NHS Complaints - what can I expect?

[drob107]

Hi everyone! I have recently made a complaint against an NHS service for neglect. An error made by a nurse in that service and following admin errors have set my treatment back 3 months.

I'm not a big complainer and have no idea what I can expect from this. The service has called me up and said that they are looking into it, tho the Manager is on leave for a couple of weeks.

Has anyone here ever made a similar complaint? Basically a nurse in a "same day" service made an appointment for me to see an ENT and wrote the date on a Post-It for me. She wrote the date was in May but it was in March. They put me down as a no-show and made no follow up until I called confirming the appointment on, what I was led to believe was the appointment date. They messed me around for a little over three weeks before I was seen.

I have been ill since Feb '17 and was fired from employment a few months back on medical grounds.

I really want to know what to expect from the complaint. I feel their neglect has stolen three months of my life and a simple apology doesn't seem enough. Not sure I want to go to one of those medical malpractice groups to see what they can do. Should I expect for further treatment to be handled with more priority? Financial compensation? Or is it more likely to be a "whoops" and "we'll look into our practices and do some training"?

Any input would be appreciated. Thanks.

[Grannyweatherwax]

I highly doubt you'll get financial compensation. I have had 9 years of no injections and gross medical negligence and the solicitors won't currently touch me until I have definitive proof that the lack of B12 has made me as severely mentally and physically disabled as I am.

I don't mean to be funny, but expecting compensation for them stealing 3 months of your life, I would be very surprised if the solicitors even touch you, they would have to do more work and they'd end up being paid more than your compensation would be, UNLESS you have a VERY high paid job of course where you earn millions a week like a footballer....

I'm not trying to be funny, I'm being realistic. I am struggling to find a solicitor when I have lost 9 YEARS of my life and possibly severely mentally and physically disabled for the rest of my life. (I am admittedly looking at no-win no-fee currently and I don't have definitive proof that the medical negligence caused my disabilities - but I am working on getting it medically signed off)

Good luck though, I won't say don't try, I'm just saying I would highly doubt it.

[Gambit62 Administrator]

If you have a local branch of citizens advice bureau they might be able to give you some help - think that the CAB also has an online service these days so may be worth trying that.

[Retren]

Drob107 I think you are making a mountain out of a molehill there are far more problems than incorrectappointment times to concentrate on.A new appointment should of course have been made but given the health system you seem to have had a lack of meeting of minds.I have always thought sugar a more advisable ploy than downright confrontation.

[Grannyweatherwax in reply to Retren]

I was going to tell them to read all my posts on here, and then think about where they stand, but I thought that was a little harsh lol

[Bees88]

I was called "paranoid" and "it's all in your head" since my late teens regarding relentless untreatable discharge, only to discover when I moved Trusts that I had an irreparable recto vaginal fistula which has robbed me of my ability to have children and has left me 29 and severely emotionally and mentally damaged. People have regularly told me to seek legal advice, as there's a long list of improper practices from my previous GP (including telling me that I needed to let God into my life to cure my depression) but I am so grateful to have the NHS and the treatment I have received since diagnosis, that it leaves me in two minds about it.

The NHS is a wonderful institution that we should cherish, not scold for a few bad apples and simple clerical errors.

[Granny56]

Seriously, in my opinion you don't have a leg to stand on. An investigation will ensue and the nurse will likely stand by what was written on the post-it as the information received by whoever. Whoever might argue that they said March ... pass the blame scenario and one word against another. So who do you take action against.

If someone has made a mistake, I suggest you forgive and move on. Yes these situations are annoying but you are alive and kicking, something to be thankful for.

Nhs staff are so much under pressure that it is no wonder that they might make errors. Yes, point out the error so that this process might be improved However, let it go and be grateful that the NHS is there for you (warts and all).