SPSO (Scottish Public Services Ombudsman) Not Upheld

A Medical Practice in the Fife NHS Board area

201811067 · Health › clinical treatment / diagnosis · Decision date: 01 September 2019

Full Decision

Summary

Ms C, an advocate, complained on behalf of her client (Ms A) about the treatment which Ms A received at the practice. Ms A had reported concerns about hip pain on a number of consultations, but the GPs wrongly diagnosed a soft tissue injury when Ms A had actually suffered a fracture of the hip.

We took independent advice from a GP. We found that Ms A had an extensive medical history of hip problems and was under the care of the orthopaedic (conditions involving the musculoskeletal system) team. When Ms A reported hip pain following a fall it was not unreasonable for the GPs to conclude that Ms A had suffered a soft tissue injury as she was able to weight bear. Although it would appear that the fracture had occurred by the time Ms A was seen by the GPs, this was not an indication that the care and treatment was unreasonable. We did not uphold the complaint.

Related reading

View Decision Report 201811067 as a PDF (23.77 KB) Updated: September 18, 2019