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Decision Report 201508658

  • Case ref:
    201508658
  • Date:
    March 2017
  • Body:
    A Medical Practice in the Highland NHS Board area
  • Sector:
    Health
  • Outcome:
    Not upheld, no recommendations
  • Subject:
    clinical treatment / diagnosis

Summary

Mrs C, who works for an advice agency, complained on behalf of her client (Miss A), who said she was suffering from Jarisch Herxheimer's reaction (a physical reaction to the death of microorganisms within the body during antibiotic treatment). Mrs C said Miss A believed that she had not received the appropriate care and treatment from her medical practice. Miss A believed that she had not been prescribed antibiotics appropriately and that the practice had inappropriately interfered with her consultations with hospital specialists.

We took independent medical advice from a GP adviser. The adviser said, and we agreed, that Miss A had been treated appropriately. Jarisch Herxheimer's reaction was an unusual condition and would require diagnosis by a hospital specialist. Miss A had received the appropriate referrals, but the specialists in question had confirmed that Miss A did not have this condition. We found that there was no evidence that the practice had acted inappropriately or that they had attributed Miss A's problems to her mental health.

We found that the care and treatment provided was of a reasonable standard and we did not uphold the complaint.

Updated: March 13, 2018