Has anyone used a same day private GP appointment for a 15 year old?

[Goldenbear]

Just that really, posting here for traffic. My 15 year old came down with fever, severe earache and sore throat last Saturday, there was a small rash on his back. The fever went by Sunday and by Wednesday the ear ache had gone pretty much. As GCSE year, he felt ready to return Thursday but last night the throat well glands are swollen and he can barely talk or swallow. I rang the GP and have a Nurse Practitioner calling me back and she will decide over the phone whether she wants to see him. I'm thinking his throat needs to be seen before the weekend in person and around here there are few private same day GP appointments. I've used one in the past when the GP wouldn't/couldn't see me for a ear pain that was horrific and quicky got prescribed the drugs paying for it but if I have no luck today I wondered if they see under 16s and if so is the experience a one off and then treatment or not or do you have more checks as a child.

Wouldn't they need to examine him in person? Why can't you wait for the nurse practitioner to get back to you? Doubt a private GP can do much more than her. There's nurses that are able to do prescriptions too.

I regularly take my 21 month old to a private GP as it’s difficult to get an appointment with our NHS GP. So they do definitely see children under 16. You do still need to pay for prescriptions for children as well.

I wondered if they see under 16s and if so is the experience a one off and then treatment

Yes, definitely.

Yes we have used our private GP
loads and same day for children and adults. They have always been super helpful and give you more time than the nhs GPs.

Not a bash at the NHS GPs as it’s the system that’s broken but my theory is if can use the private system then do as much as possible as it’s taking some pressure off the NHS.

I’ve taken my 8 year old to a private GP for a runaway ear infection with all the trimmings. Couldn’t get in to see our GP so I went private. I’d do it again in a heartbeat. That very night he was on the mend. I imagine there’s a drop down tab that will allow you to tick ‘see a GP for a child under 16’. Something akin to that. I used doctap, fyi.

Thanks for replies very helpful. I said his age as physically he is a young adult but I can see if Glitteratitar, you use them for your toddler then no worries on that front.

Flowersonthewall123, yes, it is particularly bad in area so maybe it is helpful if you are reducing the load, I realise it is a political issue but when you are in the here and now with your child being in pain, you just want to make it go away and quickly.

Nevermindthesquirrels, yes, I am waiting for the Nurse Practitioner to call but I'm wondering if the phone call will suffice as they won't have physically checked him, of they decide on the phone it is not necessary, I'm wasting time and aware that it is a Friday and has had 4 days overall of school and most importantly is maybe suffering unnecessarily for the past week due to that feeling of not being able to see the GP due to pressures on the system. A work colleague suggested I take him to children's A&E which is ridiculous in my mind. I assumed a private GP which is located in the pharmacy would see him.

TheVanguardSix, yes, I just want that for DS now as it is apparent it is not going away and he needs to be checked.

You sound like a lovely mum but I think you're overthinking it. It sounds like the only symptoms he has left are the sore throat. He's not suffering that much, he's 15 too. Not a baby. Wait for the nurse, see how it goes. Salt rinses in the meantime. Get him to rub his feet with Vicks and out thick socks on before he goes to bed. An old Carribbean lady once told me to do it with DD and it's always worked like a miracle.

Yes definitely. Have used a private GP for my two before (15 & 9) and they have been great. My eldest had a throat infection but GP wouldn't see him and said it was probably viral but to call back in 3 days if it didn't get any better, that night and the next day he was awful so I took him to a private GP who took one look and said it was never getting better without antibiotics.

They were the symptoms (even ear) for me and ds with Covid 3 weeks ago

I'm usually one who'll say not everything is Covid btw. Just I read your op and that's exactly what we were feeling initially. Ds (15mo) did tests on the night of 27th after having the red ear, earache and fever
We were getting better at the same time but he caught something else right at the back of it even when he's not been out the door. This time it's a chest infection. The viruses overlapping made it difficult to notice he was unwell twice

I hope your ds feels better soon x

Nevermindthesquirrels, yes, I probably am, thanks for tip sounds intriguing, I will try that. The throat hasn't improved at all, in fact is worse now so that's what got me thinking that it may never improve without antibiotics, then again, I suppose there is the issue with resistance to antibiotics but I'm not a medic in anyway so this is all my thoughts not grounded in anything!

noimaginationforausername, yes this is similar pattern the throat has got worse.

twoandcooplease, DS had that thought and did a test the other night but negative, perhaps so another one today though as may not have shown up.

twoandcooplease, that's interesting sounds the same actually. How horrible for your little one are they better now or is the chest infection still there? With COVID back in 2020 I had the awful breathlessness and had something similar just before Christmas gone I was ill as well so earache and very heavy cold but thought it was just a virus as last only 48hrs with the ear and cold breathlessness was for about a week.

I work as a private doctor and we certainly see under 16s! Just contact your local private GP service and ask, or check their website 🙂

CakeIsNotAvailable, thank you for your reply.

Private GP’s here see children from the age of 6 weeks.

The nurse practitioner rang in the end and I do feel a bit like a rubbish Mum and failed at this parenting lark again as after my description on the phone, said he needs antibiotics and dismissed my ideas of bothering them - felt like I definitely should have acted more quickly. Scarily told me if he starts not to be able to swallow his own saliva then it is straight to children's A&E not 111 and I won't be waiting for hours as that would be an emergency as wouldn't be able to breath if those conditions exist. I feel I've let him down letting it fester but then again he's not having the above so I suppose she's just prewarned is pre-armed.

OP don't catastrophise, you'll dig yourself an early grave. They have to say that to you, you need to be aware of the worst outcome. He's got an infection by the sounds of it and he'll be fine. Don't fret.

Nevermindthesquirrels, yes, you are right, I think it is just lack of sleep the whole of this week as DS up alot, WFH, being late for office due to lack of sleep and DH away with work so just go in to a head spin!

He is getting better now thank you for asking x
He coughed for around 5 days very chesty and definitely had phlegm but obviously being a baby didn't spit it out. I have given him maybe 5 syringes of cough medicine over the time he's had it which has helped at the worst. I was going to take him to the gp for antibiotics if it got worse but it's only improved. He is still coughing through the night but getting much better
Thankfully the fever never happened again after that one night. It lasted about 3 hours and went to the highest of 41.6 and that was scary

This was the first time getting Covid for all of us. I wouldn't have known about the ear thing unless I had it myself. My symptoms were all following ds by 24hr so I knew when to expect what but when I recovered and he didn't get better I thought it must have gone into something else

How is your ds feeling now? Xx

That must have been very worrying such a high temperature and they can't communicate much so adds to the stress. Really horrible for Toddlers not to be able to get rid of congestion, I forgot about how exhausting that is. So pleased he's on the mend.

Yes, DS is a bit better actually, he seems perkier so I'm hoping we are exiting the bug!

Look after yourself. You sound like a wonderful mum, there's nothing wrong in anything that you've done. Your DS is lucky to have you.
Hope he feels better too and you manage to get some sleep.