Complaining about the NHS

[NoPoet]

Hi all,

In addition to the pantomime going on in my war against anxiety and ADHD, I have had to seek private treatment for ADHD. ADHD is apparently the reason why I have suffered so badly for so long. I was recommended to start medication treatment for ADHD in February 2014, but due to overall NHS incompetence, I haven't got close to treatment yet.

I am now seeing a private ADHD specialist to begin medication therapy this week. I have already begun a complaint about the NHS, and I have just added the following. Please let me know what you all think:

---

Hi [xxxx]




Further to our previous conversation in which I booked a face-to-face meeting with you at the end of April, I still need your address.



I would also like to add/clarify the following for my complaint about the [xxxx] ADHD service:



* I attended the appointment expecting to discuss the immediate start of medication treatment for ADHD, specifically the non-stimulant, Strattera.



* I had already had diagnoses of co-morbid ADHD with Asperger Syndrome.



* Confirmation of my diagnoses came in the form of an extensive psychological assessment (approximately 10 pages long) which stated three times that I should begin medication treatment for my ADHD. A scanned copy of this assessment was available in my medical records, and I had brought additional documentation to the meeting.



* The doctor at [xxxx], who was not even the doctor I was supposed to see, completely disregarded my existing diagnoses, did not look at any of the supporting documentation I had brought with me and apparently had not read any of my medical history, including my psychiatric assessment/diagnoses.



* I also had evidence of an executive functioning test I had taken with my qualified psychotherapist, [xxxx], which showed my cognitive functions are impaired to the level of a person with brain damage.



* He then proceeded to diagnose me with an attachment disorder and an anxious personality type instead of aspergers/ADHD – this failed to take into account most of my mental and behavioural issues, or my severe level of cognitive impairment. However, I had gone to him to commence medication treatment for ADHD, not to be re-diagnosed or to have my existing diagnoses challenged.



* The doctor recommended I commence treatment with an antipsychotic called olanzapine (dose recommendation 2.5mg/day), which is not used to treat ADHD and is not regarded as a front-line treatment for anxiety, but when he eventually wrote to my GP, he instead recommended I commence treatment with an SSRI medication (no dose recommendation), which is an antidepressant and is also not used to treat ADHD. I am unable to take SSRI medication as I cannot tolerate the side effects. Therefore this doctor has told me one thing, and told my GP another.



* I am having to go private to commence medication treatment for ADHD. The likely upfront cost of this is approximately £465.



* I am therefore requesting the NHS reimburses me for the full cost of seeking private treatment for my pre-diagnosed condition, ADHD. This includes the cost of the private appointment and any follow-up appointment, as well as the cost and inconvenience of travelling to and from these appointments.



* I am also requesting that the NHS pays me compensation for the significant delays which occurred after my diagnoses with aspergers/ADHD in February 2014, which have meant that my ADHD symptoms and resulting illness have progressed unchecked. This has made it impossible for me to work full time, made me unable to hold down a relationship and has overall cost me significant distress, suffering, inconvenience, financial outlay and personal loss that could all have been avoided had the NHS done its job in a timely and correct manner.



* I have sought legal advice regarding the above matters and am prepared to sue the NHS for costs and damages should no satisfactory informal agreement be reached.



Thank you



Adam

[nefelibata]

Good for you, Adam!

I currently have a complaint pending against my GP. I would advise all in receipt of substandard treatment from their GP / NHS provider to make a complaint, otherwise nothing will change.

If you have no joy, you can contact PALS, your local MP and Healthwatch. I have a sneaking suspicion that your health needs will most likely be fast tracked as a direct consequence of you letter of complaint. I really hope so.

Let us know how you get on. I wish you all the best x

[lior]

You have been treated wrongly. I can't imagine how angry you are.

I'm not sure what I think about you suing the NHS. It's under a lot of financial strain at the moment. It's not a particularly well run/efficient system, but I do appreciate that we have free healthcare in this country. It's at risk of falling apart - then we might all have to start paying for healthcare, which would make poorer people more ill... we'd have a less equal society... etc.

If you sue, you are putting extra financial pressure on to the system, which will contribute to its downfall. As more doctors are more stretched, they end up making worse decisions because of their workload and stress. Which will bring on more patients wanting to sue, and more financial pressure on the system. That might lead to even greater staff shortages and being more under-resourced, so the problem becomes a catch-22.

As a citizen, all we can do to help that situation (apart from voting in certain ways) is to not sue and try to understand how under-resourced they are. It's the system, not the person.

The doctor made an error with you and I'm not disputing that. The £500ish you want is probably not going to be too much to ask for, and threatening to sue might get you that £500 faster. But do you really want to sue, considering the repercussions, thinking about the wider context?

But you know, I'm not you, you know what the best thing is for you to do, not me. I'm not sure if I'd do the same as you. You were wronged and you seek justice. I know how that feels.

[MyNameIsTerry]

Lior,

I think your attitude towards this is commendable, I really do.

Sadly, I know from my corporate experience that companies only care when you threaten in very strong terms. Anyone who "just" complains gets bunged in the queue. So, sadly this is sometimes the required action and we should at least seek recompense.

Whether we then expect compensation beyond this, for me, depends on the situation.

Money talks much louder than any complaint as someone has to justify paying it out whereas customer/patients are ten a penny and easily made to disappear away from the eyes of senior managers. Sad but true, I'm afraid. Sometimes the only way to force change for the better is to penalise until someone higher up notices and kicks some backsides!

We shouldn't be afraid to complain about the NHS, its often a shambles. We wouldn't put up with this type of treatment in a private setting so why should we in a public one? Even complaining costs them money as they have to pay for people to perform investigations, handle the paperwork, extra meetings, etc. Its the same in the private sector because they have to employ teams & whole depts to manage customer complaints and all those salaries hit customers as a whole. The alternative is to never complain and you can bet standards will slip because profit & bottomline matters more to those up top and if no one is going to hold them accountable, you attract self serving types who won't aim for improvement unless its financially rewarding.

The NHS has standards to adhere to. Where it fails, it hits a lot harder than someone sending you a higher than normal telephone bill in error, so they should rightly be help to account.

I've been reading newspapers and watching the news for probably 25+ years now. The NHS has always been complaining about their budget, the cuts, how they may need to close an A&E at Xmas, etc. I don't even listen to it anymore, its like the boy who cried wolf! Lots of big salaries and payouts too.

Wasn't there a case of a couple who left senior NHS positions recently, had a big redundancy package and then we re-employed elsewhere within the NHS and didn't pay anything back? We have one in my area, a consultant, who was suspended on full pay for 2 years costing us £500k before he was either sacked or quit (the NHS won't confirm which!) so I don't feel as sorry for them when I see gross incompetence like this (this guy botched facial surgeries!). I understand 100+ ex-patients are due to lodge claims against him. The GMC had him before on gross professional misconduct. I would say the fact no one will say why he left will just make people think there has been a sneaky payoff.

[lior]

You know what - I think the argument for holding them to account is a good one. It's a citizen responsibility to demand standards.

[MyNameIsTerry]

It is, but I do agree with your sentiments over compensation.

We do see cases of people sueing for large amounts or settling out of court when they haven't had anything really bad happen to them. In the case I highlighted above, several of them have been scarred for life. That requires compensation and it most likely requires it as well because I would imagine there will be all sorts of management failures in there.

If someones experienced delays or been messed about, recompense them, apologise, improve things, get them the care they need and thats it. Its ok in a complaint to say your electricity company, but when it comes to such as the NHS I think compensation above this should be based on a loss of quality of life going forward.