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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to think NHS direct are a waste of time?

37 replies

Oakmaiden · 29/03/2011 20:18

I probably shouldn't have phoned them at all....

Situation was - my daughter (who is 7, and frankly should know better) swallowed a piece of plastic, and immediately complained that she thought it was stuck in her throat. Noticing immediately that she seemed to be complaining well, and thus her airways were not blocked, I gave her some fruit to eat and a drink. And then sent her to bed.

In the morning she was STILL complaining. So my husband and I had a row about whether or not to take her to the doctors (I said no, she was clearly fine and had probably scratched her throat when she swallowed the plastic - my husband thinks I am a cruel and heartless mother who takes unnecessary risks with my children's health...)

So - in a spirit of compromise, I agreed to phone NHS direct. (I don't mind wasting their time, for some reason!) Anyway, NHS direct recommended that I take my daughter to the hospital A&E immediately, and took all my details, and checked which one I was going to so they could ensure I had followed their instructions. So muttering bitterly under my breath I dragged dd and her brothers to the hospital, sat for 3 hours in A&E to see a doctor who just peered down her throat and said he was sure she would be fine. Which was what I had been saying all along. But was a complete waste of his time.

This is not the first time I have been in touch with NHS either, and from personal experience I would reckon they must send about 50% of callers off to A&E. Which is insane. Or I think so anyway. Please tell me I am right. :)

OP posts:
mrsravelstein · 29/03/2011 20:22

i use NHS direct much more often than i use doc/hospital, and in general i am fairly wary of medical professionals.... but NHS have always been brilliant and very helpful when i've needed them... perhaps you just got a duff one

ginmakesitallok · 29/03/2011 20:25

We have NHS 24 - and they've always been good when we've called. to be fair to them they can't tell over the phone how your daughter was - better to have been safe than sorry.

LessNarkyPuffin · 29/03/2011 20:27

They're shit.

AgentZigzag · 29/03/2011 20:28

You're bothered about them erring on the side of caution and believe they do it when they shouldn't?

If you knew better why did you ring then?

I'm proud of the NHS and glad we have it.

4FoxAche · 29/03/2011 20:29

I used NHS Direct once and once only, never again.

They told me not to bother my doctor with indigestion.

I had Kidney Stones, the stupid ?£:&8@.

Good job I did bother my doc really!

Sirzy · 29/03/2011 20:29

I hate NHS direct but for the opposite reason.

When DS was 8 weeks old he wasn't well so I phoned them, when they eventually phoned back they told me it sounded like had a cold and to take him to the GP if he got worse.

An hour later he was in A and E, the next day he was in HDU with serious bronchiolitis.

I am pleased I didn't listen to the advice they gave!!

Now I use our great OOH service for advice if in doubt!

adelaidegirl · 29/03/2011 20:29

NHS direct is widely known in the health service as NHS redirect for a reason

Kittytickle · 29/03/2011 20:30

I work for NHSD, and I know it seems like a waste of time, especially when the doc just looked down her throat, but they were doing what they should.

You were right, she did just scratch her throat, but we are very wary of children swallowing things as they may think they are swallowed, but can just be lodged there. They then become a choking risk if the child in question coughs and dislodges it... NHSD are risk averse because they can't see the patients over the phone, but Mother's intuition counts for alot, so it is a "game of two halves" really.
Sorry for your long wait

Baggypussy · 29/03/2011 20:30

Yep. Waste of time. Stock response 'see the GP'. There's one cut I'd make for starters...

Baggypussy · 29/03/2011 20:31

Ha ha! NHS Redirect! Brilliant.

AgentZigzag · 29/03/2011 20:31

Bloody hell, don't be apologising kitty for the NHS being too caring!

TattyDevine · 29/03/2011 20:31

They were very helpful to me when my son ate the fish's medicine.

I was so sure they'd send me to A&E yet didn't.

There is probably a reason why they err on the side of caution in your circumstance.

I agree they tend to - but its better than not.

I do believe if you really are being PFB or paranoid or not sure, they give you the correct answer.

Its done on a flow chart/venn diagrammy type thing.

YANBU but you also are BU.

YABN

(You are being normal)

Grumpystiltskin · 29/03/2011 20:34

They seem to do well directing people to my out of hours dental clinic on a Sunday, we are usually full within 15min of opening and I'm sure the patients are all grateful.

I think NHSD is an area that is damned if they do damned if they don't. Agree with tatty, YABN.

rockinhippy · 29/03/2011 20:38

I've used them many a time, during out of hours & find them more help than the out of hours GPs around here - at least the ring back within good time -

& thanks to them listening to me & listening to DDs cough over the phone - I had the courage to go to & argue with a stroppy A&E Nurse who insisted DD "looks okay to me", despite the machine showing low oxygen levels, she then insisted the machine was broken & DD was fine because she could talk to her Hmm - that was AFTER I had already seen several different GPs who insisted she had no more than a virus & treat me as Nurotic Mum from hellHmm

DD had double pneumonia & would of died without NHS direct

rockinhippy · 29/03/2011 20:42

They've also not sent me to A&E at other times, but given me good info to get through the night - like the time I accidently gave my then tiny DD ADULT cough medicineBlush - they had me read through the ingredients & reassured me she would be fine, but told me what to look out for as regards allergic reaction - same when she decided to eat a bite out of each of pile of Conkers Shock

saffy85 · 29/03/2011 20:42

I've found them very helpful in the past. Including the time I thought that my then 1 year old had swallowed a coin. I rang them as she was hysterical (got stuck under a table, banged her head crawling out, I snatched the coins out her hands, she screamed) so couldnt really tell straight away if she'd swallowed anything. The nurse on the phone was so helpful. Said as DD appeared to be breathing fine nothing was lodged, not to be suprised if something came out the other end in a day or 2 and only advised to take her to hospital if she started to breathe differently later and to give DD a huge cuddle and put my feet up Smile

I also rang them up in Janurary as I had very bad flu symptons (was 4 months pregnant) and wasn't sure if it was from the swine flu jab or catching actual flu. Nurse advised I see the GP asap as it sounded like flu and said that the pain between my shoulder blades could well be start of a chest infection. She was right on both counts. And thank god I phoned them as I originally was going to try and sleep it off, convinced it wasn't actual flu.

Original poster
Oakmaiden · 29/03/2011 20:42

Zigzag - I think the NHS in general are great, it is NHS Direct specifically which I think are a pain. And I phoned them because my husband insisted I "did something" and not because I was worried.

I guess I thought if there was a cause for concern (bearing in mind I told them she had swallowed it over 12 hours previously) then they would tell me to see my GP, not make me go and waste people's time at A&E.

And whilst the long wait for A&E was personally irritating (particularly as I had my sons - both with SEN) I guess I really was feeling more embarrassed that I was wasting people's time and making people who really needed to see the Dr wait even longer than they would otherwise...

OP posts:
Original poster
Oakmaiden · 29/03/2011 20:44

saffy - well, that is slightly inconsistent - My 7 year old has to go to A&E for swallowing a bit of plastic, but your ONE year old is fine after swallowing a coin?

OP posts:
Original poster
Oakmaiden · 29/03/2011 20:46

rockinhippy - my eldest once ate a whole tube of Canestan when he was about 3. One of the times NHS Direct didn't send me to the hospital. Ds did go on to get oral thrush shortly afterwards - rolls eyes

OP posts:
bulby · 29/03/2011 20:48

I've found nhs direct a bit of a lifeline since having dd as don't like to Hastle doc but can get a but worried about things. Not entirely sure what your complaint is op, there was possibly something stuck on your dd throat and can't see what else they could have recommended.

NormanTebbit · 29/03/2011 20:48

So you phone up and say your daughter is complaining she is struggling to breathe after swallowing 'plastic'

WTF did you expect them to say? 'There, there Mrs so-and-so, I can't see your DD, but you are clearly worried enough to phone me, but oooooooooh my intuition tells me she'll be fine.

OF COURSE THEY TOLD YOU TO GO TO A&E

LeQueen · 29/03/2011 20:51

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Original poster
Oakmaiden · 29/03/2011 20:53

I didn't tell them there was something stuck in her throat and she was struggling to breath. I told them she had swallowed a bit of plastic the previous evening but was breathing fine, had eaten and drunk since then with no problems but was complaining. I then said I suspected she had scratched her throat - did they think this was likely.

Try reading it before swearing at me, please.

OP posts:
Original poster
Oakmaiden · 29/03/2011 20:55

I guess my complaint was that they seem to over-react a lot of the time. I mean - A&E is for real emergencies, not for "maybes" isn't it? Surely the sensible thing to do would be to forward to a local treatment centre or the GP if it is not a REAL emergency (which it clearly wasn't - as the night had passed uneventfully and my daughter was NOT having problems breathing.)

OP posts:
LessNarkyPuffin · 29/03/2011 20:56

They know just enough to be really dangerous.