Mrs H complained that her GP Practice failed to manage her diabetes appropriately and that it removed her from its patient list after she submitted a formal complaint.
The Ombudsman considered that there was insufficient evidence of harm to justify investigating Mrs H’s clinical complaint. However, having considered advice from one of his professional advisers, an experienced GP, he was concerned that the Practice had failed to follow due process when deciding to de-register Mrs H. The Ombudsman was also concerned that the decision was taken in close proximity to a related complaint and that the Practice had shown insufficient regard for Mrs H’s potential vulnerability, given her ongoing medical needs.
In response to the Ombudsman’s concerns, the Practice agreed to formally acknowledge that it had failed to follow due process in reaching its decision and to apologise to Mrs H for the inconvenience and distress this caused her. It also agreed to convene a meeting of the partners to discuss the Ombudsman’s concerns and to provide evidence that it had put in place adequate procedures to ensure that future decisions to de-register patients will only take place in accordance with due process and relevant NHS regulations and professional guidance.
The Ombudsman considered that these actions represented a reasonable settlement of the complaint.
