GP prescribes penicillin to patient with allergy
Gill went to see an out of hours GP prior to going away on holiday, who diagnosed her with having a gum infection. Gill had been allergic to penicillin for over thirty years and suffered a severe reaction to the drug if ever she took it.
During the consultation, she informed the GP three times that she was allergic to penicillin. He wrote out a prescription for her for amoxicillin. This is a penicillin-based drug, but Gill was unaware of this.
Gill started taking the medication and twenty-four hours later she began suffering a severe reaction. A rash began to appear on her legs and then spread all over her body. She also felt that she was burning up. Gill attended a local doctor's surgery the following day and was informed that the medication she was taking contained penicillin and that she was obviously having an allergic reaction.
Over the following days Gill’s symptoms got worse. She began to feel nauseous and started suffering with diarrhoea. Gill’s skin also deteriorated until it looked bruised all over and so she went to the nearest hospital where she was given steroids in the minor injuries unit.
Gill’s condition did not get better and, on returning home, she went to see her own GP who diagnosed her with Steven Johnson’s syndrome. She was prescribed further steroids. Gill suffered severe symptoms for a period of three months. Her eyes, mouth, tongue and lips became swollen and there were times during the three month period that Gill was forced to remain in bed.
As a result of being prescribed the drugs containing penicillin and having the allergic reaction Gill also suffered psychologically.
Gill was awarded over £15,000 after pursing a claim against the locum GP with representation from our clinical negligence lawyers.