We investigated a complaint brought by M’s mother, Mrs P, which focused on whether M’s consultations with clinicians at a GP practice (“the GP Practice”) in relation to abdominal symptoms between 11 March 2024 and 8 June 2024 were appropriately managed and whether there were any missed opportunities to diagnose appendicitis.
The investigation found that there were omissions in M’s consultations with the GP practice on 6 June and, in particular, the afternoon appointment on 6 June where there was no documented abdominal examination. The failure to document an abdominal examination when there was worsening abdominal pain meant there was uncertainty as to whether there was a missed opportunity for an earlier referral to secondary care.
We partially upheld Mrs P’s complaint and recommended that the GP practice within 1 month of the date of the final report apologise for the service failure identified in the report and that the report is shared at a practice meeting to discuss the shortcomings identified.