Child cancer case complaint rejected

A complaint made against an Ayrshire and Arran GP practice in relation to a tragic child cancer case has been thrown out by a watchdog.

The case centred around a young patient whose parent complained about the treatment they received.

The Ayrshire and Arran GP practice has not been identified, nor has the patient, or relatives.

Other details of the case have emerged from the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman (SPSO), who rejected claims the practice “failed to provide appropriate care and treatment”.

The parent of the tragic child, (known as A) is referred to as ‘C’ in the report, for confidentiality reasons. In an extract from the SPSO report, they said: “C complained that the practice failed to provide appropriate care and treatment to their late child (A).

‘A’ had a lump removed from their eyelid which was subsequently diagnosed to be cancerous.

‘A’ went to see their doctor with severe pain in their left arm, which moved to their right arm and neck.

‘A’ was prescribed painkillers and referred to physiotherapy.

‘A’ returned from a family holiday and, still suffering from severe pain which had worsened, saw another doctor.

A’s painkillers were changed and they were referred to physiotherapy.

“After a further consultation, A was referred for an x-ray which identified that A’s C6 vertebrae (found in the inferior end of the neck, just above the thorax) had collapsed and that there was a cancerous tumour.

‘A’ died a few months later. Following the child’s death, their parent complained that doctors at the practice ‘failed to respond to A’s symptoms in a reasonable manner,’ given A’s ‘history of cancer.’

The SPSO found that the practice’s consultations with ‘C’ were “reasonable,” and there was “no unreasonable delay” in the decision to refer their child for an x-ray.

The watchdog also rejected that there was any wrong doing on how the complaint was handled.