To be so angry re: GP surgery

[Elopelo]

3 year old up all night in agony with earache, calpol and nurofen not doing much. Can only call GP surgery between 8-9 to be added to a call back list. Finally got through, give DS details to be told I can’t proceed any further because DS ‘is inactive and is deregistered.’ What does that even mean? Receptionist couldn’t help me, said to call back and speak to the admin team after 9.30.

I am so upset and angry. This is not the first time they have messed up. When DS was little I hadn’t heard anything about his 12 month immunisations so called up to be told the same thing that he was no longer a patient at the surgery and had moved on to another area?!! They apologised profusely, blamed it on a system error and now, here we are again.

I have never complained about anything in my life but this time I will and will be changing GP surgery in due course but more importantly, what do I do about poor DS? I think it’s an ear infection and don’t know how I will be able to get to speak to someone today after all this mess.

How bloody annoying! Call 111 about your Ds, they should be able to help you have him seen.

I wonder if they’ve got a patient with the same name and they’ve confused the two - could be worth asking. Hope you get sorted soon, earache is miserable.

Agree to call 111 and they should be able to help with getting your son seen. I've had this before and I ended up walking into the surgery with baby and insisted an appointment was made then and there and I was happy to wait whilst they rectified the F up they made. They basically scrambled to sort it all out quickly, which was good for us but we moved not long afterwards thankfully!

Very annoying. Perhaps he has a similar name and dob to another patient and has been mistakenly deregistered instead of another patient.

Id ring at 9.30 and get it sorted and insist he be seen as you only missed out due to their own incompetence. If they refuse or have no appts left then ring 111 and explain

I'd go to A&E. I wouldn't wait for GP while little one still suffering. Sort GP out after and check registration rather than allow the stress to drive you crazy!. Find out GP complaints procedure and complain - detailing everything that's happened.

I'd go to the surgery and insist his registration is sorted and you see a GP while you're there.

If they refuse ask to see the practice manager.

I'd never normally suggest this but you're being messed around and it's not fair on you or your son.
You need to know this won't happen every time you need to see a doctor.

Thank you all. Yes that’s exactly what happened last time, a patient with a similar name and DOB moved areas and got mixed up with DS. It was sorted out fairly quickly and tbh I was fine, understood these errors can sometimes happen etc. It’s the fact that it’s happened again and he is only 3 years old that’s left me raging.

Calling back now and let’s see what they have to say and if I don’t get anywhere with them will call 111.

@Elopelo

Thank you all. Yes that’s exactly what happened last time, a patient with a similar name and DOB moved areas and got mixed up with DS. It was sorted out fairly quickly and tbh I was fine, understood these errors can sometimes happen etc. It’s the fact that it’s happened again and he is only 3 years old that’s left me raging.

Calling back now and let’s see what they have to say and if I don’t get anywhere with them will call 111.

I would absolutely complain. This sounds like a data protection issue too!

Unless the other kid had your son's name, son's date of birth and lived at the same bloody address then they've not really managed their data properly.

So stressful for you OP and your DS.

I would take him to A+E, and then register at another surgery as this one sound awful.

Sometimes the computer system (or operator of system) is glitchy and merges 2 records with the same name. I work in a pharmacy and it happens here too occasionally (once or twice a year...) you don't know it has happened til something like this comes up.

Many people move/ go back home to another country and don’t de-register themselves so GPs often send out letters to patients who haven’t had any contact for a certain amount of time. If there’s no reply you may be deregistered. Have you moved and not changed address? Have you had any letters from them? It will all be in his records if that’s the case. They should be able to register him as a temporary patient whilst it gets sorted out, or a walk in centre would be able to help.

Obviously you need to sort it out with the surgery re the de registration but in the meantime have you got a walk-in or urgent care centre in your local area? Much quicker than 111 probably, if you do.

Confusion over names does happen. I know there are at least 3 people in my area who have the same christian name and surname as me. Obviously not same dob or address, but the pharmacy have got us mixed up more than once.
Insist that the records are put straight, and call 111.

@Cazzinski

I'd go to A&E. I wouldn't wait for GP while little one still suffering. Sort GP out after and check registration rather than allow the stress to drive you crazy!. Find out GP complaints procedure and complain - detailing everything that's happened.

Ear infection is supposed to get better on its own in 3-7 days. You would be better off sorting the GP appointment out today with the surgery/111.

Ear infection is supposed to get better on its own in 3-7 days

There speaks someone whose child has never had one or had a very mild one. If you have had a child prone to ear infections which leave them in pain and screaming you would be aware that within 2 doses of amoxycillin the pain is halted! Why would you expect a child to be in significant pain for 3-7 days.

Take him to minor injuries not A&E there is usually a much shorter waiting time.

My DS gets ear infections and they don’t really treat them. The best thing to do is to let them get over them on their own apparently. This is what our GPs have told us, and is on the NHS. They don’t like giving antibiotics for ear infections. I have had tonsillitis so many times in my life and they won’t give me antibiotics for that either. It can be frustrating.

111 is a good idea, good luck. But with regards to your GP - register elsewhere, change and lodge a complaint, to deregulated someone is ridiculous.

The treatment is a different issue to being seen. It’s perfectly appropriate to get a child in pain seen and checked over. It’s correct that antibiotics aren’t routinely used for ear infection because they don’t make much difference, they’re given to prevent complications rather than anything else. No it’s not nice to be in pain but we can’t give antibiotics for everything no because we’re heading for a situation where they’ll stop being effective for serious infections (and the consequences of that will dwarf the effects of covid)

@caramelcracker

So stressful for you OP and your DS.

I would take him to A+E, and then register at another surgery as this one sound awful.

Why would you go to A&E for something that's neither an accident nor an emergency?

Why would you go to A&E for something that's neither an accident nor an emergency?

It is not ok for a child with an possible ear infection, who has been up all night in pain, not to be seen by a GP.

If I was in the same position and unable to see a GP today I wouldn’t hesitate to take my child to a&e. I say this as someone who has barely used a&e for my children, apart from in genuine life/death emergencies.

Hope your DS gets seen too, my DS (3 also) has one few months ago and it was horrific.
He was giving antibiotics and they worked a treat.

Move GPs tbh. This doesnt sound like a good obe.

@Sadiequeenofscots they told OP to phone back after 9:30. They didn't say DC wouldn't be seen.
A&E is still an inappropriate course of action. Phone 111 if you need to see a GP and your own won't see you.

DH had a phone call from the surgery once, saying he should start taking aspirin immediately and that there was a problem with his heart that needed investigating. It was subsequently found to be someone else they’d mixed him up with.

Yes I wasn’t suggesting she go to A&E this morning - only if not seen.

Here in Scotland if we call 111 during GP hours we are not seen. We have no minor ailments walk ins either in most areas. So it’s GP, OOH or A&E.

My point was, the OP was to call admin at 9.30 and there was no guarantee of an appointment