Sunniside Surgery

Medical notes summary felt unprofessional and unfair

I received medical notes from the surgery that I had requested, but found the handwritten summary of my medical history to be unprofessional and dismissive in tone. The clinician who prepared the notes had never met or spoken with me directly. Particularly concerning was how a medication I had been prescribed but chose not to take—as it was only needed if required—was marked as 'did not take.' This notation referred to a period five years earlier when I was not even registered as a patient at the practice. The way the account was worded suggested I had sought help for various health issues but deliberately refused treatment, which is not an accurate reflection of what actually happened. This misrepresentation fails to acknowledge the genuine effort and commitment patients invest in managing their own health. People's lives extend beyond their GP practice, and inaccurate medical summaries can have serious real-world consequences. In my situation, this affected an important application that I had invested considerable time and effort into pursuing. I would hope that in future, clinicians take the time to engage directly with patients before documenting their medical history, and that they consider how their accounts might impact others' lives. I also hope that should this clinician ever need support or services outside their professional role, they receive compassion and understanding rather than the dismissive approach I experienced. It appeared as though unnecessary effort was made to present my medical history in a negative light, when all that was required was a straightforward provision of medical notes. There are many conscientious healthcare professionals, and unfortunately this does not appear to be one of them.