Mr C complained that a GP Practice refused to visit his partner, Ms A, at home for 6 months, despite her deteriorating health. He complained that when a home visit was undertaken, the assessment of his partner was inadequate and the referrals that were made were not appropriate.
The Ombudsman found that the Practice did not take adequate steps to assess Ms A following concerning blood test results and failed to recognise that her health conditions prevented her from attending the surgery. This may have contributed to a delay in diagnosing cancer and providing treatment, albeit it was sadly unlikely that this would have changed the outcome. The Ombudsman found that the assessment carried out during a home visit that was undertaken, and the referrals that were made, were clinically appropriate. The Ombudsman upheld Mr C’s complaint that the assessment of Ms A’s need for a home visit was not clinically appropriate and did not uphold Mr A’s complaint about the care that was provided during the home visit.
The Practice agreed to apologise to Mr C and provide feedback to the doctor involved within a month. The Practice also agreed to review its Home Visiting and Complaints Policy within 3 months.
