or was the doc right to refuse a home visit?

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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?

Yes, high fevers can be dangerous. But there are normally signs before a febrile convulsion - such as vomiting, and non-reaction to calpol. A temperature of 39 which responds to paracetemol is not likely to be dangerous or life threatening.

Likening a child having a febrile convulsion or going floppy needing an ambulance to a child with a cold and cough needing one is ridiculous. There arr provisions for emergencies - the first scenario is one, the OP's situation clearly is not.

hissy, seriously, the two scenarios do not compare at all.
By all means call an ambulance if you have a floppy unrespnsive child with or without rash.
A temp on the other hand, or a situation such as the op's...well then a grip is required.

And if your child was having an acute asthma attack and turned navy blue, but there was a delay in getting an ambulance to you because they were all tied up racing to children with coughs and colds, would that be acceptable?
And I speak as someone with an asthmatic child AND a child who has had febrile convulsions.....

Sukie In that situation it was the only option really. We knew (from a friend who is a paramedic) that they were struggling to get to people and taking much longer so decided it would be quicker to drive.

Hissymissy DS is asthmatic and I think a fact like that would change my view of the case in the OP. However, when DS has been bad I have taken him to the walk in GP when not able to get in the GP (if your not ill by 8.45am you have no chance of an appointment that day) if I couldn't drive I would use the bus/taxis/neighbours to get there before considering an ambulance unless he deteriorated VERY quickly.

And also, the OP said her child's temperature was under control with Calpol. Why the panic?

I felt guilty enough calling an ambulance when my mother collapsed on my bathroom floor. No way I'd call one for a raised temperature, baby or not. Sorry.

A grip is required is it ?

I think the nurses and dr's would rather you brought in a child un necessarily by whatever means than missed symptoms and the worse happened.
The NHS is over stretched for many reasons and over anxious parents are nowhere near the top of the list.

Believe me Mama, most doctors and nurses in A&E would rather not see children with coughs and colds in their department by ambulance but would rather parents used their common sense and the correct health provision.

Not far off though

My mother works in A&E and she says that she does mind so there you, permission granted.

• doesn't mind grrr

I just hope that if my child is ever really ill and needs that ambulance (as they have been hit by a car and are unconscious) that it isnt an hour wait because 5 families have rung ambulances for their child's temperature of 39. Or that if I have a broken leg and need to wait in A&E I am not waiting for 4 hours in severe pain because there is a 2 year old waiting with a snotty nose.

A&Es and Ambulances are for emergencies. Colds, temperatures reacting to paracetemol and coughs are not emergencies by any means.

Well they often wouldn't need to see kids in the A&E if they were seen by doctors earlier.

Plus, I can't see how it is beneficial to bring in a sick child with a possibly very infectious disease into a surgery filled with the elderly and infirm.

But then that's another topic, isn't it?

Well, I guess if we're ranking acceptable/desirable ailments in A & E, then I'd prefer a coughing baby to a ranting, swearing drunk who's knowcked himself out in a scrap outside the pub.

Ok Mamatomany. I shall take your mother's word over the other hundreds of thousands of doctors and nurses in the country. Just because she said so.

Bollocks. Seriously. I cannot believe someone working in an A&E department is saying it is ok to go their, via ambulance, with a cold. Fucking hysterical. Seriously??!!!

Neither should be there really though Clam should they? And thats the point - A&E is being misused by many different people, adults and children alike.

hissymissy, I have yet to hear of an elderly person dropping dead in a GPs waiting room because a child coughed on them.

This thread is full of hysteria.

*there even. Honest, I do know my grammar.

Mamatomany, seriously? "My mum said it's ok so there"
That's the best you got?
I'll say it again, a grip would not go amiss for some.

I wasn't even talking about a simple cold, for heaven's sake! I wouldn't even bother the doctor over a simple cold. However, if I was concerned about my baby, I would call the doctor/nhs direct for advice. If they weren't forth coming and didn't help, and I was getting concerned I would call an ambulance.

Of course they won't drop dead that instant smokinaces. But they will be exposed to a possible deadly illness if their defences are down, not to mention people with lowered defences for other reasons like cancer treatments, AIDS, etc.

hissymissy, you would go straight to an ambulance? you wouldnt look into a lift, or public transport, or a taxi - to say a walk in centre or an urgent care centre? You would go straight from a GP saying no to a home visit to calling an ambulance for accident and emergency??

Last time I was in A and E with DS there was a parent complaining when DS was taken straight through when we arrived. DS was in the middle of a serious asthma attack and needed oxygen within seconds of arriving.

After us being in there for about an the father came through to ask when they would be seen. They happened to be stood outside the room DS was in at that time and when asked what was wrong with there son - "he has a sore throat" 20 mins later they said they were going home and would see the GP tomorrow!!

and the whole reason people are in a GP surgery waiting room is because they are ill. Goes without saying you might catch something else - we cant all stay at home and wait on homevisits because there may be a risk of catching something else.

I never said that smokinaces, please read my posts. God, people just like taking words out of your mouth and twisting them to suit.

Whatever.

Next time I am ill or DS is ill, I will refrain from contacting the NHS entirely, until I am dead, just to be sure I don't drain their services.

And you'd be confident every time that a temperature is just a cold would you ? Because I too know several paediatricans who would err on the side of caution everytime. My mother has more time for worried parents than drunks, addicts, hypocondriacts, self harmers and management courses.