To be crying after speaking to doctors because my poor sick ds won't stop crying

[JennaJ]

Ok, so Im sat here on mumsnet and my poor ds (3) is finally dozing. Hes been sick since Friday, hes not sleeping eating. Coughing, Has a bleeding nose, mouth is covered in spots and has sores all over his face and his eyes are leaking gunk! I took him to the docs on Monday and she said it was a virus and to 'get over it' on his own. Its now Wednesday and this morning he seemed a little better when he got up. But since about 11am he has been inconsoleable just crying and crying. So I rang the docs again and explained. She said 'why didn't you call this morning when we had loads of spaces' and I said well he didn't seem so bad this morning but hes taken a turn for the worst this afternoon and she tutted and said that they don't normally handle emergencies in the afternoon and she didn't know if she could fit me in.

I know that you are supposed to phone for emergencies in the morning...but he wasn't an emergency this morning!! I don't expect them to drop everything to see us..but it was obvious from my voice that I was stressed and upset and she would have been able to hear ds crying in the background.
She has said to call back at 3.30 and see if the duty doctor will MAYBE see him..but she just made me feel so stupid and small and now Im sat here crying my eyes out for my poor ds. Hes so small and so poorly and I can't do anything for him..and the doctors think Im being a stupid pathetic mother and wasting there time!!

Sorry for rant
Just feel so bad for my poor little boy and so totally helpless and useless!

jen

[madamenoir]

nothing but sympathy for you...I hope your ds gets better soon

[Kewcumber]

was this the doctor who siad this or a receptionist? Sounds exactly what a receptionist said to my mum recently.

[marge2]

Poor Jenna and poor little DS. Horrible bloody woman on the phone.

There's an awful lot going about at the moment. My Ds1 was sick last friday and has had a flu-like bug since - threw up all over his bed again in the middle of last night. DS2 also coming down with it!

I've seen other posts on this nasty bug recently too.

i guess they are fed up with hearing it at the docs, but that's no excuse to be mean to you!

Stupid cow!!

[RosaTransylvania]

Oh dear, your poor DS. I really wonder about doctor's receptionists sometimes, all the empathy seems to leak out to leave room for extra self-righteousness.
Hope she manages to fit you in later today. If he isn't any better when you ring back make a big fuss.

[ToadieG1]

Call back and insist on being seen today or just go down there to sit and wait until you are seen.

[JennaJ]

Receptionist!

I know its not her fault..she has to try and dredge out all the timewasters etc but she made me feel SO stupid!

[dmo]

didnt you know all GP receptionist are quified doctors?

[dizzydo]

No you are not but I think your doctor is. Hopefully they will go back and have a look at your DS notes and make sure he is seen this afternoon having been poorly all this time. Good luck, hope he gets better soon and that you feel better soon too. xx

[Angeliz]

Yes my two little ones (1 + 2) have been poorly too recently. (Not vomitting but very high temperature and crying lots)
I agree with all comments and namely Toadie's. Go and sit there till you're seen.

[TheMadScaryHouse]

Are all Doctors receptionists on a power trip - Is there a special training course for unsetting anxious callers?

Instist that an appointment is made, you are his mother and you know best.

[slng]

Our GP receptionist once even told me to just continue using whatever medication we were using without even knowing what it was, IYSWIM. I asked her if she was qualified to give this advice, and she made us an appointment on the day.

She also said "What do you mean an emergency, it's 9.30." What do you say to that!!??

Sometimes you can speak to the doctor though even if you can't get an appointment. Does everyone know that? I didn't ...

[stepfordwife]

yep, phone back and don't get off the phone until you've got an apptment.
use the broken record technique. very calmly repeat 9as many times as it takes)
"my son needs to see a doctor now."
and to any hint of fobbing off..
"that's not acceptable."
know it's easiuer said than done when you're upset, tho, asd the tempation to a) burst into tears b) shout at the mardy receptionist c) hang up is huge.
but i really hope you get an pptment and your poor little ds feels better soon.

[dmo]

my receptionist wants to know all my symptoms and then says i would be best going to the chemist for over the counter stuff

[JennaJ]

Thanks everyone, I wasn't sure if I was being pathetic calling up at 1pm and expecting them to fit us in this afternoon!

If they don't see him I am going to have to take him to A&E as he has suddenly got much worse and hes so small.

Thanks for your kind words, Ive calmed down a bit now! I don't know what it is about doctors receptionists! Im surprised at how rude she was though.

Jen

[NAB3]

Okay. This is what we need to do. Tomorrow morning, everyone ring and book an appointment with their GP in case their child becomes ill later.

How old is your DS?

Fantastic NHS the Goverment has made, isn't it?

[lucyellensmum]

Jenna, im afraid that the receptionist IS at fault here, clearly is of the breed that have ideas above their station, and think that a bit of slap and posh phone voice qualifies them as a doctor (never mind the years of hard work at school followed by god knows how many years training to be a gp!) It really makes my blood boil. You should ring her again and ask if she actually has children? if she did, she would understand that they get sick quickly. Insist on an appointment otherwise take him there and tell them you will sit and wait - its funny how an appointment miraculously appears.
Our receptionists are lovely actually, they do a really hard job as when there are no spaces left they probaby get shit on by the doctor for booking in extras, but they never ask what the problem is, because they are NOT ALLOWED To!!!It is not their place, only you can decide if you are sick enough to need the doctor.

I have been on both sides of this as i used to be a vet receptionist (and also vet nurse). People would often phone with the most awful attitude demanding to be seen. If there was spaces i would always accomodate. I would always ask what the problem was, not because i had ideas above my station but sometimes, people underestimate their pets condition and i liked to ensure that the animal didnt need to be seen immediately as we were often in the position to do this. But it is really difficult when you have to not let people have appointments as there simply isnt space, on the whole people understand and accept the next available appointment, it is different with animals though. What happened a lot though was the vet refusing to see people who he didnt want to see or because he was wanting to go home etc and that used to make me so cross having to basically lie that we couldn't possible see their animal that day, or they couldnt have home visits, i used to feel like saying, here talk to the vet who is making cut throat gestures to me over the phone because he really doesnt want to put up with you and your pustulating pug - different story, im getting carried away!!

But seriously, fuck the receptionist, you KNOW your child, you are not an overanxious mummy - dont take no for an answer!

[fortyplus]

Just say that you are going to bring him down and wait however long it takes to be seen. When they've got a distressed, crying, spotty, snotty, gungy 3 year old in their reception area they will soon find a space.

Poor little thing - it's not his fault.

Poor you, too.

[JennaJ]

LOL forty plus...yes Im sure if I turn up they will see him VERY quickly!

[fortyplus]

Glad I made you smile

[fruitymum]

When you feel up to it - phone the surgery and ask to speak to the practice manager and complain about the receptionist. Yes she may have a stressful job but thare is not need to speak to anxious patients/parents in that way . It may be an issue for staff training.
Hope he is better soon.

[WorkingClassScum]

You are being perfectly reasonable and the receptionist was a cow.

Remember, they are there to provide you with a service! You are a consumer and the taxes from you and your family pay the wages of these people. You are in control.

Call back and demand your rights!

Surgeries don't have to be like this, ours is lovely and will always bend over backwards to help and fit you in.

[fruitymum]

Just read some of the previous posts - its not up to the receptionist to suggest you go to the chemist - agree that some get ideas above their station and give all the rest a bad name(worked as a practice nurse for past 12 years) some are great , odd one or two frustrated old boots!!

[LoRayningNewtsAndFrogs]

Jenna, I am pregnant, and have been suffering from HG. Tried calling my gp and was told all emergency appointments were gone and that I should have rang at 8am.
I was not impressed, and tbh, I was absolutely shattered, ahdnt kept anything down for days and was still retching violently. I got a doctors appointment that afternoon. By crying down the phone. Sounds OTT I know, but I just didnt know what to do, I started crying when she said I couldnt see anyone. She soon got the doctor to call me and I got an appointment.

IF she hadnt I had already decided was going to wait til the surgery was shut and call my out of hours doctor. I was determined to see someone.

If you think your DS needs to see a doctor, stamp your bloody feet girl!!!

Good Luck, and I hope he gets better soon.

[mistlethrush]

When my ds was 10 mo he got an ear infection. He was put onto antibiotics (Fri afternoon), then couldn't keep anything down - anything that did go down came straight out the other end. Went back Monday with very different child - no longer stocky and bright - got told to keep on antibiotics and try to get some rehydration fluids down.

By Tuesday am I knew that he urgently needed to see a doctor - at home - that morning. He couldn't even hold his head up, and still wasn't keeping anything down. I rang the Doctors as soon as they opened, the receptionist said 'I'll get a Doctor to call you sometime this morning' - not good enough. Luckily, one of the Doctor's in the practise lives locally and had said that if there was an emergency to call on him. We did (dh ran round) - he came within 15 mins and gave us advice that I am sure kept us out of hospital - he rang at lunchtime and came again in the evening to check that things improving. If we hadn't had such a supportive Doctor living so close, we would have had to go to a&e and no doubt get admitted as ds was so dehydrated.

The receptionist didn't help in our case either, and they do sometimes get above their station in terms of dishing out advice or 'granting' appointments. Can't imagine that its a very nice job though.

Best of luck Jenna - hope he's better soon