Robert Crampton in The Times on Saturday: trip to A&E

[user1493630944]

Anyone else think it was unreasonable for Robert Crampton to take his teenage daughter to A&E because she had a temperature on a Friday night, instead of giving paracetamol and letting her rest at home? He wrote about it in his column in the Times magazine.

[MissBax]

I didn't read it but from what you've just said, yes that's ridiculous.

[user1493630944]

He did not even phone 111 first for advice.

[MissBax]

I used to work in A+E and I can't tell you how stressed out the staff get by things like this. People turning up with headache or ear ache. Sometimes you want to shout "IS THIS A FUCKING JOKE?!?!" at them.

[ghostyslovesheets]

well without a link to the actual article it's difficult to say

[Vroomster]

I want to read it, I can't find it.

[TheStoatIsStoatallyDifferent]

I read it and I agree.

[wickerlampshade]

Yes, halfway down the article I wanted to shout at him not to be such an idiot.

[user1493630944]

Sorry I cannot post a link as you have to pay to access the Times website, and I bought the paper. But he reported it in his 'Beta male' column (Sat 13 May) just as I describe. The daughter is 18 years old. At no point in the article does he even acknowledge that it was inappropriate. I find it appalling that an intelligent journalist thinks it acceptable to publicise this stupidity. I sympathise with MissBax!

[KarlosKKrinkelbeim]

I read it and kind of assumed there must be more to it than a temp, but he didn't want to give details.
He could agave written about something else if he had privacy concerns of course

[PsychologicalSaline]

In summary: RC's 18 year old daughter presents with temperature of 39.5 (and shivering) at 11pm. Off to A&E to arrive at about midnight and leave to arrive home at 3am having had a ('hefty') dose of paracetamol.

To be fair there's no info on preceding events / pre-existing medical condition / any other symptoms.

I agree that it seems a poor use of NHS resources as the situation was presented.

[MissBax]

What was his article actually about? Was he saying it was good he used the NHS? What an idiot!

[user1493630944]

The trip to A&E was the theme of the article, starting with a few observations about Friday night at home and ending with a few observations about others attending A&E (ie drunks and junkies - his words).

[Istandinpause]

Exactly my reaction. He said he knew what to do the minute he saw her temperature. So he took her to A&E, obviously had to wait for ages, the daughter was given paracetamol and they were sent home. I googled 'What to do if you have a temperature of 39.5' and immediately got the response that it was not a situation for a hospital.

[MissBax]

Jesus. I hope enough people gave him a good dose of reality!!

[DissonantInterval]

Good grief. If there were no other conditions/concerns other than that it sounds totally ridiculous. And yes, you'd hope someone intelligent and switched on regarding the pressures on the NHS and a&e in particular, would have given some paracetamol and advised fluids and rest. And any comments about drunks and junkies is just really lame 'journalism'. He obviously couldn't see that he was a resource waster too. Can't stand the bloke at the best of times.

[thatorchidmoment]

Yikes. That's ridiculous. The NHS is on its knees, not just because of 'drunks and junkies', but widespread prattish behaviour like this. A lot more people need to try self-care at home, like paracetamol, hot lemon and honey, and a bit of time!

If she had a rash, photophobia or other possible flags for meningitis, I take it all back. But a fever in isolation is likely to be a self-limiting viral illness, which the NHS can do zilch for other than dose your adult daughter with paracetamol.

[bigmack]

I hope he wasn't implying that drunks and junkies are abusing the NHS after taking his daughter in with a temperature.

[BigGreenOlives]

He & his wife took their temperatures & because they are old & can't do Celsius they just assumed going to A&E was the right thing. None of them can use internet or a calculator to work out what 39.5C is. I must stop reading his column, he is so irritating.

[AHedgehogCanNeverBeBuggered]

I too read this and was aghast - how did the editor not read it and point out that it makes him sound like a complete prat? I've always liked his column, but he needs to give his head a wobble.

[GeorgeTheHamster]

I agree, it made him sound an utter twat.

[user1493630944]

Even if the NHS was not under pressure this would still be a completely ridiculous response to a raised temperature. One wonders that it never occurred to him that while in London he may live close to an A&E department many people don't - does he seriously think people would drive miles to their nearest A&E department because of an adult with a temperature? At the bottom of the article is an advert for his book. I used to think pretending to be a prat was to some extent a journalistic ploy but not any more. I won't be buying his book.

[Vroomster]

A 'hefty' dose of paracetamol. So 1g which is a standard adult dose. FFS.

I have genuinely had parents ask me where they can buy Calpol.

[originalbiglymavis]

I assumed she had a temp of 40-something. I might take a baby with a very high temp if I couldnt get the temp down but for goodness sake 39.5?

[SweetieBaby]

I thought exactly the same when I read the article. Absolutely ridiculous and then to have the front to write an article proudly boasting about the fact - I would have been too embarrassed about my complete and utter idiocy to tell anyone, let alone readers of a national newspaper.

[ScarletForYa]

God, what a tool.