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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

Emergency appointment for head injury

38 replies

xanderer · 21/01/2011 13:31

Hi Just had to kick up a big fuss to be seen at 5.10pm for my 2 year old who had caught his head on the corner of a sharp edge.
The surgery told me they were full and tried to send me to a and e 8 miles away which has no paeds department. Also the other option is minor injury unit 16 miles away.
Apparently they can send people away with head injuries as it is an emergency and can be dealt with in a and e.
The only other options we have are out of hours gp service and again the gp can ask to see you at minor injuries unit which is 16 miles away. The other walk in centre is 5 miles away but nurse led and in a different pct.
Is this reasonable and have I got cause to take issue over this and who would I do that with?
really feel like changing surgeries but I am not sure if i can move into a different borough as we are right on the border. I just imagine the gps services on the other side of the border might be a bit better. I am not feeling good about this.....any help gratefully received as a bit concerned of getting repeat performance next time we have a bump. The drs at this surgery are really good so prob. a bit loathed to change - just they are very busy and the emergency side of thing is a bit rubbish. I have spoken to practice manager but I am not writing a letter to them for fear of recrimination.

OP posts:

altinkum · 21/01/2011 13:33

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

bubblewrapped · 21/01/2011 13:33

I would have thought A & E the best place to go, and sooner rather than later.

It is not a GP issue, unless your surgery has x-ray equipment.

HettyAmaretti · 21/01/2011 13:35

TBH with a head injury you either need A&E or you don't need anything, depending on the severity. IME there isn't really a middle ground.

So, strictly speaking YABU, but, it doesn't sound like your GP was either clear or helpful so YalsoNBU.

lottiejenkins · 21/01/2011 13:35

I would be getting off here if i was you and heading for the nearest Casualty department!!!

SlightlyTubbyHali · 21/01/2011 13:35

A GP cannot do anything about a bang on the head if it is serious. At hospital they would monitor your son, scan if necessary and if things went badly wrong they have the specialists there.

If it is an emergency you need to go to A&E. The GP is for infections, referrals, ongoing conditions etc.

AgentZigzag · 21/01/2011 13:37

I would agree with altinkum.

Perhaps you should keep a really close eye on him if he's banged his head, the internet has a habit of sucking you in.

If he were my 2 YO I would have taken the advice and gone to the a and e dept.

Is there any reason you didn't take their advice?

Eglu · 21/01/2011 13:38

I would not have thought that a GP would be the best person to help with a head injusy anyway. You also mention that A&E has no paed dept. Your GP is surely not a paediatrician either.

JarethTheGoblinKing · 21/01/2011 13:38

ditto everybody saying A&E..

How is he, is acting normally?

ethelina · 21/01/2011 13:39

GPs aren't emergency services, if anything was amiss the first thing to do is an xray which would result in a trip to A&E anyway. They were just trying to save you time by advising the appropriate place to go without wasting your and their time.

ethelina · 21/01/2011 13:39

I wouldnt have involved the GP in the first place.

mrsnellie · 21/01/2011 13:40

Any head injury should be dealt with by going to a&e. It is very likely that when you see the gp they will send you straight there anyway. Time is critical with head injuries, a child that may seem well now can deteriorate quickly. I wouldn't wait until tonight if you feel it is serious enough to warrant medical attention.

pooka · 21/01/2011 13:40

Surgery completely in the right here IMO.

Head injuries = A&E. No question.

Bramshott · 21/01/2011 13:41

Oh, I don't know - DD2 banged her head when she was 2 and the surgery gave us an emergency appt within 10 mins. They established that she was just shocked (and therefore pale, floppy etc) rather than concussed. If the GP hadn't fitted us in, we would have gone to A & E I guess.

pooka · 21/01/2011 13:42

I mena - if you are concerned about the head injury (i.e. think it needs looking at), the people who should be looking at it are at A&E and not as an 'on-the-day' appointment at the GP surgery.

AgentZigzag · 21/01/2011 13:42

Your main concern OP really should be getting your DS seen as quickly as possibly by a medical professional.

Save the concerns you have about the services in your area for when you know he's going to be alright.

Maylee · 21/01/2011 13:42

Go to A&E if you think he has a head injury.

GP wont be able to do much.

HettyAmaretti · 21/01/2011 13:43

As I said before with a bump on the head it's either A&E or no action needed (apart from observation). But, I have phoned the GP before to check if I needed to go to A&E. DS fell off the highchair but seemed fine and was uninjured, BUT it was slightly higher than DSs height (so strictly an A&E job). GP agreed no need for A&E.

ConnorTraceptive · 21/01/2011 13:43

YABU a GP can do feck all about a head injury really (if it's serious) and if you are that concerned you would take him to A & E regardless of how inconvenient that is for you to travel there.

TheReturnoftheSmartArse · 21/01/2011 13:45

What exactly is the nature of the injury? I mean, do you think he is concussed or does he need stitches? Either way, I'm afraid it would be straight to A&E for me if I was concerned, as my GP's surgery isn't really equipped for either of those so they would send us away anyway. If I were worried about my children's health, the distance to A&E wouldn't worry me.

pozzled · 21/01/2011 13:45

Agree with everyone else. If the head injury is too minor to need A&E then it really doesn't need to be seen by a GP either. If it's serious enough to need medical attention (or you're not sure) then A&E is the best place.

teenyanne · 21/01/2011 13:46

Ditto with the A&E - if you're that worried, nevermind posting on here complaining about the GP, take your dc to a&e and get him seen.

And what are you going to do if the GP decides your dc needs to go to a&e?

And if you really want to make a complaint, then I'm not sure you would have a leg to stand on with this - they advised you to go to a&e, you chose to ignore that advice and demand an appointment anyway.

And I really hope your dc just has a bump on the head and he's ok.

Icoulddoitbetter · 21/01/2011 13:51

Agree with the other posters, it needs to be A&E. If it's a sharp corner I'm assuming there is either broken skin that has worried you, or that he is a little concussed. If it is neither of these and he is fine at the moment then you just need to keep an eye of him. What do you expect the GP to do? Maybe calling NHS direct and telling them the symptoms would be a better idea? Then they can tell you the best way to proceed.
Do you really want to wait till 5.10, then be told you need to go to hospital anyway?

Hope your DS is ok

undercovamutha · 21/01/2011 13:51

If you fear he has a head injury - go to A&E.

If you think he has no head injury - stay at home and don't bother the GP.

Now is not the time to focus on writing letters of complaint - if your DC is hurt then fgs go to A&E.

herbietea · 21/01/2011 13:59

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

Caron1968 · 21/01/2011 14:37

OK this is really simple - Your child has suffered a head injury which may result in brain injury, there are two ways of determining the severity of that head injury. (1)Observation of the childs clinical signs and symptoms which really requires medical knowledge (2)A CT scan which would determine any brain injury.
The GP can take a "snapshot" of the childs condition. However if a prolonged period of observation is required then a trip to A&E will be arranged by the GP. Once at hospital, depending on regular Neurological Observations, a CT Scan may deemed necessary.
The vast majority of head injuries in children are minor and more often than not do not need admission to a ward from A&E for observation.

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