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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

or was the doc right to refuse a home visit?

185 replies

2plus2more · 28/03/2011 20:27

OK, so today my youngest (7 months) daughter's temperature kept spiking up to 39.5-40C and calpol was only keeping it down for about 2 hours before it started to rise again. She's also got an awful cough and cold which has been ongoing for 2-3 weeks, but today was the first time her temp has been bad. Normally I would call the docs and ask for a same day appointment and then drive down whenever the appointment was. Unfortunately that wasn't possible today because yesterday I fell on the stairs and ended up in hospital. Nothing broken thankfully but I have bruised my ribs and some muscles in my back so am unable to drive. TBH, I am struggling to move at all and even holding the babies is incredibly painful, so getting the buggy out and walking the 40min walk to the surgery with 4 kids was just not an option either. So anyway, I phoned the docs, explained the situation and asked if we could have a home visit. They said "no" because they "don't do home visits for babies". They said my daughter did need to be seen though so I would have to work out a way of getting there. I explained that it just wasn't possible as I couldn't walk or drive, I have no family who could take us, none of my neighbours have a big enough car to take me and all 4 of the kids and my husband works an hour's drive away from home (depending on traffic) and was uncontactable anyway because of meetings. They still refused because they "don't do home visits for babies". I had no choice but to wait until my husband was able to answer his phone, which wasn't until 4.30pm so he wouldn't get home until after the surgery was closed, and then when he got home we had to phone NHS24 and he drove 40 mins away to the out of hours doc at 6.30pm with exhausted daughter whose temp was spiking again. They're just home and she has a chest & an ear infection. She's gone through an extra 6 hours pain because doc wouldn't come out to see us and we've also had to take up a valuable out of hours doc appointment when we could have been seen by our own doc hours earlier. so - AIBU to be annoyed by this, or was doc right? Anyone else's doc have a similar policy of refusing home visits on babies?

OP posts:
meaniemo · 28/03/2011 20:31

YANBU and if my Dr surgery refused to do home visits for babies I'd move to a surgery that did! My Dr has been to visit my sick baby/ child on the very few occasions I have been unable to go in. I'd contact the practice manager and ask them to justify their position.

ladywhiteadder · 28/03/2011 20:33

In general home visits for babies are a bad idea. There is a better chance of missing the subtle signs of significant illness, such as the menigococcal rash, in noisy or poorly lit surroundings with dogs/kids/family milling around (not saying that this is what your home is like, just a reflection of what can be found on some home visits) so it is considered safer to see baby in a brightly lit, quiet surgery. However, these sound like extenuating circumstances and it seems a shame you had to go to such lengths. Hope your little one is much better soon.

nailak · 28/03/2011 20:33

yanbu, i would make a complaint

RitaMorgan · 28/03/2011 20:36

Couldn't you have got a taxi?

nailak · 28/03/2011 20:37

you cant et in a taxi with 5 people?

stealthcat · 28/03/2011 20:38

I think its pretty normal for GPs to not do home visits for babies. They usually try to avoid home visits at all unless it is for someone bedbound or terminally ill as a home visit will involve far more time than a surgery appointment, and is in a less well-equipped, often less well-lit envionment.

Difficult though if they are aplying a blanket rule to your own circumstances - was it the receptionist or the doctor who refused?

If this happens again, would a taxi be an option? Or moving to a GP practice that is less than a 40 min walk away?

Sidge · 28/03/2011 20:39

YAB a bit U. Babies are portable.

I'm sorry you were not able to walk there yourself but doctors don't offer home visits for people that are actually able to get there; you could have got the neighbours to watch your children and got a taxi.

Do you have a surgery closer to your home? A 40 minute walk is madness even when you're not ill!

WhoDat · 28/03/2011 20:41

You can get big taxi but hauling four kids to gp esp when wee one is so sick is a mare. I think they should've been a bit more humane and accommodating and seen you today. You had extenuating circumstances so they were BU. Poor wee toot, hope she's feeling better

unfitmother · 28/03/2011 20:42

I appreciate your problem but your GP is not responsible by your inability to drive atm. Home visits are for those housebound through illness.
I hope you both feel better soon.

LoveBeingKnockedUp · 28/03/2011 20:43

The home visit wouldn't have been till after the surgery closed.

RitaMorgan · 28/03/2011 20:43

It would have been tough I agree, but surely possible to get a 5 seater taxi and all gone.

pooka · 28/03/2011 20:43

Leave other kids with neighbours (if can't get one of the larger taxis) and take the baby to GP?

clam · 28/03/2011 20:43

I appreciate you were in a tough position, but really, the bottom line is that your transport issues are not their problem. As someone's already said, home visits are virtually non-existent, and for bed-bound people primarily, not for people whose DH's are in meetings. Sorry!

Sidge · 28/03/2011 20:44

I think a lot of people understimate the amount of time a home visit takes for a GP - about 6 or 8 people could be seen at a surgery in the time it can take to do one home visit.

Home visits tend to be reserved for the truly immobile, and very very ill.

FabbyChic · 28/03/2011 20:46

Id move doctors surgeries that is appalling service.

smokinaces · 28/03/2011 20:48

yabu. no need for a home visit. there are 7 seater cabs if needed.

My GPs dont do home visits. In fact none of mine have in the last 10 years or more.

home visits mean seeing at least 2 less patients than in the surgery. Its Monday, surgery is busy. The GP was right to say no.

girliefriend · 28/03/2011 20:50

Is there not a closer surgery to you? Is there no friends that could have taken you? i think you are being a bit unreasonable, home visits are for housebound patients ie patients that can only leave the home by ambulance.

TBH if it had been me and I was desperate I would have found a way of getting her there, even if I drug myself with painkillers so that I could drive.

smokinaces · 28/03/2011 20:50

Im really surprised at the number of people saying they'd change surgeries etc. Surely the OP's transport and childcare issues are not for the NHS to subsidise?

pooka · 28/03/2011 20:53

But if she were at a more local surgery, then wouldn't be such a journey to deal with.

I think most people are suggesting changing surgeries not as a criticism of the current one for anything but the distance to the OPs house.

ddubsgirl · 28/03/2011 20:55

but what if she didnt have any money for taxi?

smokinaces · 28/03/2011 20:55

local surgeries can be hard to get into, granted. my local surgery is a 5 minute walk. they cant fit me on their books, so I have to go a 10 minute drive (40 minute walk) away. My Nan lives 15 minute drive from me, yet is in my local surgery? She drives past 3 on the way here!! Think it does need sorting for postcoded areas.

Birdsgottafly · 28/03/2011 20:56

You wouldn't have got the perscription any earlier if you could not get out. A high temperature in a young child is a common symptom of alot of illnesses so it might be better to allow time to pass and use the out of hours provision. If she had got worst she would have been better being taken to hospital. If you have major problems with transport, no close family or friends and more than a couple of pre-school children at home then your DP needs to be always available.

ramblingmum · 28/03/2011 20:57

Changing surgerys may be an option, but it depends on were you live. My nearest surgery is at least 40 mins walk away and I live in West Yorkshire not the west of Scotland

Sidge · 28/03/2011 20:57

My suggestion to change surgeries is because being a 40 minute walk from your GP practice is not ideal, especially if transportless and you have young children.

smokinaces · 28/03/2011 20:57

ddubsgirl, if every patient said that the NHS would be in an even worse state than it is!!!