Chris Burton wrote: Thoughts please...
distressed patient was concerned about care in his father's (also our pt)
last illness in hosp. Has been to lawyer and had specialist report compiled
form hospital records which may or may not be critical of some aspects of
care. He has a copy of report from his lawyer and asks what some of the
technical terms in the report mean as they feel lawyer reluctant / unable to
explain.
He asks you to comment - simply by explaining terms, NOT passing any form of
opinion, but obviously understanding may influence their opinion. He is
struggling with a grief reaction ( rather than obviously simply striving to
gain from litigation)
Is this reasonable / heading into deep water ? Would you agree to help?
I guess technically this is outside your terms of service. You could also
be pulled in front of GMSC for criticising hospital Dr (see previous thread
where Hospital Dr criticised GP).
Personally if a patient wants to ask what a couple of terms mean, that's OK,
but are you going to be able to sort this out in 10 mins? I would consider
pointing him towards the local CHC. After all your relationship with the
local hospital is, in the long term, more important than that with this one
individual patient. Consider discussing with your MDU/MPS.
Unless of course you really want to see some sparks fly. ;-) I have done
this on one or two occasions with (some)success.
Mark
Dr G Mark Trowell
Highbridge Medical Centre
Pepperall Road
Highbridge
Somerset
TA9 3YA
Hakunamatata
(01278) 783220
(01278) 795486 (Fax)
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