Ms C's GP Practice did not follow guidance and established good practice on swift referral to help her get specialist medication. Ms C suffered uncertainty and ongoing pain.
What happened
Ms C used painkillers that she could only get through specialist prescribing. She had been managing her pain using these drugs for some time when she changed GP surgeries. The new GP Practice did not continue the prescription.
What we found
We partly upheld this complaint. The GP Practice decided correctly that Ms C's drug should not be prescribed in a primary care setting. However, it did not follow guidance from the General Medical Council, or established good practice, because it did not have an early discussion with Ms C. It did not refer her promptly for new specialist assessment while maintaining the prescription in the interim. We concluded that Ms C was left in pain and had been uncertain when or if she would be prescribed the painkillers again.
Putting it right
The GP Practice had already set up a new process to make sure it communicated effectively with patients like Ms C. It apologised further to Ms C for her pain and distress.
A GP practice
West Midlands
Did not apologise properly or do enough to put things right
Apology