GP Failure to Refer to Hospital

Miss F had a history of poor blood flow to her legs. Over the Christmas period one year her second toe on her right foot became painful and red. Miss F was seen six times by her GP with worsening symptoms of pain and discolouration in the right toes. She was prescribed different antibiotic and steroid treatment but no referral to hospital. It was 7 weeks after her first GP attendance that she was eventually referred to hospital where she was found to have an ischaemic and gangrenous second toe on the right foot. By this time it was too late to save her foot and so a below the knee amputation was performed. An investigation revealed that Mrs A should have been referred to hospital by the GPs much sooner, and had they done so, Mrs A would have kept her leg for another year. She was awarded £5,000 compensation.