Harassment of Patients
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It only came to my attention in October 2005 how the practice of labelling patients as vexatious or persistent complainants can be used effectively as a punishment to deny those patients normal access to healthcare. A case that has been referred to me involves the Selby and York Primary Care Trust denying Sharon Wilson registration with a General Practitioner or access to out of hours services. Instead she is moved through a rota of GP practices every few weeks. She who is suffering both from an acute infection and from serious chronic conditions, including cancer, diabetes and agoraphobia. Some of the symptoms were probably worsened by negligent and inadequately monitored treatment many years ago, but it has never been possible to prove a complaint of negligence or professional misconduct. Not surprisingly she has lost all confidence in the doctor concerned, but that does not prevent his being the only point of access for GP services when it is his turn on the rota. |
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Sheila
Porter-Williams |