Richmond Hill Group Practice

Written by a carer

This is regarding the treatment of my mother whilst a patient here. She was reporting with he same symptoms time and time again. Epigastric pain and the feeling of something growing in her stomach. She had a history of cancer (thy) and history of being treated with oral radioidoine. She also had Cowden syndrome. So all things were clearly pointing to high high risk of stomach cancer. But it took over a year for them to even begin to investigate. She was told she was over weight, and given PPI medication as it was "just reflux". (PPIs also grow stomach cancer due to up regulation of gastrin). She also had a MASSIVE prescription of pain mediation, which she took 4 times a day EVERY day. Not once was this investigated upon, she was just assumed to be an addict. She died 30 days from diagnosis of stomach cancer. I truly believe she would still be here, if they did their job properly. She was a patient with clear high risk for cancer, especially of the GI system, but she was put in the same box as everyone else, as the medics here lack critical thinking, and the ability to judge on a case by case manner. Whether this is due to lack of training or being over worked, I do not know. All I know is that I lost the most important person to me in my life, and the images of the immense suffering my mum went through in here last days will NEVER leave my mind. They have let the trade down massively, and pretty much destroyed my family. Ways they could improve - Assign one doctor to a patient, and make them the main carer of the patient. So they take on their case, and individualise treatment. Perhaps create an ap which each patient can be linked to their doctor directly, so they can keep direct track of their symptoms and treatment outcomes. I feel the disconnect between doctors and patients is one of the main reasons tragedies like this happen. A GP needs to take ownership of their patients, and be true ambassadors of the profession of healing, not just papering over symptoms which seems to be all they care about here. Case histories often barely get glanced at, and crucial information is missed, then all that happens is the thing on the forefront of the medics mind is "what is the most common representation here and what does that =" Sadly this is how to lose patients who are not the average.

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