GP diagnosed anxiety issues

“Neither risk alone would preclude prescribing combined oral contraceptive, but consideration would be made for two risks, as in this case.

“We found that the health centre failed to provide A with reasonable medical care and treatment.”

The Ombudsman has ordered the medical practice to apologise for its failings.

The practice has also been told that patients presenting with similar symptoms should be carefully considered and that, where appropriate, face-to-face appointments should be offered.

They added that “prior to prescribing the combined oral contraceptive pill for patients who have two or more risk factors for pulmonary embolus, careful consideration should be given to the risk factors”.

The health centre has also been told to ensure that all complaints are handled in line with the NHS Model Complaints Handling Procedure (MCHP), particularly in terms of the requirement to respond in a timely manner.

Vicki Campbell, head of primary and urgent care services at East Ayrshire Health and Social Care Partnership said: “I am sorry that we did not meet the high standards of care that we strive for in NHS Ayrshire and Arran for this patient, and offer my deepest condolences to their family.

“In addition to a formal apology to the family of patient A, I can advise that the GP practice has fully accepted the recommendations in the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman (SPSO) report.

“In order to ensure learning across the organisation, we will share the findings from the report with staff and assurance to our clinical governance teams that the necessary actions have been completed.”