to expect to be able to find a doctor to see a child, in the uk, closer than 15 miles and less than a 4 hour wait?

[SheelaNeGig]

Shes actually not ill as such but does have spreading infected skin rash. (but imagine if she was ill?)

And 15 miles and 4 hours wait away isn't a Doctor but a triage nurse. I think it needs more than a nurse prescriber considering the fucidin isn't working and she can't take anything orally. But not ill enough to endure a 4 hour wait.

The NHS is in trouble isn't it.

Oh crashdoll do keep up.

I KNOW.

So, why are you still bloody whinging about it?

I get what you're asking for but where is the money coming from? The NHS cannot afford for 24:7 GP services. As someone in the health care profession, how do you not know this?

It could if it stopped paying agency workers enormous amounts for working 'unsocial hours'. Or if the didn't insist on ridiculous wasteful administration exercises. Or stopped faffing about and admitted that free healthcare is simply not posdible.

Just out of curiosity OP, and I apologise if you've already mentioned this upthread, but what exactly is your clinical role in the NHS?

Ah, a NHS clinical worker who agrees with privatisation of the NHS! Well carry on feeling that way because you won't be working weekends if that happens as you won't have a job...or might have to become one of those agency workers yourself...

I hear you on the ridiculous wasteful admin but there are other places it needs to go first before fully staffing surgeries on weekends. Incidentally, many surgeries run commuter clinics so maybe you need to find a new GP surgery.

But you aren't only asking for 7 days a week for emergency docs, you are asking for 7 days a week for everything.

It is absolute madness, would never work in a million years and cost billions to fund - not everyone gets paid unsocial hours pay - I don't and neither does DH; not paying unsocial hours would fund only a fraction. And the logistics in places like schools would be completely unworkable, especially for families with two or mo children.

You must be on a windup, surely? There is a 24 hour medical service - just because it means that some people wait for 4 hrs doesn't mean it isn't working. Seriously you're coming across as quite foot stamping tantrumming "I want to see a doctor and I want to see them noooooow!"

You want a paid for at delivery service? Because that is the alternative and then those that can afford it can certainly see their doctor at a moments notice. What do you intend for the millions who couldn't afford it? I agree that there are large amounts of waste in the NHS but even if this was eliminated it certainly wouldn't fund the extra doctors/nurses/phlebotomists/radiologists/theatre staff/cleaners/porters/secretaries/HCAs etc etc that this 24 hr 7 day a week utopia would need that you think is possible/necessary.

People nowadays have such unrealistic expectations, both of what the medical profession can do and how healthy they should feel. People get ill with minor illnesses all the time and there's very little that can be done for that. But people expect to feel 100% healthy all the time and expect doctors/nurses to wave a magic wand immediately and sort it out. I'd have that seeing as you are in the NHS clinically you'd be more realistic both about what you can expect and what the NHS can feasibly be expected to do.

Even for paid at delivery services, you may still have to wait. So, even if you paid for private GP visit, you're likely to have to wait.

I am astounded that someone who claims to work clinically within the NHS thinks that improving OOH GP services are at the top of the list of priorities.

I have a disability that occasionally requires urgent hospital treatment. I also have two of my four DC's having SN's and picky with medicines. I used to live 2 buses and a 55 minute journey each way from both OOH doctors and A&E.

I moved. I now live a 5 minute bus journey from the Walk in centre and A&E.

Makes life much easier.

I have a question OP, if you (or anyone) is NOT that ill, then why CAN'T you wait?

In theory this is not a problem that sprung up an hour ago, this is a current problem that is not improving, so why didn't you make an appointment sometime in the week?

Why wait til the weekend to decide you need a GP for a problem you have had all week?

Doctors are VERY expensive, this is why they are not available on a weekend, they are on a high wage and if they do any form of overtime or unsociable hours they want (quite rightly) paying accordingly. That would cost an extortionate amount of money that the NHS cannot afford?

If we start employing GP's on a weekend it needs to be paid for so the government will put our taxes up AGAIN and people will moan about THAT?

Is it ok that you have to travel 15 miles for an A&E dept? No.

Would your child have to wait 4 hours if she was REALLY poorly? No.

It is priority order, whoever is the most ill gets treatment first. You can be sitting in A&E for 2 hours with a broken arm but if a man walks in at that point having a heart attack, he will get seen first.

We are lucky in Bedfordshire, we have something called BEDDOC, it is an out of hours service that will see you, you ring NHS Direct, they assess you over the phone if they think it necessary they either make you an appointment to come in within the hour and you see a Doctor or they decide if you need to go to A& or if you will be OK til Monday. We also have walk in clinics.

I thought everyone had this option, clearly it's a postcode lottery!

Sorry, I know I am repeating myself from earlier in the thread, but I have had to wait over 4 hour with a sick child, in the night, to be seen at both a+e and at the ooh service (I believe I am in the same area as Sheela na gig). It is obviously different in different areas, and I don't think it happens all the time but it has happened to us a couple of times.

Also, I have often found myself in the position of not knowing which service to use, am I the only person that ums and ahs as to whether we need to see an ooh dr or go to a+e or call an ambulance!?

Is it ok that you have to travel 15 miles for an A&E dept?

There are quite a few areas where people are likely to be more than 15 miles away from A and E. Not everyone lives in big towns or cities with everything on their doorstep. I live in a town but I am still 13 miles from my nearest adult A and E, thankfully Peads is only 6 miles away.

Also, I have often found myself in the position of not knowing which service to use, am I the only person that ums and ahs as to whether we need to see an ooh dr or go to a+e or call an ambulance!?

I think most people end up like that. I have only called an ambulance once for DS but have been told off on 2 other occasions for not doing so, but living close to the peads a and e makes the decision easier as I can chuck him in the car and be there in 10 minutes.

Hi Hazeyjane,

I think it must be an area thing, which is, frankly, out of order IMO?

I think some people worry about making a fuss and feeling embaressed, hence the oohing and aahing, but if you are worried always follow your instincts, you know your children better than anyone.

The rule of thumb is, if your child is screaming blue murder, they do require medical attention but maybe they are not at deaths door. It's they are super quiet they are the ones you need to watch, ones that are usually bubbly but go totally quiet, only responding to pain but very floppy, vomiting, whimpering, you can consider that an acute emergency.

There are always exceptions to the rule obviously, broken bones, profuse bleeding, ingesting suspected poisons ect..

If your gut say's "my child is ill and I'm REALLY scared" just call an ambulance or go straight to A&E and bypass NHS Direct.

Never feel guilty. xx

I started out thinking you were merely being unreasonable, but having read your "everyone and everything 24/7" scheme I think you're on a (very bad) windup.

Not remotely workable given that people are people and not robots.

After seeing Panormas Health Tourist program last week - which revealed the NHS is heamoraging money left right and center in so many ways - all over the place and DOESNT EVEN HAVE ANYONE TO CHECK IF PEOPLE ARE OR ARE NOT ENTILTED TO HEALTH CARE...

I am amazed we have any NHS service left at all.

But half of our services already work 7 days a week. The other half don't. People who work over 7 days, don't choose their hours. They are on a rota.

This is reality for many people. But not others. I think eventually it will be reality for more and more people.

DOESNT EVEN HAVE ANYONE TO CHECK IF PEOPLE ARE OR ARE NOT ENTILTED TO HEALTH CARE

What do you want them to do? Have a citizenship test in A and E? expect people to carry proof of their nationality everywhere they go?

Now not following payment up with their home country afterwards is a different matter but at the point of needing treatment people should get that treatment.

The problem I have is that ds is always pretty floppy (due to low muscle tone), and when he is ill he is like a rag doll, when ill he also makes a lot of grunty, bubbly sounds in his chest, but this is usually in his upper airways, because he struggles with swallowing his saliva. We have ended up doing a lot of umming and ahhing and have been sent away by drs when we shouldn't have been, and done midnight dashes to a+e when it is not needed. I do find it annoying though that when calling the ooh service, we have been told on several occasions that we could be seen 25 miles away at an appointment in 3 or 4 hours time - which does seem like a long wait when it is in the middle of the night.

OK. I accept my 'Abolish Weekends' might be unpopular (or even unworkable). Good thing I'm not In Charge.

I still think it is not unreasonable to want to see a GP at weekends.

And I know the NHS doesn't work in its present form. I don't want it privatised though.

Why did you post in AIBU if you clearly didn't think you were being unreasonable?

Wow Hazey, how stressful! I totally understand what you mean now.

I'm definately not saying it's anyway ok to be kept waiting or that it doesn't happen, I have been on the recieving end also (and I work for the NHS!), I think you just have to use your judgement and as time goes along you will just get better at it as you gain more experience, but if in doubt go to A&E.

A&E would rather see 100 children who end up not being really poorly than spending several hours battling to save a poorly child who was brought in too late.....not something I hasten to add I think you would do in any way.

xx

Don't know crashdoll. But I'm not.