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Case ref:201804677
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Date:April 2019
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Body:A Medical Practice in the Dumfries and Galloway NHS Board area
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Sector:Health
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Outcome:Not upheld, no recommendations
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Subject:clinical treatment / diagnosis
Summary
Mrs C complained about the care provided to her late husband (Mr A) by the practice. Mr A who suffered from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD, a disease of the lungs in which the airways become narrowed) attended the practice on a number of occasions reporting breathing problems but felt that the doctors did not listen to him. Mr A was later admitted to hospital with pneumonia (an infection of the lungs) where he suffered a heart attack and died. Mrs C complained that the practice failed to provide Mr A with appropriate treatment in view of his symptoms.
We took independent medical advice from a GP. We found that the practice had carried out thorough investigations into the symptoms reported by Mr A and that his COPD did result in him having breathing issues. We also found that the practice prescribed appropriate antibiotics but that Mr A's condition and symptoms were drastically different between his final two consultations and it was only at that time that a hospital admission was required. Therefore, we did not uphold the complaint.