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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:
lesley33 · 29/03/2011 12:03

If it is during the normal GP's working hours (which can be up to 7pm at night, then it will be the local GP that comes out. If it is after your GP closes it will be a separate out of hours service. So if she rang during the day for a home visit then yes it would be the GP covering the surgery who would do any home visits.

valiumredhead · 29/03/2011 12:06

I though GP's had stopped home visits now? My surgery hasn't done them for about 10 years.

I always used to make sure I had some emergency taxi money before I learned to drive - in case of situations like you describe.

mamatomany · 29/03/2011 18:04

My SIL would have called an ambulance and made them take her to A & E she doesn't bother with GP's any more.

SauvignonBlanche · 29/03/2011 18:24

A child with a cough and a temperature does not need a home visit.

princessparty · 29/03/2011 18:29

Why didn't your DH come home from work early?
Why not get a big taxi?

princessparty · 29/03/2011 18:31

i don't think your DD really needed a home visit .A temperature for one day with a cough and a cold is nothing.I wouldn't even have bothered seeing the doctor.

hissymissy · 29/03/2011 18:34

What if you can't afford a blinking taxi! FFS, we don't all have lots of spare cash hanging around just in case we have an emergency, and taxis are very expensive.

In these circs I think the GP surgery was unreasonable. I would have probably called an amulance in this case, if the surgery wasn't willing to help, tbh.

unfitmother · 29/03/2011 18:36

An ambulance because a cild has a temp and a cough! Angry
Are you taking the piss?

Sassybeast · 29/03/2011 18:38

And it's because of attitudes like yours MissyHissy that charging for misuse of ambulance services is a damn good idea.

hissymissy · 29/03/2011 18:43

If I was concerned for the health of DS, and the doc wouldn't come out to me, and I was unable to get to them, damn right I'd call an ambulance! High temperatures can kill a baby if not dealt with.

OH, and as for charging for misuse, that would just make poorer parents risk the lives of DCs when they don't call for an amulance just in case of being accused of misuse.

Only those who have means and an excess of money can think this way! Honestly.

SauvignonBlanche · 29/03/2011 18:45

A child with a cough and a temperature does not need a home visit.
They definately don't need a bloody ambulance! Shock
You're right sassybeast a hefty fine would be in order, that's ridiculous! Angry

unfitmother · 29/03/2011 18:47

hissymissy you're talking shite nonsense - a temp of 39.5 to 40 which comes down with paracetamol (as described by OP) will not "kill a bay", what hysterical nonsense!

princessparty · 29/03/2011 18:49

I repeat the question if the parents were SO concerned about the baby why didn't the dad get his arse home from work??

ChunkyPickle · 29/03/2011 18:51

'40 minutes walk is too far away from a surgery', 'just get a taxi'

These are clearly comments from people who've always lived in a town... (not that I know the OP's situation)

I've lived in more than one place both child and adult where there just aren't taxis, and a 40 minute walk to a surgery would be considered close (and if there are pavements then that's a bonus).

Sassybeast · 29/03/2011 18:52

Well hopefully Missyhissy a poor person will also be along soon to tell you that you are being ridiculous. What with me being so rich and all....

TidyDancer · 29/03/2011 18:58

YABU, but I understand why it upsets you, given the circumstances. It's been said multiple times already, but it's really not the GP's fault that you were having trouble with transport. And as has also been said, instead of directly the vitriol at the GP, you should have called DH and told him to come home. Even if it had taken an hour, that's still less than how long it eventually took.

zukiecat · 29/03/2011 19:12

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Sirzy · 29/03/2011 19:13

I cant believe anyone is suggesting calling an ambulance in this situation. Ambulances should be reserved for life and death situations not because you cant get there otherwise

clam · 29/03/2011 19:21

I was in Urgent Care (minor injuries) the other week with DS (broken finger) and overheard a woman telling someone she'd brought her toddler in as "she's got a sore throat and sounds hoarse." The person she was talking to agreed that "you can't take any chances."
WTF????? No wonder I was there all bloody evening!

smokinaces · 29/03/2011 19:23

clam, you'd be surprised how many A&E slips we get at work for under 5s that have been taken in for coughs and colds. Its quite sad actually, especially as we live in an area with excellent provisions (drop in GPs 8-8, OOH GP 8-12mn and Urgent Care Centre 24/7)

Sirzy · 29/03/2011 19:26

If I took DS to the dr every time he had the slightest cold we would always be there. Problem seems to be some parents panic (understandably in some cases) and think they need the dr/ooh/a and e for every little thing.

There again, I tend to go to far the other way and was told off once for driving DS into A and E rather than calling an ambulance (although in my defence it was during very heavy snow and was quicker for me to go there than wait for ambulance to get down!)

mamatomany · 29/03/2011 19:27

Meningitis is life and death and since many medical professionals miss it parents are right to err on the side of caution and if £10 is the family's food budget for the week you aren't likely to blow it on a taxi to the dr's are you ?

zukiecat · 29/03/2011 19:28

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

smokinaces · 29/03/2011 19:29

No wonder the NHS is pushed to the seams if every parent is to panic over every temperature and cold and cough thinking its meningitis and ringing an ambulance Hmm

If you were that worried about a serious illness, you would of course "blow the £10 food budget" on getting your child to a GP. I have. Its one of those things - if your child is ill it is down to you as their parent - not down to an already overstretched service.

hissymissy · 29/03/2011 19:30

Perhaps I am over anxious because DS is asthmatic, and so although I have never been in the position of not being able to get to a surgery, and have never actually called an ambulance for him, I can sympathise with someone in the OPs position. I would call and ambulance if I was concerned for my DSs welfare, and no other option was open to me. Sorry if that seems unreasonable.

And high fevers can be dangerous if left untreated especially if there are other symptoms. This may not be relevant to the OPs post, but would those of you opposed to calling an ambulance feel the same if their DC suddenly convulsed, or went all floppy, or had a rash? Would you really not call an ambulance if you were afraid for the life of your child and had no car and no money for a taxi?

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