Mr A was a 25-year-old man who was on lifelong steroid medication for congenital adrenal hyperplasia. He was under the care of Dr F, a consultant endocrinologist.

Mrs B, 40 years old, was referred by her optician to see an ophthalmologist, Mr F, because of concerns about possible raised intraocular pressure and right-sided amblyopia. Mr F confirmed the diagnosis of right-sided amblyopia, found her to have normal intraocular pressure and documented some visual field loss in both eyes, which he considered was performance-related. He advised reassessment in six months but the patient did not attend for follow-up.

Complaints in health and social care: standards and guidelines for resolution and learning (2009) aims to provide a simple, consistent approach for staff who handle complaints, and for patients who raise complaints across all health and social care services.

Mr V, a 20-year-old postman, went to his GP, Dr F, reporting pain in his groin and sore and inflamed foreskin. Dr F found a mild phimosis and treated Mr V with a course of combined anti-fungal and antibacterial cream.

Mrs N had a complex medical history; in her early twenties she had a splenectomy, chemotherapy and radiotherapy for treatment of Hodgkin’s disease. This caused ovarian failure and she then developed a pelvic abscess which left her fallopian tubes occluded.

In the late 1990s, Mr M, a stockbroker in his fifties, was referred by his GP to see Dr J, specialist physician and cardiologist. Mr M had been feeling generally ‘not right’. He had suffered a transient left-sided loss of limb power a year earlier, diagnosed as a stroke.