer referral pathway.
In a growing population and with the NHS under increasing pressure and demand, we perhaps should not underestimate the important role that these alternative practitioners play within our healthcare system. This being said, we should also not underestimate the risks posed to patient safety by allowing such persons to practice freely within our GP practices without adequate safety measures and supervision being put in place. The answer may be a better defining of roles alongside the triaging of patients to ensure they are seen by an appropriate health professional. The increased regulation and supervision of all health professionals will help to mitigate against the risk of a seriously unwell patient slipping through the net.
If you suspect you have received substandard medical treatment and you would like a free consultation to discuss your options, please call Aston Knight Solicitors today on 0161 399 1231 or click the ‘Contact’ button above to submit an online enquiry and one of our dedicated Solicitors will contact you to discuss your claim further.