Mr E complained that:
a) The Practice provided a prescription for tamsulosin (medication used to treat symptoms of an enlarged prostate) when he had already been prescribed the medication, resulting in him potentially taking an overdose.
b) The Practice removed him from their patient list alleging that he had threatened a member of staff during a telephone conversation.
c) The Practice failed to comply with his request for a female doctor only to be involved in his care.
The Ombudsman found that the Practice’s process for the issue of prescriptions, and record-keeping in respect of them, were appropriate; investigation by the Practice had failed to establish how an error had occurred, and further investigation was unlikely to resolve this. The unnecessary/duplicate prescription had been spotted by the Pharmacist, meaning Mr E had not taken an overdose. The Ombudsman concluded that Mr E had made implied threats to Practice staff, and that the Practice was justified in having him removed from their patient list. The Ombudsman found that the Practice had done what it could to comply with Mr E’s request for a female doctor, but that on one occasion an appointment had been transferred to a male doctor because of staff sickness; Mr E could have made another appointment with a female doctor if he wished. The Ombudsman did not uphold the complaints.
