1 month wait for an urgent appointment?

[elliejjtiny]

Finally got my son's appointment sorted after a lot of faff with choose and book and it's for 1 month away. I know I should probably be thankful it's not longer but he's in a lot of pain and the GP marked the referral as urgent. The school keep phoning me and saying he is in a lot of pain and needs to see someone and I just feel awful that I can't fix it for him. He is likely to be waiting another year for surgery after this appointment as well.

While I agree in principle there’s probably a load of urgents in the queue who were referred before him.

What’s wrong with him?

If we’re talking hospital referral, then yes, it’s excellent for everything that isn’t cancer. For cancer, for example, they saw me in 5 days. For gastroenterology, it was 9 months though for an urgent referral. Recently, I had a max facs referral, it’s been almost a year now and no sign of an appointment.

If he is in pain, I’d go to A&E for pain management if the GP isn’t providing it.

Thank you. He has an ingrowing toenail that keeps getting infected. So not life threatening but extremely painful. He is also struggling to do his physio exercises for his tight muscles in his ankles so I'm worried that will get worse as well.

My son had two ingrown toe nails so I can sympathise. unfortunately a months wait is normal now for urgent appointments, just keep up with the antibiotics and bathe in cooled boiled water with salt.

Ouch I’ve had those on my big toe - extremely sore, white hot pain is my best description!

Can you not try a podiatrist?

I needed an emergency gynaecological appointment as I was bleeding constantly changing a pad every half hour. It took a year. The nurse said if it's not emergency you will never need seen.

You are best booking an appointment with a private podiatrist. The Gp won’t do anything other than potentially prescribe antibiotics. Which does not solve the underlying cause. Waiting a month for antibiotics is outrageous in itself. The nail spike needs to come out for immediate relief, and if he needs surgery in the long run you could request to be put on the NHS waitlist or go private too. Private podiatrists can usually prescribe antibiotics or at least request them from the GP without you needing to see them also, which will be much speedier to help your son be comfortable.

Excruciating. I would get this done privately, if money allows. The school is telling you it's affecting him badly. Have you researched how much it would be?

I’d go to a podiatrist/chiropdist as well for that.

Take him to A&E before he ends up with Septicemia from that toe. Your Son's health is more important than the opinion of those who say he doesn't need A&E for whatever reason. Just walk in with him. He will be dealt with there and then.

I appreciate that on the NHS it's free especially if your child has disabilities but given the wait could you try a private podiatrist (who are all NHS trained anyway)

No wonder A&E is on it’s knees if people are going with an ingrowing toenail!
He’s already been seen by a medical professional, he isn’t septic.
What do you expect A&E to do…perform surgery on his nail?!

He's seen the GP. It's the specialist appointment he's waiting for.

Terrible advice. OP please don’t do this, this is the reason A&E gets snowed under.

this is actually a fairly normal wait for this issue, I would however ring the department and tell them it’s impacting his participation in school. Many children can manage in school despite having this problem, if your child cannot participate then this maybe a way to get it expedited.

It would probably be less than £500 to get it removed privately. Could you run to that?

My daughter was referred for urgent nail surgery in October. She was in a lot of pain too and kept getting infections her socks would be covered in blood after school. She was offered an appointment to get it done under local anaesthetic in December but said she didn’t want it done when she was awake she had an appointment with the paediatric consultant in December her pre op appointment in January and she got the surgery this morning. So took around 4 months in total from referral.

You can always ring the appointment line and tell them you will take a cancellation at short notice.

Wow, that’s really good to get an urgent NHS appointment for a month’s time which isn’t a two week cancer referral. I’d be really pleased with that.

if you want it quicker, go privately.

That's in easy one to go private with. Book him in ASAP yourself

Why is the Practice Nurse not doing the procedure? Its classed as minor and just involves a numbing injection.

No. This isn't an accident or emergency. It's irresponsible and wrong to go to A&E when there are so many other options available.

Practice nurses are not qualified for minor ops. In my area the practice podiatrist would do it.
Maybe you are thinking of ANPs who may do them in certain areas.

I had my ingrowing toenail done for £320 and I live in an expensive area. Could you afford for him to get it done privately