To think this letter from gp was really rude?

[ariane5]

Dd2 has a lot of health conditions and is frequently very unwell.

Last sat (2nd) she was terribly poorly and our gps were shut so we took her to the ooh walk in and she was prescribed antibiotics.

On monday she was worse and woke up at 3am in the morning extremely ill and with high blood ketones (she is diabetic) so dh took her to a+e, she was let out the following morning.

Yesterday I received a letter from our gp and the more I read it the ruder it sounds.

"I noticed you took dd2 to a walk in centre on monday. I am concerned and disturbed by this. We have her records here and can provide better continuing care. I am worried as to why you felt it necessary to take her immediately to a walk in centre"

"Please make time to explain this to us, make an appointment or telephone as this issue needs to be discussed"

For a start dd2 went to a+e not walk in early tues morn-surely if information has got through to gp then it would have stated the time date and reason?

I don't understand why they had to write a letter like that, would have been much easier to phone me and clear it up.
It has made me really annoyed.I feel like phoning tomorrow and telling them to check their facts before writing a letter of that tone.

AIBU?

[Tee2072]

Hec's is better than mine. If less sweary.

[Megatron]

ariane you're right, the tonsillitis will have had that effect on her bless her. The first time they have high ketones is pretty scary and you were absolutely right to take her to a & e. Do you have open access to your children's ward with any diabetes related symptoms? That may be worth checking - we do but I didn't realise that until about a year after diagnosis.

[grovel]

Dear GP

C os
U
N ot open
T erribly
S orry


Ariane

[Megatron]

Hecate's letter is spectacular! :)

[ariane5]

I am seriously considering changing gps, not least because this was 2nd incident in a week that has upset me.

Last week they decided to move one of ds1 medications (prescribed initially by his consultant neurologist) from his current medication list to past list?? Without letting me know so that when I asked for a repaeat as we were running out they wouldn't do it. I had to go through about 3 receptionists to get to speak to a doctor to get it reinstated on his current medications.
No idea why they saw fit to change it. I am also reminded of the high cost of ds1 neocate advance milk every time I ask for more and dd2 ketone testing strips which always makes me feel uncomfortable-its not my fault dcs all have medical problems but they make me feel like I'm single handedly draining the nhs of all its resources.

Now this letter, I've had enough of them.Idiots.

[Bilbobagginstummy]

Grovel -

[dikkertjedap]

Unacceptable and rude.

Does not sound like a caring GP but sounds more like a GP obsessed with targets and paper pushing.

I would not respond at all but change GPs tomorrow. I had once something similar. My dd had over 40 degrees fever for a month, she was extremely ill. I saw the GP many times in that period, each time I was told it was 'just a virus'. The last time I saw the GP was on a Wednesday afternoon. She told me that 'I was wasting precious NHS time and that if I would come back once more with my dd with these symptoms I would be struck off'. Two hours later my dd stopped breathing. 999, resuscitated, went to A&E, she was drowning, she had life threatening pneumonia, both lungs. She needed long term oxygen, lots of heavy duty antibiotics intravenously as there was no time to loose finding out what was causing this, she was dying.

So, don't even bother with this Gp, CHANGE GP TOMORROW.

[ariane5]

Hecate and grovel I cannot decide which letter to copy for gp

[RocknRollNerd]

That would enrage me too! On a more constructive note it may be worth contacting the practice manager (not the GP) to establish what info they're getting through from A&E/OOH. Our practice had a huge breakdown in communication with the OOH which meant half our visits weren't getting reported back to them at all or were being wrongly reported; perhaps we're just lucky with our practice manager but both times I've dealt with her directly things got sorted out pretty quickly.

[Nanny0gg]

Brilliant letter writing on here. There must be a business opportunity somehow, surely? Letter Writing to Order?

Back to the OP - as a matter of interest, was it signed by the GP or the Practice Manager?

Because that would influence my reply.

[ariane5]

We have only been given phone numbers for the ward to phone for advice but they do not seem to have an open ward for diabetes. Which is a huge shame as with the problems she has I worry everytime she has to go to ooh/a+e as there are always loads of terribly unwell people and she catches everything so we go in with a diabetes related issue and a few days later she is unwell with something she has picked up whilst at hosp which in turn affects her diabetes again.

[Cooroo]

It's probably an automatic letter, generated by the OOH/A&E visit for all the reasons mentioned above. However, it is appallingly worded. I think it IS their business - in that they are your daughter's primary healthcare and, as they say, have her records. If you can swallow your fury, can you visit and try to point out, if possible without yelling and swearing (may be difficult) just how offensive it was to receive the letter. Maybe they could write a new one? Add something to their parameters that doesn't trigger the letter if the visit was out of surgery hours?

[ariane5]

It was signed by the gp

[Renniehorta]

I got a similar letter the day after my son was admitted via a&e in agony and bleeding from the rectum. I had previously taken him to the gp and to a&a because he had such bad pain in his stomach. We were just sent away with a diagnosis basically of overacting.

The gp letter accused us of wasting a&e time with a case of constipation. I was so upset, I phoned the surgery and eventually I got an apology.

It was eventually discovered that my son had stomach ulcers because the diagnosis failed to pick up he was producing excess stomach acis and it had eaten into the stomach walls.

I signed my son up with a different practice.

[Sickandsad]

GPs will be purse holders for the majority of NHS spending from April this year and in many areas have been operating in shadow preparing for the change to GP Commissioning Consortiums.

GPs will be monitoring attendances at OOH and A&E and aiming to reduce these where possible as they will be paying for these out of their commissioning budgets.

So the letter you've received is because you are costing the practice money by attending both OOH and A&E and they will want to prevent this becoming a drain on their resources.

It's really not good news, never mind the postcode lottery, the care you get moving forwards will depend on which GP practice you are with and whether they will fund your care.

[TobyLerone]

Write Megatron's letter, with this line as a sign-off:

"I trust you will now furnish me with a personal telephone number upon which I can reach you 24 hours a day, in order to avoid this happening again."

[Fakebook]

Your GP sounds like he/she is upset that he/she has been cheated on. Did you not think of their feelings before snubbing them and going to A&E instead for a one night stand?

[RedToothBrush]

Seriously, reply to them.

Be rude and point out how rude they were to you and how they need to wind their necks in rather than go on a power trip. Tell them you will not be attending a 'disciplinary meeting' about your behaviour. Tell them you find it disturbing that they feel the need to be so controlling and you do not have to answer to them.

[RedToothBrush]

oh and absolutely change gp.

[larrygrylls]

Dear GP,

I am so pleased that your surgery found the time in its busy day to send me your letter of the xx/yy/zzzz.

I am even more pleased that you are concerned enough about my daughter so that you would want to personally discuss her condition whenever we are worried, no matter the time of day or night. In order that we can put this into practice, please may I have your personal mobile number so that you can act more in line with your intentions and in line with what most private GP practices offer.

I am copying your letter and this reply to the senior registrar A&E in order that they know we now have such excellent personal care.

[LatteLady]

OK, having spent part of this week talking to Practice Managers about the move to NHS 111 and what this means to OOH provision, I can understand a little about the letter that you have received.

GPs are being asked to save money whilst not compromising patient treatment and outcomes by using appropriate NHS pathways. Sounds a bit like gobbledygook but it is about using the skills that already exist in the community rather than always going into A&E. As far as I can see, you have already done that, although your GP might have an OOH provider that they would prefer you to use as they have permission to access your details which a walk in centre may not, which could be a worry as it sounds as though your child has quite complex needs... not all parents are as sensible as you or could tell as coherent a story about their children's history.

Yes, the letter is clumsy, but perhaps they want to be involved in helping you to plan where to go for appropriate help OOH... and yes, they do get charged when you go to A&E. Unfortunately some people do use A&E as an adjunct to their GP rather than as intended.

[AlanMoore]

What a wanker that GP sounds. Change surgery!

I'd write a stiffly worded but scrupulously polite letter saying that you were deeply offended to get the letter and that you are disturbed at the suggestion a sick child should have waited for surgery to open.

[GregBishopsBottomBitch]

Change GP's, i would completely infuriated, if i got a letter like that.