Practice misdiagnosed woman's condition, putting her at unnecessary risk

What happened

A doctor at Miss L's GP Practice diagnosed her with lupus and prescribed medication for this condition. Although the medication needed to be monitored regularly because of potential side effects, the Practice did not review Miss L. It also did not provide the bone protection that is recommended when a patient is taking this medication, and did not review the medication for 18 months. It did not refer Miss L to a specialist until two years after her original diagnosis. The specialist found she did not have lupus.

What we found

Miss L did not have enough key indicators or symptoms to suggest that she had the condition. The Practice's diagnosis was not in line with established good practice or relevant clinical guidelines. The Practice's poor management of her medication was a failing in care. Not referring Miss L to a specialist in good time was also a failing. Miss L's medical records were also not detailed enough.

Putting it right

The Practice apologised to Miss L for the mistakes it had made. It also paid her £250 to recognise the impact that these had on her, and reimbursed her the £14.40 she had spent when she asked for her medical records.

The Practice agreed to put together an action plan to show it had learnt from its mistakes so that they would not happen again, and to audit its medication policy. The GP who made the diagnosis agreed to review her understanding of the condition and learn more about it.