Optometrist spared jail

[redfox]

And you have no idea of the circumstances

 

And so are in position to judge another

 

 

 

 

No

 

 

 

Sol - you are obviously aware of the full circumstances - or are you just being critical of someone else in the same position as you making a comment from what has been reported?

 

If a medical professional makes a serious mistake - such mistake capable of being described as gross negligence - and the patient dies as a consequence they will be prosecuted and the GMC will be all over them like a rash.

[Solomon1]

Sol - you are obviously aware of the full circumstances - or are you just being critical of someone else in the same position as you making a comment from what has been reported?

 

If a medical professional makes a serious mistake - such mistake capable of being described as gross negligence - and the patient dies as a consequence they will be prosecuted and the GMC will be all over them like a rash.

 

This case is just so unusual

 

On SO many levels

 

How often would a Boots optometrist see swollen optic discs?

 

Pretty rarely, I would imagine

 

And you can't diagnose

 

What you can't recognise

 

Especially when it is not your field

 

To diagnose life threatening conditions

 

---------- Post added 29-08-2016 at 15:59 ----------

 

the case was put before a jury and they found the defendant guilty there has been extensive reporting of the case and analysis by those who understand the law and the error which was made and they, on the whole, seemed to think the verdict was, in the circumstances, fair

 

OK

 

Then there must be much more to this case

 

Than is being disclosed

 

By the trashy headlines I've seen

[redfox]

This case is just so unusual

 

On SO many levels

 

How often would a Boots optometrist see swollen optic discs?

 

Pretty rarely, I would imagine

 

And you can't diagnose

 

What you can't recognise

 

Especially when it is not your field

 

To diagnose life threatening conditions

 

---------- Post added 29-08-2016 at 15:59 ----------

 

 

OK

 

Then there must be much more to this case

 

Than is being disclosed

 

By the trashy headlines I've seen

 

 

 

Sol - I would agree that there may well be more to this than we see in the papers - there usually is when criminal cases are reported.

However the fact remains that the evidence (if what we read is in any way accurate) was to the effect the problem was obvious and clear, plus she lied about the circumstances of the examination - not a good idea.

[Solomon1]

plus she lied about the circumstances of the examination

 

What happened?

[redfox]

What happened?

 

She lied about the circumstances of the examination.

[Solomon1]

She lied about the circumstances of the examination

 

Right, so what did she say happened then?

[Robin-H]

This case is just so unusual

 

On SO many levels

 

How often would a Boots optometrist see swollen optic discs?

 

Pretty rarely, I would imagine

 

And you can't diagnose

 

What you can't recognise

 

Especially when it is not your field

 

To diagnose life threatening conditions

 

---------- Post added 29-08-2016 at 15:59 ----------

 

 

OK

 

Then there must be much more to this case

 

Than is being disclosed

 

By the trashy headlines I've seen

 

What are you talking about?

 

Boots optometrists (indeed all optometrists) are trained to see swollen disks.

 

As I have said previously, an optometrist spotted my swollen disks, I went straight to the hospital where I was told I had a brain tumour. If my optometrist had missed that I would be dead. It is the optometrists job.

 

I'm sure it is not a common occurrence, but it does happen and because of the seriousness of the cause all optometrists are trained to see it. Swollen disks are also not very difficult to spot.

[redfox]

Right, so what did she say happened then?

 

https://www.aop.org.uk/ot/professional-support/clinical-and-regulatory/2016/07/15/optom-found-guilty-of-gross-negligence-manslaughter

[Solomon1]

https://www.aop.org.uk/ot/professional-support/clinical-and-regulatory/2016/07/15/optom-found-guilty-of-gross-negligence-manslaughter

 

Thanks redfox

 

What was unclear to me

 

Was why this person had been singled out to blame

 

When the child had died 5 months later

 

Presumably, displaying symptoms

 

Some considerable time beforehand

 

That OTHER health professionals would have encountered?

 

---------- Post added 29-08-2016 at 16:24 ----------

 

Swollen disks are also not very difficult to spot

 

Right

 

So why was it not spotted in this case do you think?

[Robin-H]

Thanks redfox

 

What was unclear to me

 

Was why this person had been singled out to blame

 

When the child had died 5 months later

 

Presumably, displaying symptoms

 

Some considerable time beforehand

 

That OTHER health professionals would have encountered?

 

---------- Post added 29-08-2016 at 16:24 ----------

 

 

Right

 

So why was it not spotted in this case do you think?

 

Because she was being grossly negligent. That's why she was found guilty.

 

Also, having swollen optic nerves doesn't necessarily present with other symptoms. You may get some headaches, although not always. I had a few headaches that I dismissed as they went away after a few days. I hadn't had any for at least 2 weeks before I was told to go into hospital, and I had no other symptoms.

 

If I had not gone to optometrists I would have never of known, and it was so serious I was initially unable to leave hospital because all signals from my brain could have been suddenly stopped.

 

I don't know specifically about the case in question, but it is possible that the boy also didn't present with any other symptoms.