GP did not examine or urgently refer patient later diagnosed with bowel cancer

A doctor did not examine or urgently refer a patient who was later diagnosed with bowel cancer.

The person turned up at an Ayrshire and Arran GP with symptoms of rectal bleeding, a change in bowel habit and abdominal pain.

The practice made a routine referral to the hospital but did not conduct a rectal examination.

The patient felt that there was an unreasonable delay in diagnosing and treating their cancer as a result.

A watchdog found that the GP should have examined them and marked their hospital referral as urgent.

The Scottish Public Services Ombudsman (SPSO) also found that information about the patient’s family history was not recorded correctly.

“We upheld this part of [the] complaint,” the ombudsman said.

“However, we noted that it was unlikely that these failings would have had any impact on the treatment options or outcome for [the patient].”

The SPSO also determined that the practice failed to reflect on the failings in their response to the complaint.

The medical practice was ordered to apologise, and staff were asked to “ensure that failings are reflected on”.

Director of East Ayrshire’s health and social care partnership, Craig McArthur, said: “I am sorry that the high standards of care that we strive for in NHS Ayrshire & Arran were not met for this patient.

“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 SPSO report.

“To ensure learning across the organisation, we will share the findings from the report with staff and seek assurance from our teams that the necessary actions have been completed.”