Cancer failings

I sincerely hope that if checks are to be made on GPs in relation to their diagnosing of cancer, the same criteria will apply to hospital consultants to expose their failing too.

My late father’s extremely dedicated GP referred him to hospital on numerous occasions, as he was so clearly very unwell and was failing dreadfully before our very eyes.

His doctor was tearing his hair out when my father was repeatedly turned away from out-patient clinics without any investigation.

One consultant actually asked me – his daughter – to reprimand my late father’s GP for sending him to her clinic.

He was finally diagnosed with cancer more than three and a half years after he had first presented with symptoms – of course by that time his cancer was terminal, and he died nine weeks later.

His GP could not have been more persistent, but primary care doctors are up against hospitals who are telling them they are over-referring.

This current battle between primary care practitioners and secondary care services is
clearly causing lives to be lost at present.

Judi Martin

Maryculter

Aberdeenshire