rights as a patient

[lootmaker]

My father has severe kidney damage, diabetes, high blood pressure, heart problems so has a pacemaker, he was taking finofibrate a blood cholesterol lowering drug the doctors took him of it and replaced it with lipitor, recentley complained of muscle pain, he just found out that the drug had eaten away at his muscles...can I sue for malpractice or take this doctor to account, also our local surgery has locems shifting thorugh every day so my dad does not have a regular GP, which im sure isnt that great, im sure doctors have conflicting opinions.

[Englishbird]

Hi, I'm very sorry you're fathers obviously having a pretty rough time of it.  I understand how angry this makes you and that you want someone to do something about it.  Firstly if the doctor that changed the drugs is still at the surgery, i would make an appointment for you and your father to go in and see him/her and ask why it was changed.

I would also make an appointment with the senior GP at the surgery, i wouldn't have thought they were all locums and say you want a permenent doctor to take your father as a patient as you don't believe that the constant changes are helping him.  You have to take your father with you as they will not discuss him with you if he's not there.

Unless the original doctor is known to have been negligent - and without all the facts as to why he changed the medication, you can't know this - then you cannot sue for malpractice.

Personally i am not a fan of suing the NHS as I believe it contributes to the problems.  Of course if someone's done something wrong they should be accountable, but the NHS doesn't need to lose more money or competent doctors.

I hope your dad gets better and that his drugs can be sorted out to help him.  The trick with GP's is to keep going until you find a good one. good luck. xx