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Local doctor refused to see DS after being taken by teacher

33 replies

honkytonkwoman25 · 12/02/2016 20:16

My son was hit by a cricket back resulting in a large gash to his head. The teachers weren't able to get hold of me. They called the local paramedic who told them to take him to the doctors. The surgery closest to the school refused to see him. We were not registered at this local surgery, but this doesn't appear to be the reason. I'm not happy about this, but wondered if anyone had experienced this, and whether it was a general policy.

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VimFuego101 · 12/02/2016 20:20

Don't you need to register as a visitor to see a doctor other than your own? I would have thought a walk in center or A and E would have been better. That said, you'd think they would have at least had a nurse look at him before telling him to go elsewhere.

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Caravanoflove · 12/02/2016 20:21

It sounded like he needed stitches, which most surgeries would not do. The most appropriate place would have been a minor injuries unit or ED. it sounds like he didn't need a paramedic to take him there.
It can be difficult knowing where to go though.

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honkytonkwoman25 · 12/02/2016 20:22

Not in an emergency - it was pouring with blood and ultimately needed stitches. We live in the sticks so A&E is some distance away

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FadedRed · 12/02/2016 20:22

Strange that the Paramedic said to take him to 'the doctors'. Following a head injury from a hard cricket ball resulting in a large gash, then the potential treatment need would be a skull X-ray/scan and sutures/glue for the gash, treatment that a GP practice would not have the equipment/expertise. A&E would seem to me to be the obvious place, not GP surgery.
I think most GP surgeries would not see a patient, but advise A&E in this situation.

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Balletgirlmum · 12/02/2016 20:22

For a head injury I'd have expected someone to take him to a & e

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WhoTheFuckIsSimon · 12/02/2016 20:24

GPs often won't see this sort of emergency. I imagine they were saying he needed a&e. Ive heard of someone collapsing outside a gP surgery having a cardiac arrest and the Drs wouldn't come out.

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Jamieson90 · 12/02/2016 20:24

I am a teacher and a qualified first aider who deals with incidents like this on a regular basis, and if a child was brought to me with an open gash on their head as a result of a cricket bat, I would either be ringing for an ambulance right away or bundling them off into my car with another member of staff and rushing them off to A&E myself.

Head injuries can be extremely serious and I am very surprised they thought it was appropriate to go a GP rather than the hospital.

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ScarletForYa · 12/02/2016 20:25

He should have been taken to A and E for a head injury like that.

I would be furious, what kind of Muppets are these?

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AnotherStitchInTime · 12/02/2016 20:26

They should have taken him to A&E for a head injury with a wound that might need stitches. A local doctor could look at him, but would send him there anyway. If your ds was more seriously injured than school realised it would delay treatment for local doctor to assess then send to hospital.

I had the same happen when Dd1 (then 2) received a head injury on a bus. I went into the local GP (not my GP) to ask for help and they told me to take her to A&E.

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DoctorBeat · 12/02/2016 20:26

I'm sorry but the appropriate place was A&E not a gp. And something of this nature wouldn't have warranted going there by ambulance

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Whatdoidohelp · 12/02/2016 20:27

Hit the head with a cricket bat and it was pouring with blood.l?? You should be livid at the school for not taking him to A&E. What the hell could a local GP do?

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sugar21 · 12/02/2016 20:36

Are you not in the UK as I have never heard of a local paramedic? Nevertheless the child should have been taken to a&e.

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mrz · 13/02/2016 07:10

It's common for rural surgeries to stitch wounds in emergencies here given the distance to an A&E prior to patients being moved to hospital if necessary.

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IAmPissedOffWithAHeadmaster · 13/02/2016 07:13

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

LemonRedwood · 13/02/2016 07:18

At my school, if there was a head injury pouring with blood, it would either be an ambulance or 2 members of staff taking child to a&e first, parents contacted second. Not the gp at all.

It sounds like there was some misunderstood or poor advice from the paramedic (was it 101?).

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Sirzy · 13/02/2016 07:26

It's not the GP who was at fault here!

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Katenka · 13/02/2016 07:33

Dd fell over at school the other week whacking her knee and another student said she banged her head. Dd said she didn't think she did, but a small bruise appeared. So they called me and asked if I could take her to a&e. If I couldn't they were going to. Because it was a head injury.

I don't know what a local paramedic is. If you are in the UK do you mean a first responder?

It's the person that said to take him to a local go who is in the wrong. Our GP would send you straight to hospital if you went in with a head injury that needed stitches. A GP surgery isn't the right place for this.

That's all assuming you are in the Uk. I don't know how GPs work in other countries.

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exLtEveDallas · 13/02/2016 07:38

Same happened with DD, surgery next door to school refused to see her when she smashed her chin open. I was on my way back from a work meeting (had been an hour away) and she had to wait until I got there so I could take her to A&E (She was finally glued up 6 hours after the accident)

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OhShutUpThomas · 13/02/2016 07:39

I live in the sticks too. Just over an hour to nearest A&E.

Our GP would not deal with this. HOWEVER when I have taken DC in an emergency before, they sat us in nurses room, gave oxygen, did Obs and called an ambulance.

They were quiet though and we know them well. They are not supposed to accept emergencies like this as they are not set up for them and risk litigation.

I can't really understand why they didn't just call an ambulance? Head injuries in children are very serious.

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londonrach · 13/02/2016 07:46

A&e for head injury. Surprised even went near gp. Gps wont see people not registered and in this case head injury needs a&e anyway so why waste gp time. Hope your ds is ok op.

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BeaufortBelle · 13/02/2016 07:46

I don't think you are in the UK and therefore am not going to comment. If you are in the UK I think the thread is a wind up.

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firesidechat · 13/02/2016 07:46

Yes, are you in the UK because I've never heard of anyone ringing a local paramedic? Did they have a specific phone number for him? Common sense dictates that this is an a and e/minor injuries problem and not for a gp to deal with. Is this a case of some misunderstanding along the way?

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firesidechat · 13/02/2016 07:47

And yes, what Beaufort said.

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hazeyjane · 13/02/2016 07:51

What is a local paramedic?

GPs won't treat injuries.

School should have called ambulance or taken to A+E.

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exLtEveDallas · 13/02/2016 08:01

Local paramedic sounds like a "Community First Responder" - we have one here that covers the 5 villages away from the nearest town. They are volunteers that can come out quickly before ambulances can get there. They are usually medics/nurses attached to larger medical centres/surgeries. My MIL is 25 miles from the nearest hospital and is seriously/terminally ill - the CFR comes out whenever SIL calls an ambulance.

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