VHI swift care complaint

frogstar

Went to VHI Swiftcare for the first time with an injury nearly two months ago.

Wasn't happy with the service (doc was useless in a 3min consultation).

I made a complaint via email to the address provided (they assured me that email was fine though I know I should have posted)

Anyway I did get one response via email that I did not believe to be satisfactory. I was told it would be reviewed by medical director however I have since received nothing since (six weeks) and have chased two or three times for an official response /closure letter.

Is vhi Swiftcare governed by the same rules as vhi as in the financial ombudsman or where can I escalate my complaint and lack of response? As in do they have to abide by a complaint process with time frames to respond? Ive lost trust in the person dealing with it so want to go higher up. It's more so about the lack of response now that I'm annoyed at.

Thanks

AndrewJRenko

They might listen to these guys better than they listen to you;

http://www.medicalcouncil.ie/Public-Information/Making-a-Complaint-

L1011

Swiftcare itself is not an insurance product so the Financial Ombudsman won't have any remit.

Medical Council is where you make complaints about doctors, but being brusque/quick isn't something they'll have concern about - you'll need to show that the doctor misdiagnosed or similar.

Xterminator

Hi OP

were you unhappy with the customer service aspect of your visit, or the medical care provided? Have you followed up with a vist to another GP/clinic and have they made you believe there was a mis-diagnosis?

not sure why you though the clinic would come under the remit of financial ombudsman?

frogstar

Thanks. Will follow up with my own complaint and if I don't get a response will try that council

I thought financial ombudsman as I thought they were linked in some way to vhi insurance directly who I have a policy with.

My issue was I don't think he did anything that warranted full payment. I had a really bad ankle and he didn't examine it, just send me for xray, confirmed no break but did not offer any other advice for what it could be and just sent me on my way, limping out with no idea what was causing my pain. 150 down and knowing nothing more than I did before I went in. Yes I went to GP since which they examined and it's now on the mend with physio

L1011

frogstar wrote: »

I thought financial ombudsman as I thought they were linked in some way to vhi insurance directly who I have a policy with.

They are linked, but Swiftcare is not an insurance product and hence they have no remit.

frogstar wrote: »

My issue was I don't think he did anything that warranted full payment. I had a really bad ankle and he didn't examine it, just send me for xray, confirmed no break but did not offer any other advice for what it could be and just sent me on my way, limping out with no idea what was causing my pain. 150 down and knowing nothing more than I did before I went in. Yes I went to GP since which they examined and it's now on the mend with physio

I don't think the Medical Council would entertain this as a valid complaint about professional practice.

davo10

frogstar wrote: »

Thanks. Will follow up with my own complaint and if I don't get a response will try that council

I thought financial ombudsman as I thought they were linked in some way to vhi insurance directly who I have a policy with.

My issue was I don't think he did anything that warranted full payment. I had a really bad ankle and he didn't examine it, just send me for xray, confirmed no break but did not offer any other advice for what it could be and just sent me on my way, limping out with no idea what was causing my pain. 150 down and knowing nothing more than I did before I went in. Yes I went to GP since which they examined and it's now on the mend with physio

Op, Swiftcare is essentially an emergency service, he sent you for X-ray and confirmed there was no break. That is essentially what he was supposed to do, more comprehensive treatment is offered by your GP. I suspect there is a set fee with swiftcare which is set by VHI rather than the Doctor. Whether the consultation fee is "warranted" is something for you to consider before going there, if you were aware of the €150 before going in, then it's a case of buyer beware.

I suspect you might feel you got better value for money if he told you your ankle was broken.

ohnonotgmail

frogstar wrote: »

Thanks. Will follow up with my own complaint and if I don't get a response will try that council

I thought financial ombudsman as I thought they were linked in some way to vhi insurance directly who I have a policy with.

My issue was I don't think he did anything that warranted full payment. I had a really bad ankle and he didn't examine it, just send me for xray, confirmed no break but did not offer any other advice for what it could be and just sent me on my way, limping out with no idea what was causing my pain. 150 down and knowing nothing more than I did before I went in. Yes I went to GP since which they examined and it's now on the mend with physio

Did you ask him what he thought was causing the pain?

frogstar

Yes I did ask what else could it be and he just shrugged and said mmm I don't know it could be anything.

There were two other doctors there who I could overhear with their patients asking questions etc... What happened, when, how etc.. Walk up and down etc.. Mine didn't

Mine barely mumbled a hello and was very hard to understand too. He could have also done an ultrasound which is what my own doctor sent me for after I went to swift care I think if I had one of the other doctors I wouldnt need to complain but I really don't think he performed a comprehensive review

Thanks for replies. I think I will just leave it a couple weeks and follow up again with the clinical manager, at this stage I'm just looking for a response and closure for it. Not getting a response is frustrating and I don't think a clinic should blatantly ignore a complaint, I'm sure they have a complaints process to follow

davo10

An X-ray is usually taken before an ultrasound to confirm whether a bone is broken, your GP did an ultrasound knowing that an X-ray had already been done and that this had not shown a fracture.

You seem sore that you paid €150 to be told your ankle was not broken, the actual process of assessing the need for an X-ray and interpreting it is exactly the same irrespective of whether the bone is fractured or not. But you don't attach the same value to a negative finding as you would a positive one.

As an emergency service, it would seem he did what was required, he examined your ankle, took an X-ray, interpreted it and confirmed it wasn't broken so there were no displaced bones. Long term care is for you to discuss with your GP. Hospital A&Es will X-ray you then arrange an out patient appointment, you went to your GP for this.

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salmocab

I went in a a few months back with a pain and after a short while I was told to go to A&E as the doc thought it was appendicitis possibly, went to hospital told triage nurse she laughed and said it couldnt possibly be appendicitis as appendix is nowhere near the pain, 7 hours later the doctor in A&E confirmed it wasnt appendicitis then about 6 hours later it was finally confirmed as appendicitis. The swiftcare doctor was by far the most competent healthcare professional I dealt with in a 3 day time period.

Also only charged me 60 so I was presenting at A&E as basically a GP referral

frogstar

I don't agree Davo that I would have been happy with a broken ankle but in no way did he examine my ankle, he didn't even touch it to see where the pain was when the day before I was screaming in pain with a physio when he pressed it (he wouldn't continue til I got a xray)

In short all he did was send me for an x ray that someone else performed.

As per last poster I would have expected some sort of diagnosis, I don't think that is too much to expect. Yes I am miffed at paying 150, not because I don't have a broken ankle but I was none the wiser after my visit and then still had to pay gp and ultrasound after. Perhaps in hindsight this is the route I should have taken and I was confused myself where to go first. I went to physio then swiftcare then gp. But perhaps GP should have been first port of call

I wouldn't have went to a and even with my issue but was advised that swiftcare can assist with minor injuries that you wouldn't bother a busy a and e with. I had been in pain for three weeks

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frogstar

....... wrote: »

Why did you go to a VHI Swiftcare if youd been in pain for 3 weeks? Why did you not just go to your GP?

I only use them as an out of hours service myself, Id always use my GP as a first preference but my GPs isnt open on weekends.

Quite simply, lack of funds as in why I waited so long and I was doing the Rice method but it wasn't helping much

ohnonotgmail

frogstar wrote: »

Quite simply, lack of funds as in why I waited so long and I was doing the Rice method but it wasn't helping much

isnt going to swiftcare more expensive than a gp?

frogstar

ohnonotgmail wrote: »

isnt going to swiftcare more expensive than a gp?

We're going off topic here and I have my answer that I need in relation to my original postbut yes of course it's more expensive

I was advised by a few people that I'd need an xray at least and that Swiftcare is best to get diagnosed and xray at same time. It didn't work out that way for me but I was waiting til payday so whether I spent 60 euro on GP and then extra for an xray or 150 for everything with Swiftcare, swiftcare seemed to make the most sense as I could also just walk, (hobble!) into without an appointment

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wonski

Knee injuries are pain to diagnose if x-ray shows nothing.

My recent experience was that it is easier and cheaper to go GP route.

Referral to A&E from GP means you only pay your GP. A&E could be a roulette, but I managed to get in and out with x-ray done in under 90 minutes (showed up at 9 in the morning in the middle of the week) Had an appointment with orthopedic arranged 4 weeks later and physio done on the spot at the same time. MRI scan 4 weeks after the doctor requested it.

All for 50 euro. You have to play the system sometimes to get a result.

I don't think your vhi service has failed to a level of official complain. If there is a ligament damage or something similar you need to get MRI scan done and I doubt they have a capacity to do it.

davo10

frogstar wrote: »

I was advised by a few people that I'd need an xray at least and that Swiftcare is best to get diagnosed and xray at same time. It didn't work out that way for me but I was waiting til payday so whether I spent 60 euro on GP and then extra for an xray or 150 for everything with Swiftcare, swiftcare seemed to make the most sense as I could also just walk, (hobble!) into without an appointment

Then you got what you paid for. A standard X-ray is used to diagnose fractures, they are not of great diagnostic value for soft tissue injuries. You went there for an X-ray to see if your ankle was fractured, you got one, it wasn't fractured.

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Alun

I went there a couple of months ago with a knee injury incurred while hillwalking. Triage nurse was very thorough, and the doctor too, asking me about how the injury was done, testing the range of movement on my knee, and sending me for an X-Ray to confirm nothing broken. Interpreted X-Ray there and then, no breaks, no ligament tears (phew!), lots of effusion and swelling though, some signs of general wear and tear (I'm 60, so no surprise!), gave me advice about RICE and a referral letter for an MRI if no significant improvement in the next week or so. Had the MRI and when I got the report confirming a meniscus tear, called the clinic to chat with her about it, and what to do going forward for a good 20 mins on a Sunday afternoon. All in all a great service, and I'd certainly use it again. Nearly 10 weeks later it's pretty much 100% again.

Miaireland

Most likely if you went to A&E they would have taken a X-Ray. Maybe refer you to an Orthopaedic Surgeon or specialist and maybe suggest you go for an MRI. If it is not a break you for a true diagnosis they would need an MRi.You probably wouldn't't come out with a diagnosis. The Doctor you saw would not been specialist enough to give you a full diagnosis without an MRI.
I think the VHI clinic advertising gives the impression at times that they can do more than they can.

tracey turnblad

I'd recommend the Mater clinic in Smithfield in this case. It's €100 x rays are included and not nearly half as busy as Mater A&E. I've been here twice with my son, broken hand and another time head to be glued after falling off his bike... wasn't an hour both times. They referred him on to the Mater fracture clinic for the broken hand