Pattern of some parents' complaints against doctors must be recognised

doi:10.1136/bmj.324.7341.852

BMJ 2002;324:852 ( 6 April )

Letters

Pattern of some parents' complaints against doctors must be recognised

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

EDITOR $---$ The cosignatories to Marcovitch's letter are not the only paediatricians who have been referred to the General MedicalCouncil by parents of children with alleged fabricated illness(Munchausen's syndrome by proxy).¹ In our department two offive consultants have been referred in similar circumstances.In both cases allegations against the doctors wereunsubstantiated.

This abuse of complaints processes needs to be seen in a wider context of an abnormal pattern of behaviour manifested by theparents of these children. Although the behavioural characteristicsof such parents has been reported,² the use and abuse of complaintsprocesses is less wellrecognised.

Associated behaviour that we have witnessed includes repeated requests for copies of medical notes; allegations that the medicalnotes are incorrect or that pages are missing; requests for changesto be made to medical records so that any references to possibleMunchausen's syndrome by proxy and possible fabricated . . . [Full text of this article]

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