"Misdiagnosis and lack of treatment over two year period"

Two years ago my GP found I had a chest infection and also though I may have a clot on the lung so arranged for me to go to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, King’s Lynn.

When I arrived I had an angina attack so had ECG which did not show a heart attack. I was then sent home, when I asked about the blood clot this was dismissed as “your GP has it wrong”.

A few days later, I had a blood test ordered my GP. The test showed an infection marker so my GP arranged for me to go to the QEHKL Medical Assessment Unit. On arrival saw a doctor who explained I would have a blood test every hour. I was then seen by a second doctor who did not say much.

When I did not get a blood test after an hour I asked the ward manager why not and was told I would be told why by the consultant the next day. Next day I was told I had had a heart attack or serious angina attack and was transferred to the heart ward. I was then sent to Papworth for an angiogram. This showed the aortic valve problem which I had known about since childhood, and I was discharged.

The chest pains continued and I was readmitted twice more before the consultant told me at 9pm I had a musculo-skeletal complaint and discharged me.

Eventually the chest pain subsided and I had no more problems until October last year when the severe pain started again. Since then I have had a number of angina attacks and was referred to Papworth again.

This time the angiogram showed some changes but I was told that the real problem was the chest pain which needed to be seen to as it was likely this would eventually cause a heart attack. At first the QEHKL refused to accept me back, despite my new cardiologist making it clear I was to be returned. My new cardiologist was going on holiday and left a plan for me for when I returned.

I was not treated as he had requested and a few days later was readmitted with vomiting and diarrhoea. After complaining via the matron I was told an MRI appointment had been arranged and also the physiotherapist would see me. The scan was undertaken and showed a compression fracture of the back, but the report was not given for two weeks and I was told an appointment with the pain clinic would be made sometime.

After two years I have still not had a proper examination for the skeletal problems despite two verbal complaints and a letter of complaint and it will be May before I get one.

It would seem, in this day and age, that if you have a single complaint you will be dealt with but if you have an underlying condition and then develop another problem the whole system goes into meltdown. Have any others also found this to be the case?