I’m a clinical negligence lawyer, what should you do if your doctor is ignoring your concerns?

How might my doctor be ignoring my health concerns?

If you think your doctor is ignoring you, or you are unsure, some common signs can include:

• They aren’t directly responding to your concerns.
• They may use dismissive language or behaviour.
• They may excuse your worries or say they it isn’t anything to worry about.
• The conversation seems to move away from your health concerns, or the conversation is redirected to discuss something else.
• There are difficulties booking an appointment.
• You are unable to get referred to a specialist.

What should I do if my doctor is ignoring me?

There are various ways to actively ensure your doctor has your best interests at heart and that your health worries are being seen to.

1. Prepare for your appointment in advance.

If you have booked an appointment, put time aside beforehand to think about what you exactly want to say. When addressing your health, you must be as clear and concise as possible to establish what your main concerns are, so your doctor knows exactly what is going on.

Sometimes, there may be miscommunication during your appointment. With preparation, this can be avoided, and your doctor can clearly respond to the issue at hand.

2. Be honest with your doctor that you feel like your concerns aren’t being addressed properly.

Your doctor may be unaware of how they are coming across. Therefore, it is important to be honest to communicate that you are not satisfied with the service provided by your doctor.

With honesty, your doctor can take accountability for their actions and are given an opportunity to apologise and do better.

3. Have a friend or family member present at your appointment.

To make sure all information is clearly stated and shared with your doctor, having a friend or family member join your appointment can help the conversation be as effective as possible.

If you are feeling worried or anxious, you may find yourself nervous and unable to communicate how you are feeling. Your friend or family member can make sure nothing is missed and provide support with your health concerns.

4. Ask for a second opinion through another doctor

You are entitled in gaining a second opinion through another doctor. Through another doctor, you will be treated as a new patient with an independent opinion about your health concern. The second doctor can access previous health records, assessments or x-rays to help them with their opinion.

If you choose to get a second opinion from another doctor, this will be done through your current doctor. Therefore, you must be prepared on voicing why it is important to you to gain a second opinion for them to enable this.

5. Raise a complaint to a practice manager.

If you believe your doctor is still ignoring your health concerns despite raising them multiple times, you can make a complaint to the practice manager. Practice managers are a senior member of the medical team, responsible for overseeing all practice staff.

If you choose to escalate your issue with them, they can ensure better practices occur and that your concerns are seen to faster.

6. Make an official complaint

You can make an official complaint about a practice or a GP through the practice’s website, complaints email address or the Health Service Ombudsman.

Slater and Gordon also have an official template to guide you on how you can raise a complaint to your healthcare provider. Access the template here.

7. Consider taking legal action

If you feel that speaking to your doctor has not helped alleviate the concerns that you have, you have the opportunity to take a more formal route by discussing your case with a lawyer. Nadia Saber explains further;

“Instructing a solicitor gives you a chance to gain more of an understanding of whether the care provided to you fell below a reasonable standard of care.

“We can request your medical records, and should we consider that you have a potential claim, we can instruct experts of the same discipline as your treating doctor, who can provide an independent opinion of whether they consider that the care provided to you was substandard.

“Sometimes expert evidence provides you with the answers that you need that you sadly did not obtain from your own treating doctor.

“Should there be supportive expert evidence we then can take further steps to write a formal letter to the individual or hospital trust and you will have the opportunity to see their response.”

How can I be an advocate for myself?

You deserve a high-standard of care no matter what and Slater and Gordon is here you empower you through these challenging moments.

When you are feeling concerned that you are unable to access proper care or diagnosis through your healthcare provider, you shouldn’t have to face this alone.

Our self-advocacy website features medical negligence specialist advice on what steps to take in advocating for yourself in healthcare, insight into your rights as a patient and what further support you can get such as our self-advocacy toolkit.

If you are considering seeking legal support for your medical negligence claim, speak with one of our experts today by calling 0330 107 5064 or contact us online.