Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

NHS Direct ringing back 6+ hours after I called them about ds's head injury.

39 replies

bibbitybobbitybunny · 21/05/2012 18:52

Don't get me wrong, I'm grateful that they called back (even though it was 1am) but do you think that is a long delay when a head injury has been reported in an 8 year old?

If they can't respond sooner than that to something potentially serious then I do kind of wonder what is the point?

OP posts:
knowitallstrikesagain · 21/05/2012 18:55

I think that if you thought it was potentially serious, you would have called an ambulance when NHS direct did not call back immediately.

HolyCameraConfusionBatman · 21/05/2012 18:57

It depends what you told them really

OutragedAtThePriceOfFreddos · 21/05/2012 18:58

The service from NHS direct seems to have gone sharply downhill in recent years. It was great when it first started, I found it really useful, but not any longer unfortunately.

We had a simelar situation a few months ago where I called them for advice, but they were useless so we ended up going to the out of hours docs at the hospital anyway. Complete waste of time, which is a shame because they could be very valuable.

UnChartered · 21/05/2012 18:58

i think if you're waiting that long for advice for a head injury then perhaps it doesn't need specialist treatment - there would be further symptoms that you'd react too

they always say 'but if the condition worsens, please call emergency number' don't they?

amillionyears · 21/05/2012 20:17

When the kids were younger,we always found they were not much use.
Prob ok for some advice on a minor matter,but for a head injury, which is potentially very serious indeed,would no way use them
Is he doing all right now
Have you had him him checked out today?

JustFab · 21/05/2012 20:19

I don't use them anymore. They always say to go to A & E.

I rang for DS1 once when he was 19 months old. They haven't rung back yet. He is 11 now.

Sirzy · 21/05/2012 20:21

NHS direct is a waste of space. Twice I have phoned for advice for DS, twice I have been told they will phone me back. Twice after a couple of hours of waiting I have ended up taking DS to A and E anyway, neither time has the phone shown any missed calls when i got home so I guess they never did phone back.

What should be a good advice service seems unable to cope with the demand meaning they can't give the advice when it is acutally needed.

seeingstars · 21/05/2012 20:21

They always say go to a and e. Confused

Everythingsgoingtitsup · 21/05/2012 20:22

I called them on Saturday night, DP was having pains which I think are gallstone related. I wanted to be sure it wasn't his heart. Rang at 11.00 pm, called back at 7.45 am. The woman who screened the call advised me not to give him nurofen but said ibuprofen would be fine. She was surprised when I told her they were the same thing.

HolyCameraConfusionBatman · 21/05/2012 20:27

I've always found them to be good. Always been rung back straight away. Haven't always been told to go to A&E (and one of those times was a head injury).

faintpinkline · 21/05/2012 21:03

I have had mixed experiences of them. On one occasion I phoned them really upset because dd had fallen out of bed and got a nose bleed - they were great at calming over anxious mother down and saved a time wasting trip to a and e. Another time though I called because I was worried dd was making funny noises when she breathed. They promised a call back and after am hour I thought she wad getting no better so took her to a and e where they diagnosed croup. I got home at 8am to find phone ringing - it was my call back after 12 hours !

StepAwayFromTheEcclesCakes · 21/05/2012 21:12

I have used them in the past and found them excellent. However the new 111 number or whatever it is is rubbish. every time my mum has used it they say 'its a heart attack we will send an ambulance' Confused (it wasn't)

kickingKcurlyC · 21/05/2012 21:23

I've never had a bad experience with them.

numbum · 21/05/2012 21:26

I've never had a bad experience either. One NHS advisor called an ambulance for us when DD started puking up blood while DH was on the phone to her.

As for the 'they always tell you to go to a&e' comments; I think they can only do so much over the phone and, where kids are concerned, if there's a slight risk it could be something serious then of course they'll tell you to go to a&e.

bronze · 21/05/2012 21:26

I stopped using them years ago because they were crap. In fact I was posting on here at the time I last did and for more advice and reassurance feom posters here than I did nhs direct

CarnivorousPanda · 21/05/2012 21:30

Only ever phoned them once, poor service and advice so just went straight to A and E

slowlyburningcalories · 21/05/2012 21:32

They have been bloody outstandingly brilliant when we've called them for DD, and when I was pg and very ill with bronchitis.

amillionyears · 21/05/2012 22:08

NHS Direct is a national number isnt it?
Peoples experiences are rather mixed on here.But we all ring through to the same place dont we?

Original poster
bibbitybobbitybunny · 21/05/2012 22:14

Do we? I don't know.

OP posts:
VivaLeBeaver · 21/05/2012 22:17

We don't have nhs direct anymore in this area. It's been replaced by a trial of some other number......not sure what the difference is. I rang the new number once and they sent an ambulance.

ImpatientOne · 21/05/2012 22:21

While I was waiting for NHS direct to call back last week I rang our new out of hours number (111) as things deteriorated. They did a similar assessment and said I needed to see a doctor within 2 hours and booked me an appointment at the local Urgent Care Centre.

I was on the way back from there when NHS Direct called back!

We are in a pilot area of the 111 number and so far it works well even though it's pretty much the same thing Hmm

monkeymoma · 21/05/2012 22:23

NHS direct are SHIT, all that waiting to be told to either ring your out of hours GP or go to a and e

just ring your out of hours or go to A&E in the first place, I bypass NHS direct

PullUpAPew · 21/05/2012 22:29

What monkeymama said, exactly that

PullUpAPew · 21/05/2012 22:30

mama moma, sorry!

redwineformethanks · 21/05/2012 23:05

Pity, it sounds like such a good service - your friendly GP on call 24/7. What's not to like? Shame if they don't always deliver.

I phoned after my DD was born. I was anxious about post birth complications. They promised to call back. I couldn't wait any longer so went out eventually. Not very impressed. In an emergency, I wouldn't call them

Swipe left for the next trending thread