The Department of Health's Response To Brain Tumor Misdiagnosis

Below is an email, sent on 26 October 2009, from Jonathan Tringham at the Customer Service Centre at the UK Government's Department of Health:

"Dear Mr Huckle,
 
Thank you for your email of 4 October copied to the Department of Health about your daughter Tara's treatment.  I have been asked to reply.
 
I was very sorry to read about your concerns with the treatment Tara received at the North Laine Medical Centre, but I am also pleased to read that Tara has a good prognosis and is getting better, and that you are satisfied with the treatment she received at the Brighton Eye Hospital and King's College Hospital London.

Although the NHS strives to ensure that all patients receive the best possible treatment, the Department of Health acknowledges that sometimes people will be unhappy with the treatment that they or their relatives receive.  The Department has, therefore, established a complaints procedure for the NHS to resolve concerns and to help local NHS organisations learn from the experiences of their patients.  The complaints procedure is designed to help any patient, relative, or carer to raise their concerns about NHS services.

All organisations delivering NHS care recognise that they owe a duty of care to any patient they treat and that because of this, issues and concerns are best resolved by the local organisation or organisations concerned.  For this reason, the first stage in the official complaints process is to raise the matter locally, as you have done.

If, when you have received a response, you are not satisfied, then you may request an independent review by the Health Service Ombudsman.  I should emphasise that the Health Service Ombudsman is completely independent of the NHS, the Government and the Department of Health.

You can contact the Ombudsman at:

The Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman
MillbankTower
Millbank
London SW1P 4QP
Tel: 0345 015 4033
Email: phso.enquiries@ombudsman.org.uk
Website: www.ombudsman.org.uk

To assist patients and carers in using the NHS complaints procedure, each hospital and Primary Care Trust (PCT) has a Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS) to support people who wish to make a complaint.  The PALS telephone number for the Brighton and Hove City PCT is 0800 013 0251 and the email address is brightonandhovepals@nhs.net.

There is also an Independent Complaints Advocacy Service (ICAS) to provide help and support in making a formal complaint.  ICAS can help you to structure your complaint, access relevant records and draft letters to the NHS organisation.  The telephone number for the South East ICAS office is 0845 600 8616.
 
I hope this reply is helpful, and wish Tara all the best for her future treatment."

Tara's dad responded thus:

"Dear Jonathan,

Thank-you for your concern regarding Tara; if you have some spare moments you can read more about her at www.tarastale.org.

I also got in contact with my local MP, David Lepper, and through him I have been called by Jane Bolding (copied here), Patient and Public Engagement Manager at the Brighton & Hove City PCT.  I understand that Jane is conducting an inquiry into Tara's case.

I'm very pleased there is to be an inquiry - the team at King's College Hospital have told me that Tara was displaying very obvious signs of Neurological Disorder and that they should have rang the alarm bells of any medical professional. And yet several misdiagnosed her. I want an awareness of her symptoms and thereby an improvement in the services offered by various front line medical services.

However, as you rightly point out - thankfully Tara is still alive today due to the excellence of other parts of the NHS, for which our family are very grateful."