Partly to vent, partly to get advice...
- 8 March 2012 17:07158179..from those on the forum who are experts in the NHS.
This appallingly inefficient organisation is causing serious detriment to one of my clients, a widow. No names of course as as she lives a long way away there will be no clues you can use to id her....
This lady was widowed towards the end of last year. Her hubby started a life policy which was some months before he received a cancer diagnosis. Clearly the life office has to verify good faith on the part of the client (there was...).
To that end they sent to the doctor a questionnaire - normal practise.
No reply to the questionnaire, not unusual doctors are useless at completing these promptly. On chasing it was found that they had sent the medical records off to the Family Practitioners Office (a bit too quickly after death...) and had to recall them.
Still nothing heard.
Further chase, Life office chasing and client chasing.
On my suggestion client 'gets heavy' with surgery. We now find out that the medical records have gone missing and cannot be found, surgery blaming FPO and FPO blaming the surgery.
So there is this life policy all bought and paid for. Life office need the information to pay out, information lost. I am speaking to the life office to discuss options with them but that is not the point.
I cannot blame the life office (for once...), they have behaved impeccably, acting correctly and have followed the correct procedure promptly doing whatever I have asked them to do.
This lady needs her money, deserves the money that she and her husband paid out for. I do not know yet how far the life office is able to bend, I wait to see. But...
A vulnerable widow goes through a terrible time after a loss and to add this kind of stress and worry is inexcusable. So what do we do about the surgery and FPO? What recompense might there be? Can we sue the swine for every penny the client might lose and more? They deserve to be taken to the cleaners.
Anyone know where I should turn next? regardless of my life office negotiations.
- 8 March 2012 17:30158191Talk to Peter Wilkinson. He's good at medical negligence.I'm an optimist. But I'm an optimist who takes my raincoat - Harold Wilson
- 8 March 2012 17:37158195Would the actual diagnosis not come from a specialist hospital consultant?
Might the hospital then be able to help as to first knowledge?Ignorance is bliss, bliss is happiness, I am happy...to draw your attention to the possible connectivity in the foregoing. - Brian Dixon
- Location: Dover
- Registered: 23 Sep 2008
- Posts: 23,940
8 March 2012 18:22158206try andrew lansly mp in charge of the nhs. - 8 March 2012 18:55158219I hope it does not have to go that far Brian. Tom, it is more about confirmation of the timing of the diagnosis rather than the diagnosis itself that needs to be confirmed and as the GP was the first point of contact when was it the GP first mentioned he may have had cancer and at what point were the first tests done. All of which would need to be declared in a life policy application. I am confident that the client had no pre-knowledge and was honest in the app but a life office clearly needs to find get confirmation from the GP.
Thanks Peter - it may come to that but my client may have a lawyer nearer to where she lives rather than do over an hours trip each way to see one. - 8 March 2012 19:04158227Barry if the person concerned was treated as an inpatient or recived outpatient treatment . Then those hospital depts will have dates of treatment and copies of referal records requests for scans etc which should give a clear timeline of events. Either she or you helping her should be able to request copies. Sometimes you then come up against the can't release without permission scinareo My best. Advice is ring the PALS service at the hospital involved and get them engaged in moving this part of it forward It will probably be an answerphone but they wiil ring back. If you want seperate advice re missing records , which by the way MUST only be sent by internal courier , or signed for service let me know Any queries get back to me asap Apologies if this is slightly odly written but I'm on a train typing this into a phone. Hope it helps Condolances to the family concerned
- 8 March 2012 19:08158229Sarah - thank you for that.
I will pass this on and will certainly let you know what happens. - 8 March 2012 19:11158233Its a pleasure Barry if I can add anything or you need clarification or the process still dosnt go smoothly don't hesitate to get hold of me
- 8 March 2012 19:45158241I am sure the hospital path is as good if not the better way to go.
The patient may have presented with something (ache etc.), the GP may have had an idea of what 'might' be the root cause, but it would take hospital tests to give the initial Y/N as to cancer.
Entirely BTW
Taking the whole thing back to when a patient first feels stomach ache, on the morning of his signing insurance documents, say, but before he discounts the prawns of the night before and prior to his initial reporting to his GP is all too sticky to contemplate. I suppose if there is a string of visits to the GP with various attempts being made to find a simple cause...yea sticky.Ignorance is bliss, bliss is happiness, I am happy...to draw your attention to the possible connectivity in the foregoing. - 8 March 2012 22:45158285Just to endorse Sarahs advice. PALS will be helpful in tickling the process up, but feel free to start whispering about litigation and chat with the medical negligence chap. Otherwise you will be waiting forever as the wheels grind exceeding slow and people rely on the lady concerned to be polite, courteous and not willing to shake the tree. Shake that tree!
- 9 March 2012 00:19158292
I'm an optimist. But I'm an optimist who takes my raincoat - Harold Wilson - 9 March 2012 10:23158322To update: This emailed back to me this morning from my client:
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Thank your friend for me, very kind of her.
I contacted PALS yesterday, marvellous people, little terriers with access all areas! I will let you know when I hear anything.
I have to say the lady at PALS was the only person who actually understands how distasteful this all is for me. XXXXX died 4 months today so, still very raw, and "fighting" to obtain money just seems so wrong.
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I expect to get a call from the insurer this morning to see what they say. - 9 March 2012 10:37158325Fingers crossed.Ignorance is bliss, bliss is happiness, I am happy...to draw your attention to the possible connectivity in the foregoing.
- 9 March 2012 12:04158349The Kafkaesque system that is HealthCare Provision in the UK creates many painful situations for people exactly when they need them least.
- 9 March 2012 18:50158405Barry I'm really pleased that she is getting some support please let me know if I can do anything else
- 9 March 2012 22:03158453Now, this is when this Forum really excels, forumite friends helping each other out! Well done Sarah and Bern
I feel so sorry for your client Barry, so sad that this lady has to endure this kind of stress in the early months of mourning her Husbands death
- 9 March 2012 22:08158455pals can be very good but are hidebound by rules that sometimes stop them doing what they would like to do.
- 9 March 2012 22:12158457Yes - PALS are a good way to send a shot across the bows and they can point people in the right direction and offer a supportive ear. Can't beat the whiff of litigation and a bit of a stare, though.
- 10 March 2012 08:17158490Nothing back from the life office Friday so I will be chasing them Monday. This having been moved 'upstairs' away from the claim team means that usual life office service standards resume....
- 10 March 2012 11:18158517I have just had an email from my client.
Already PALS have managed what the practise and the Family Practitioners Office were unable (or unwilling) to do and that was track down the medical records. Hopefully the report is now on the way.
Sarah - many thanks for that advice. Brilliant result, but what a sad reflection on those responsible at the practise and FPO.