Doctor failed to give pain relief to man approaching end of life and to tell him or his family that he might die soon

What happened

Mr Q had recently received treatment for lung cancer. An out–of–hours doctor visited Mr Q at home because he was in pain and had difficulty breathing. The doctor was unable to get a blood pressure reading for Mr Q and did not give any pain relief to Mr Q because he wasn't sure what medications he had in his kit. Instead, he gave Mr Q's partner, Mrs Q, a prescription for painkillers to get at a local out–of–hours chemist.

The doctor then told Mrs Q that Mr Q was 'very poorly' when he actually meant that Mr Q was approaching the end of his life and might die soon. Mrs Q did not understand the seriousness of her partner's condition and went to the chemist to collect the prescription. Sadly Mr Q died before she returned.

Mrs Q said the out–of–hours doctor left Mr Q in pain, and that he might have survived if the doctor had referred him to hospital.

What we found

We partly upheld this complaint. The out–of–hours doctor should have known what medications he had available. He also should not have left Mr Q in pain without administering some pain relief. Although the care given by the out–of–hours doctor amounted to service failure, there was no evidence that the lack of pain relief caused Mr Q's death.

The out–of–hours doctor should have clearly communicated to Mrs Q that Mr Q was dying. He also should have checked whether Mr Q wanted to go to hospital to end his life there.

Alternative action would not have saved or prolonged Mr Q's life but it would have made the tragic events more bearable for Mrs Q who suffered uncertainty and distress.

Putting it right

The out–of–hours service acknowledged and apologised for its failings and paid Mrs Q £250.