Medical Case??

big big loader

Hi - just looking for some feedback regarding an issue we had with our GP recently. My wife brought our 5 month old son to our GP surgery recently for his latest course of jabs/innoculations. The nurse in the surgery who usually issues these jabs was on leave and there was an agency nurse covering. My wife noticed the nurse appeared somewhat dishevelled from the outset - not really clued in to what she was doing, was extremely scruffy for a surgery nurse. Firstly i might add my wife works in the pharmacy trade so would be fairly au fait with different drugs and types of drugs etc. Anyway the nurse gave my son his jabs and while she went to complete his innoculation register/booklet that a parent keeps for each child my wife copped that she had in fact givin him the wrong innoculation and had given him the same innoculation that he had received on his previous visit instead of the one he was due. my wife questioned the nurse who then attempted to cover this up and said she had just completed the booklet incorrectly and not given him the same jab as he had received previously. My wife asked to speak to the GP immediately who entered the room a few minutes later. The nurse again attempted to cover up saying she just complted the booklet incorrectly. My wife wouldnt settle for this - the GP sent my wife to a private room while she talked to the nurse. The GP later entered with the box of the drug my son received that the GP had recovered from the medical bin. She asked my wife if that was the one my son had been injected with which my wife said it was. The Dr admitted that if it was then it was the same inocculation he had previously received. the Dr said she would contact the HSE regarding the issue and call my wife later. When the GP called she a couple of hours later she said the HSE had informed her that a second dose of this inocculation would not affect my son in any adverse way and that he was to be brought in fot his proper inocculation in a months time. My wife questioned the Dr again as to whether the nurse on call had admitted she had given him the wrong jab and the GP said she hadnt and that she is still denying the fact that she did. My wife asked the GP whether she thought the nurse was at fault to which she answered she could not say that she was. My wife asked her if the nurse was still working there and the GP said she was. My wife was extremely annoyed obviously by the fact my son had incorrectly received an injection which could have been extremely harmful firstly but also by the fact the nurse blatantly lied to cover it up, and the GP stood by her and the nurse remained working in the surgery for the remainder of the permanent nurse's leave - putting other people at risk. We have reported her to an Bord Altrannais but we are prepared to go further with this due to our annoyance. Any advice/info/help greatly appreciated

coylemj

What have you in mind when you say you'd like to 'go further with this due to our annoyance'? Would money calm you down? If you want compo, see a solicitor, otherwise a complaint to the Nursing Board is the route to take.

Try using paragraphs next time.

Santa Cruz

Not sure what value can be put on annoyance

No Pants

Too much free time and not enough paragraphs.

Little CuChulainn

She made a mistake. No harm was done. She will probably face workplace disciplinary action. You can make a complaint to the HSE or Nursing Board if you want but they'd probably do even less. Then let it go and get on with your life.

garbeth

Definitely take this further. Regardless of whether the double dose did any harm or not it very easily could have.

Write to the doctor and to the board

I would also change doctors

Are my paragraphs ok

Oryx

Do you want money? (Calling this a 'case' makes it seem like you do) Or is it just an apology and the nurse reprimanded that you seek? You are entitled to the latter, and should get your sons health double checked, but a payout? I don't think so.

Bepolite

Santa Cruz wrote: »

Not sure what value can be put on annoyance

20 million euro if that annoyance is a lack of paragraphing :P

I would go further. Further up the road to the next GP's office. People make mistakes and the first reaction is to panic. You've reported it, leave it at that.

Santa Cruz

garbeth wrote: »

Definitely take this further. Regardless of whether the double dose did any harm or not it very easily could have.

Write to the doctor and to the board

I would also change doctors

Are my paragraphs ok

You lose marks for absence of full stops and question mark on last sentence.

Santa Cruz

Oryx wrote: »

Do you want money? (Calling this a 'case' makes it seem like you do) Or is it just an apology and the nurse reprimanded that you seek? You are entitled to the latter, and should get your sons health double checked, but a payout? I don't think so.

If he has a choice he'll take the money.

nuac

It was a mistake.

Your son is OK.

Leave it

Pat Mustard

Santa Cruz wrote: »

If he has a choice he'll take the money.

I doubt that many solicitors would be interested in medical negligence cases with no personal injuries.

emmabrighton

I don't think you should leave it. I think you should follow up on your complaint and make sure in future that every medication your baby gets is signed off by more than one person. This is what happens at my G.P's office and what happened in the hospital where my son spent 3 months in the NICU.

OldNotWIse

You cannot recover for annoyance.

goz83

Is it possible your wife was mistaken? I've known security guards who thought they were FBI agents.

Its good to know that nobody was physically injured