Sent for operation under general anaesthetic which was pointless - any recourse?

[MrShed]

Hi all, hope you can help.

Back in January, I discovered a lump. This lump was not beneath the skin, it was actually on the skin. I was referred to hospital, who advised me that it was due to a viral infection, and I would have to have an operation under general anaesthetic to remove it. This happened in May this year. By June, the lump had returned, and this was picked up during the checkup I had 3 months later in August. They said I would have to have another operation, but I requested a referral to another department for a second opinion. This other referral led to me being given a topical(cream based) treatment, which has resolved the issue. Moreover, having acquired some literature about the condition from this doctor, and having spoken to him, a general aneasthesia operation is not even a recognised treatment - there are around 5 recognised treatments, the worst case one is a procedure under local anaesthetic.

Do I have any recourse regarding this? I am not of the ilk "where theres blame, theres a claim", but at the end of the day, I lost 2 days work(and no sick pay entitlement) due to the operation, I was in immense pain for around a week due to it, and obviously have undergone a risky procedure, all for no reason. Also, I was left with a lump 8 or 9 months longer than I needed to, as well as the fact that I am now left with scarring, albeit minimal. All of this I believe due to the consultants negligence in treatment, and also my GPs failure to recognise the problem(a fairly common thing, and certainly should be capable of a GP making a diagnosis, or certainly a ball park idea, which he did not) and therefore referring me to technically the wrong department.


Sorry for being purposefully cagey about what the condition is, I do not really want to reveal it if at all possible. However, it is a viral condition, which causes a growth, and otherwise is harmless.

Thanks in advance for any advice.

[ScarletPimpernel]

There are several things you can do, depending upon what you want the outcome to be.

If you just want to raise the issue as a concern rather than a full-blown complaint, contact the Patient Advice and Liaison Service at the hospital where you were treated.

I'd suggest contacting the hospital in the first instance, and ask for a meeting with PALS so you can go over, with them, the notes. This should show what the GP's referral says, and also the consultant's findings and subsequent treatment. If you saw the third doctor at the same hospital, you will also discover whether he has commented on his colleagues' earlier treatment. You can ask any questions you want, and PALS will contact the relevant people for the answers.

The Primary Care Trust will also have a PALS team, or you can speak to the senior partner - unless, of course, he's the doctor you saw.

If you are looking for compensation or feel that there was negligence, then you are probably better off taking legal advice with a view to making a formal complaint. However, it can be difficult to show that there was negligence rather than a difference in clinical opinion or judgment.