Nearly four in five GPs in the UK (77%) are concerned about facing investigation if patients come to harm as a result of delayed referrals or non Covid-19 services being unavailable or limited, according to a survey by the Medical Protection Society (MPS).
The MPS survey of 688 UK GPs follows a report from Macmillan which estimates that there are around 50,000 ‘missing’ cancer diagnoses across the UK.
MPS said it expects a “significant” number of medicolegal disputes, complaints and investigations where delayed referrals have seriously impacted on patients’ prognoses and outcomes due to circumstances beyond their doctors’ control.
A MPS spokesperson said the impact of an investigation on the already emotionally and physically exhausted doctors involved would be significant and is urging the government to consider this as it keeps the need for emergency laws to protect doctors from unfair investigation under review.
Dr Rob Hendry, medical director at MPS, said: “We have been talking to members throughout the pandemic and know concern around investigation following an adverse patient outcome which has resulted from a delayed referral has been high, but our recent survey indicates that almost four in five GPs are now worried about this.
“Before the pandemic, there were already long-standing concerns about the extent to which individual doctors are held to account for delayed diagnoses and other incidents that occur due to system pressures or failures. Covid-19 has had a serious impact on the availability of services, and this has severely exacerbated the problem.
“The prospect of a poor outcome under these circumstances would be devastating for any patient, but the psychological impact on the already emotionally and physically exhausted doctors involved would also be significant. On top of that, they face potential medicolegal disputes, complaints and investigations relating to situations they have had no control over.”
