GP surgeries discriminating against kids

Yeah this is odd! My GP you can ring any time for kids and its the same as adults.

My Gp will always squeeze in a child. Even if there aren’t appointments. They don’t advertise this though. I’d leave it unless you run into a situation where you feel dc need to be seen but aren’t tbh. Then I’d call 111 for advice and complain.

Our GP is 100% e consult triage, all ages. They keep the system open until 11am, and have reserved late slots if anyone needs to be seen or called urgently on the day.

It is so difficult to get an appointment for my kids at our GP that their "standard" GP is now the out-of-hours GP that we're sent to by 111. We know the people there better than the staff at our actual GP practice.

I'm thinking of deregistering the kids from our GP so at least the surgery doesn't continue to pocket money for providing them with precisely zero services most of the time, but they're useful for reminding us that vaccinations are due (which we usually get done privately, due to a lack of available appointments with the nurse at the GP).

I don't really understand why the system is leading to kids not being seen.

Both adults and kids can participate in the 'free for all' at 8am. If the urgent appointments are all gone by, say, 8.15, then surely nobody on the triage system is getting seen that day either? And if that's not the case and people on the triage system are getting seen, that surely means that there are urgent appointments left, which could be taken by a child?

Unless what you're saying is that the receptionists are refusing all parents who want an urgent appointment for their child, on the basis that they can't go on the triage list?

It sounds like a silly system but many GPs have silly systems. My surgery prioritises all children over all adults - I can never get an urgent appointment as an adult and it drives me mad.

It's the same with my GP, although it barely matters as they will close e-consult daily by 9am saying it's full, try tomorrow, same
As phone calls by 9 as well.

My work benefits has a videocall non urgent gp facility, so we use that where we can, and we normally end up with an out of ours appointment 40min drive away (son gets a lot of chest infections. Born early).

These schemes probably are meant to further safeguard children's health but in reality they are further disadvantaged.

No the point is they will see children on the day as a priority. You can discuss maybe with one if the GPs why they can't be pre booked in. Although most children's conditions are infections etc ie acute by nature there are a few occasions when you might want a pre booked appt. Eg bed wetting or constipation, behavioural problems. However they might want to triage all the children on the day as policy as children esp young children are triaged / seen as priority. They will see all children ftf under two in the day.

It's probably something that started with good intentions (to offer children emergency appointments without triage) and ended up having the opposite effect.

We have similar in that you need to phone for 16 and under. But with our surgery you have an option for children when you phone in and I assume they are prioritised as I’ve always had a fast response when calling about my DC. Like within a couple of hours in the day.

I agree with calling 111.

Surely the idea behind not putting in e-consults for kids is that children SHOULD be seen and not triaged from a distance between a GP and a parent - meaning the whole e-consult is unnecessary as it would lead to an urgent appointment every time anyway.

The problem is more that they don't have enough urgent appointments.

That does sound like kids will slip through, bizarre

the elderly are very disadvantaged with the
current system already, digitally excluded

Yeah that’s shocking
and surely discrimination? Christ, if another group was discriminated like that in the same way, such as the elderly all hell would break lose! Kids should be prioritised imo as they’ve just started their lives and are more vulnerable than adults in some situations.

You need to put in a formal written complaint to the surgery if you are not happy with their services then escalate the complaint through the proper channels. Do not accept a phone call ask that all correspondence is in writing.

In the meantime, if your child needs an appointment, I would call 111 they will advise you what to do or arrange for you to see a GP. Do not turn up at hospital. A&E is for accidents and emergencies, they are under enough pressure without dealing with minor complaints.