To be furious at GP....

[Dopeyduck]

Saw GP on Friday as DS was screaming inconsolably. Confirmed ear infection in both ears. As no temp no antibiotics were given. Pain relief and call back in a couple of days if no better.

Saturday DS developed a temp. By the middle of Saturday night it was 39.9 after paracetamol and ibuprofen, so I called 111 and spoke to out of hours GP.

She refused to see him as he had a temp - re covid, even though it’s an ear infection. Wouldn’t give antibiotics without seeing him and said ‘he’s probably just burning it off.’

Sunday DS is really poorly but temp is only 38.8. Called out of hours to be told they still won’t see him but he’s getting better.

Monday DS is worse still so I contact GP. They also won’t see him and tell me to keep at home or take to A&E if I’m very worried.

At 2am Tuesday morning I did take him up to A&E. temp 39.9 still. A&E were great and he was seen quickly by a lovely doctor. Doc took one look in his ears and said he’s got a very severe infection in both and he needs antibiotics immediately. He was appalled that nobody had prescribed antibiotics when he worsened and that they didn’t see him.

I now have a very very poorly baby who has suffered for 5 days because in my opinion the GP failed to give him adequate care because they’re more concerned about covid than sick kids.

I do understand covid is very serious situation but a temp is a symptom of many things. Covid or not sick children shouldn’t be ignored.

AIBU to complain?

[userxx]

Absolutely shocking. No excuse at all.

[cansu]

Being obliged to visit a and E because a doctor won't see a child with a temperature is outrageous. Make a complaint. They have plenty of PPE and should have seen him or should have been able to prescribe based on the fact that he had already been diagnosed with the ear infection.

[AutumnSummersBuffysCousin]

Ridiculous. Covid cannot be allowed to be a excuse to provide substandard treatment for all other ailments. I am not one to “speak to the manager” but would definitely contact the practice manager in this case to state what happened and your disappointment that your son was left so ill for so long.

[FallenSky]

YANBU at all. I understand not wanting to over prescribe antibiotics but a Dr had already confirmed ear infection and it had obviously got a lot worse. My DD suffers terribly with her ears and it's horrible watching them in pain.

[1738hey]

Complain. It's all over the news how covid shouldn't be affecting other areas of care, that is absolutely disgusting. Like you say a temperature and young children can be so dangerous, hope he's better soon 💙

[TweeBree]

I'm fuming on your behalf, OP. Definitely complain.

[gretagreengrapes]

The first GP was reasonable as the guideline is if systemically well (no fever etc) no treatment and most ear infections clear up within 5 days.

You did completely the right thing seeking further help when it worsened and I agree that your DS should have been seen at this time!

[Angel2702]

That’s appalling. Usually when mine have had an ear infection and it’s coming up to a weekend or time when drs won’t be easily available they have given a perscription for antibiotics to be filled if it gets worse. They don’t need to see them again to prescribe the correct treatment and ear infection is very painful.

[Sirzy]

SOME GPs have taken things way too far.

Sending someone to A and E shouldn’t become a default. I had the same issue when Ds (who was shielding) had an asthma flare the other week the GP wouldn’t see him and wanted to send a vulnerable child to A and E instead. Thankfully I managed to get hold of his consultant because he wasn’t ill enough to need A and E!

It’s all gone too far and people are being left at risk because of the GPs (understandably) wanting to protect themselves but taking it too far.

In your case he didn’t even need to see him again just prescribe the antibiotics based on the new symptom

[Findahouse21]

My GP has told me tgat they won't give antibiotics for ear infections anymore as it only reduces the length of infection by 1-2 days. Easy to say, but I'd like my child to be pain free quicker thanks

[Roselilly36]

That’s appalling, speak to practice manager today & complain. My DS frequently suffered ear infections, it’s was distressing to see him in pain, unable to sleep etc. How is your little one today? I totally empathise. It really isn’t on at all. I am fed up at Covid being an excuse for everything at the moment.

[Porcupineinwaiting]

YANBU please do make an official complaint. I'm more COVID paranoid than most but someone should have prescribed your child antibiotics on the Saturday night and if they needed to see him to do that then they should bloody well have seen him or sent you straight to a&e there and then.

[Hobbes8]

You should complain. GPs obviously need to take extra precautions when patients have a high temperature, but they need to have facilities available to see patients who need to be seen. This might not necessarily be their surgery. It does sound like it was the out of hours service who were more at fault though.

[MaMaD1990]

Absolutely complain. All doctors have a duty of care to their patients regardless of a pandemic. I actually work in quality assuring doctors so they can continue their licence to practise (i.e. they're safe to see patients). I would 1. Make a complaint to the practice manager and 2. Request a 'patient feedback form' for the doctor concerned. This feedback form must go in what is called an 'Annual professional appraisal' and is poured over by a third party appraiser, line manager and designated body (which is where I work). This way the doctor MUST take responsibility for their professional actions and explain themselves. I'm sorry this happened to you and I hope your baby is feeling better now. If you want to take it even further, report them to the GMC (General Medical Council) and an investigation may be launched.

[wintertime6]

I would definitely put in a complaint. Ear infections can become very serious very quickly in young children if not treated. I know unfortunately as my young child deteriorated very rapidly with an ear infection that spread into the bones in his skull and he was seriously unwell.

[userxx]

I never understood why they stopped giving the drops, I suffered badly as a child and the drops brought instant relief.

[Porcupineinwaiting]

@Findahouse21 that's been the policy for quite some years now but, that said, no one who ever looked in ds1's ears when he had an infection did anything but make horrified noises and prescribe antibiotics, even if I'd pretty much forced them to see us rather than giving us the 'standard line'. So I assume its guidance rather than a hard and fast rule.

[Oblomov20]

This is disgusting. Please complain to the practice manager. I've had a not dissimilar issue. GP's are really failing with covid, as if they are using it as an excuse?

[AllTheUserNamesAreTaken]

I would complain about both the GP service and the out of hours service. It’s likely they are run by different providers. They need to start providing the service they are contracted to provide instead of shoving on to A&E. There seems no reason they could not give antibiotics as they had already confirmed ear infection
(I was given a prescription for antibiotics after a phone consultation only yesterday, for a UTI, so of course it is possible!)

[db92]

That's awful. I hope DS feels better soon.

Definitely do complain. As you've been let down by both the GP practice and out of hours I would suggest complaining to your local clinical commissioning group ( they oversee the health services in your area) and go down that route.

[BangBux]

Truthfully, a lot of GPs appear to be completely taking advantage of Covid to do less work than they did before. Mine in particular aren't doing any appointments at all - no emergency appointments, no non-emergency appointments, I can't get contraception, they aren't doing smears, wouldn't do DS's vaccinations, not doing flu jabs, wouldn't do a medical exam we needed (not even the over-the-phone questionnaire part), won't do a routine blood test... Begs the question what the hell they have been doing for months!

[Dopeyduck]

I totally agree with the first Dr to ‘wait and see’ I support not over using antibiotics. But after 3 days with a temp of nearly 40 that wasn’t coming down he should have been seen or given a script.

I agree with PP that it shouldn’t have been A&E - it wasn’t an emergency it was just shoddy medical care. The doctor was lovely and saw us so quickly, tbh I wish I’d taken him when out of hours fobbed me off the first time time.

I’m not dramatic about common childhood illness. Nor am I NHS bashing. DS was critically unwell in May and not only did they save his life, the aftercare has been brilliant. It just seems to be this issue that covid symptoms mean you don’t get care.

DS temp still 39.1. We got home at 4am. He’s laying in my arms frantically breastfeeding. He hasn’t eaten since Thursday.

I hope he picks up soon.

[cologne4711]

@Findahouse21

My GP has told me tgat they won't give antibiotics for ear infections anymore as it only reduces the length of infection by 1-2 days. Easy to say, but I'd like my child to be pain free quicker thanks

I used to have earache all the time as a child and my mum used to put warm olive oil and garlic in. Nowadays you can just buy garlic capsules and drop the oil in. Not an old wives' tale, it works.

That doesn't take away from the fact that the GP behaved very badly though, especially given this was a very small child.

[Sirzy]

Poor thing hope the antibiotics kick in soon and you both manage to get some rest

[boarboar]

I had also this exact issue with my 1 yo. 39.7 temp and Dr would not see him in person and said they would not give antibiotics unless it hadn't cleared up in a week. He did get better by himself luckily. I was absolutely furious given the risk to him of Covid is miniscule but the risk of an unchecked infection is much higher. If unwell small children can't be seen by the GP then the system isn't working.

Incidentally our A&E is a absolutely overrun, how much of this could have been prevented by primary care?