Decision Report 201604171

Summary

Ms C complained about the care and treatment provided to her late mother (Mrs A) by her GP practice. Mrs A had hypertension (high blood pressure) and was prescribed multiple medications for this. Ms C expressed concern that this medication was not reviewed, despite it failing to control Mrs A's blood pressure. Ms C felt that this contributed to Mrs A suffering kidney failure and heart problems.

We took independent GP advice and found that Mrs A had multiple health conditions, and that her treatment and blood pressure control were complex. The adviser noted that some of her medication was serving a dual purpose, such as controlling her blood pressure and fluid overload. The adviser considered that the practice took appropriate steps to monitor Mrs A, including active assessment of her hypertension and regular blood tests. They explained that the number of underlying conditions made it difficult to control Mrs A's blood pressure, but were satisfied that the difficulties were not due to a lack of care on the part of the practice. We accepted this advice and did not uphold the complaint.