A woman who was over-prescribed medication for four years by her doctor has been awarded damages after taking legal action against her GP surgery.
The woman, 60, had been treated by her GP for an underactive thyroid since 2001 and was prescribed increasing levels of Levothyroxine to effectively manage her symptoms.
However, when her health began to deteriorate, often suffering from ‘debilitating migraines’ and severe anxiety, as well as excessive tiredness and exhaustion, she was reassured that her annual blood tests were fine and that she remained on the right medication.
It was only when she moved to a new surgery, as she was struggling to get appointments, that she was alerted to a problem. The woman recalled:
My health gradually deteriorated over time to the point where I couldn’t function. I had piercing migraines, which were so bad that I couldn’t do the most normal day-to-day tasks, and my stress and anxiety levels went through the roof.
I kept trying to get an appointment with my GP, but as a couple of doctors had left the surgery it proved almost impossible as they were so busy, and I was reassured that my annual blood tests were fine.
Eventually I became fed up and moved to a new surgery, where I had an initial blood test, and just a couple of days later I had a call from them asking me to come in and see a doctor as a matter of urgency.
I was worried because I had been feeling so unwell for so long, and I’d previously been tested for thyroid cancer, which had been clear at the time.
When I went in I was told I’d been over-prescribed for more than four years and that, had that continued, I could have been at risk of having a stroke, or osteoporosis. It was frightening to think that, had I not changed surgeries, I’d have been left on that level of medication and the risk to me could have been increasing all the time.
I was told that I needed to substantially reduce my dosage, which I said I couldn’t do immediately, so it was done gradually over time, and as that happened, I found that I became to feel much better, and now today, I am in good health and back doing the things I enjoy. It’s an incredible difference.
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The legal claim alleged GP showed lack of reasonable care
As part of a medical negligence legal claim against the GP surgery, led by Michelle Nurse, of Hudgell Solicitors, it was alleged the GP had failed to use reasonable care and skill in the continued prescription of Levothyroxine, failed to maintain safe levels of prescription and failed to recognise his patient was being overprescribed.
It was admitted there had been over-treatment, a failure to reduce the dose at the appropriate time and a failure to contact the patient in order to review her symptoms.
It was also admitted that, with appropriate care, she would not have been over-prescribed Levothyroxine from September 2016 until she left the practice in 2019.
Medication levels ‘should be constantly reviewed’
Ms Nurse said:
Any responsible general practitioner treating patients with an underactive thyroid should be aware of when to appropriately increase and decease the dosage of Levothyroxine, it is an essential part of the treatment which should be constantly reviewed.
There was a failure to check my client’s compliance with the medication prior to increasing the dosage of Levothyroxine initially in May 2016, and this should have been reduced a few months later when her thyroid stimulating hormone levels were shown to have reduced.
She was simply left on them at the same level of medication and this had a huge impact on her quality of life. I was pleased to be able to secure admissions for her, and the final damages settlement.
The patient added:
When I was told how serious the situation was by my new GP I made an official complaint immediately and received apologies from the surgery, a nurse and the GP.
I knew then that they recognised they had made a serious mistake, and so I took legal action as I wanted to make sure it was addressed more widely.
I thought the world of my GP and trusted him for decades, but actually, when I look back now, I feel that I was just ignored and not properly cared for. I could never get an appointment, and I was out of mind and just left on unsuitable medication.
Michelle at Hudgells was great and very supportive throughout. I always felt that she was on my side and doing the best for me in the case, and she got a good result which I was grateful for.
I think what happened to me just shows you have to be persistent and keep asking to see doctors. I was struggling to get appointments when I felt unwell, and this was before Covid, so it is perhaps more difficult now. I was just told everything was ok when it clearly wasn’t, and that left me feeling betrayed and let down.
My message to anybody on long-term medication is to make sure it is regularly reviewed, especially if there is a change in how well you feel, and if you develop new symptoms. They are the alarm bells and you shouldn’t let a health official dismiss your concerns.
