So that harm to the patient is not seen to be the prerogative of
surgical procedures let us look at diagnosis. Often quoted as the reason
that Alternative therapies cannot be trusted to work except under the supervision
of a qualified GP What of well publicised items such as journalist S .
Arnold having a brain tumour diagnosed as influenza. Or the friend of Kathleen
Whitehorn , who died of diabetes untreated for 5 months because a GP thought
it was arthritis. He sent the patient to a specialist who treated the non
existent arthritis and failed to diagnose diabetes. What of Mrs. Vaughan
who was diagnosed as suffering from cancer and had both breasts removed.
She was later awarded 98,361 pounds when it was proved that she did not
have cancer. Or consider the case of Mrs. Campbell who was correctly diagnosed
as having cervical cancer , but as no one noticed she was pregnant, had
to have an abortion at 6 1/2 months due to cancer drug damage to the baby.
A 20 year old student queried the prescription of anti-convulsant drugs
for the after affects of his brain tumour. He had never had a brain tumour.
3 In May 1996 Jaqueline James agreed to an abortion on 'very clear
advice ' from doctors at Queen Elizabeth Hospital that her baby would be
mentally retarded. A coroners report showed that there had been nothing
wrong with her child. In 1997 a fatal accident inquiry heard that Surgeon
Gerald Davies was alcoholic and operating while twice over the 'drink/drive
limit , caused two deaths in bowel investigations. at St. John's Livingstone.
West Lothian.. A 24 yr old woman got stomach pains and diarrhoea. Her doctor
diagnosed irritable bowel syndrome. This was treated for "several years
" without much success. As she complained the GP considered that she had
a mental problem and referred her to a hospital for psychiatric treatment.
She was treated for glandular fever and put on anti depressants for 3 years.
After a Gastroenterologist took an x-ray it was shown that she had a large
ovarian cyst which was removed and she was correctly diagnosed as suffering
from endometriosis years after the trouble first arose.
In June 1993 a young boy was diagnosed as having a bone tumour and
given chemotherapy which made him ill and caused his hair to fall out.
The diagnosis was incorrect. A pathologist is on sick leave and likely
to retire early. In July 1996 , at a private hospital, a woman died when
she was injected with 10 times the correct amount of pain killer. The doctor
injecting misread his colleagues handwriting. The husband , Mr. Burwash
is taking legal action against the Princess Grace Hospital , London. In
1996 Joanna Johnson who had a breast removed , was diagnosed as having
extensive bone cancer and told she had 5 weeks to live but 5 months later
after extensive treatment, she got a second opinion and was told she'd
never had bone cancer. She was awarded £20,000. So much for the vaunted
expertise of the GP or physician.
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