Petition for Mandatory In-Person GP Appointments Reaches 100,000 Signatures

A petition advocating for compulsory in-person general practitioner appointments, initiated following the death of a woman due to a phone-based misdiagnosis, has garnered over 100,000 signatures, meeting the requirement for a parliamentary discussion. Laura Barlow, aged 33, residing in Sibsey near Boston, received a diagnosis of endometriosis during a general practitioner’s telephone consultation in October 2023. Following a cancer diagnosis in mid-January, the mother of three children was informed in February that her condition was terminal, advising her to return home from the hospital to be with her family. She passed away three days subsequent to this. A representative for the Department of Health and Social Care (DoHSC) stated: “Patients who prefer a face-to-face appointment should have one.” Mike Barlow, Mrs. Barlow’s husband, contends that chances for his wife to commence treatment were lost as a result of her incorrect diagnosis. He informed the BBC, “I think if they’d seen Laura face-to-face they’d have seen how much pain she was in. Laura died because she was misdiagnosed over the phone. If blood tests had been done we’d have known what was happening.” He added, “Could we have had more time? We will never know because that opportunity was taken away from us.” The petition, initiated by a friend, has accumulated sufficient signatures to warrant discussion in Parliament. Mr. Barlow expresses hope that Members of Parliament will endorse the proposition. He further commented, “People are dying because of this.” Mr. Barlow stated that they had also received expressions of gratitude from individuals who felt empowered “to push to see a GP” after learning about the family’s ordeal. He conveyed his hope that Laura’s lasting impact would be that “all patients will have a choice.” Initially, Mrs. Barlow contacted her general practitioner at the Stickney Surgery after discovering blood in her stool. She received an endometriosis diagnosis via telephone and was prescribed medication, as reported by Mr. Barlow. An appointment was scheduled for her to attend the gynaecology department at Pilgrim Hospital in January; however, she fell ill at work in mid-December. Mr. Barlow had previously informed the BBC that he attempted to take her to the GP, but was directed to the urgent treatment centre at Pilgrim Hospital. Nevertheless, Mr. Barlow recounted that the hospital indicated they could do little since she was already undergoing treatment for endometriosis. Mr. Barlow is of the opinion that if a blood test had been conducted at either the GP surgery or the hospital, the cancer might have been detected. Towards the end of December, Mrs. Barlow returned to Accident & Emergency. On January 2, an ultrasound was performed, revealing lesions. She was admitted to Pilgrim Hospital in mid-January and subsequently received a cancer diagnosis. On February 2, the couple was informed that her condition was beyond treatment. In response, the DoHSC stated: “Our deepest sympathies are with all those involved in this tragic case.” They added, “Patients who prefer a face-to-face appointment should have one. We will fix the front door of the NHS by bringing back the family doctor for those who want to go to the same clinician regularly, and we will ensure everyone who wants to see their GP in person can do so, including by hiring 1,000 extra GPs this year.” For individuals impacted by the subjects discussed in this article, assistance is accessible through the BBC Action Line. Highlights from Lincolnshire can be heard on BBC Sounds, the most recent episode of Look North can be viewed, or stories for potential coverage can be submitted here. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC disclaims responsibility for the content of external websites. Information regarding our approach to external linking is available.