To understand why people turn up at A&E or call ambulances

[Bunraku]

Rather than going to their gp?

My son was taken to hospital last night after NHS direct advised an ambulance should be called as his temp was reaching 42 and his breathing was rapid.

He was diagnosed with pneumonia and given antibiotics on discharge but this morning he seemed zoned out, weak and couldn't stop coughing and vomiting so the medication won't stay down and nor will any fluid.

I asked my gp surgery for an emergency appointment but as I moved a few days ago the receptionist refused to even converse with me. She just said "use your own catchment, ok? Bye."

The gp in my new catchment wanted me to "pop down" to fill in forms and provide ID ect and wait for them to file it and accept us as registered, to which she added it was unlikely anyone would be available anyway as they were busy.

My son fell asleep while I was calling around and he really does need some rest as he has been up all night coughing and vomiting so I am keeping a close eye on him. The second I sense anything wrong I will be presenting myself at A&E again but I'm so angry that my gp would just refuse us when we have just moved and have not had time to sort these things out yet.

[Bunraku]

Sorry to disappear. He vomited up brown blood so I just left. They Tried to fob me off with calpol so where needs must I Made myself heard. He's in a bed now on drips. I knew something wasn't right.

[iwantanafternoonnap]

I am amazed your A and E sent him home in the first place!! I hope your DS feels better soon. xx

[Andro]

You did the right thing OP, without a doubt!

I hope your DS is feeling better soon.

[ukatlast]

YANBU Surely they shouldn't have discharged him at that age until he had some antibiotics in his system? Take him to A&E now and get him on intravenous antibiotics. He is too young to take risks with.
Your former GP and new GPs (receptionists?)are a disgrace - make sure you write letters of complaint when your son is better. Best wishes.

[kelda]

YANBU. I've always known this, that the reason why UK A&Es are clogged up is because it's so hard to see a GP.

So sorry your son wasn't seen earlier. I really hope he makes a full and quick recovery

[Secretswitch]

Im sorry you and your child have had to go through this. Hopefully, he will get the medication he need and you both will get some much needed rest.

[Sidge]

That's rubbish - either surgery could have seen him as a Temporary Resident and if necessary (which it obviously was) arranged admission direct to either a paediatric assessment unit or ward.

Hope he's better soon.

[ukatlast]

MrsSchadenfreude - your MIL's GP needs hauling over the coals - please help her to put a written complaint in. They only get away with it because people never follow up officially.

[ukatlast]

Sorry mother not MIL.

[Sirzy]

I think the issue here is with A and E rather than the GPs!

Hope he is on the mend soon

[ukatlast]

Sirzy - am referring to Mrs Schadenfreude's wasp sting incident where her Mother collapsed outside her GP practice which refused to even let her in the building even though they were open...and a passer-by called an ambulance....takes the biscuit I think.

[ukatlast]

Sirzy - if you mean A&E discharging baby originally then yes I agree.

[ukatlast]

..but both have been unhelpful.

[Mumsyblouse]

Hope your little one is ok, how stressful for you, so glad you went to hospital when you did- good judgement call. Surgeries terrible and you should complain.

[Sirzy]

Yes I meant in the original post.

[Bunraku]

The staff on the children's ward today are wonderful. My son was seen, obs done and in a bed resting with calpol supps which seem to have helped plenty, within 20 minutes. Apparently the bloke that discharged us last night was a locum(?) and the nurses are saying we should not have been kicked out at 4am

[Misspixietrix]

Bunraku Its not unheard of. When Dd was in once a boy got wheeled in next to her on oxygen at 6/7am. He had been discharged at 3am and was 2yo! Glad you kicked up a fuss. Washing your Ds a full and speedy recovery. Thinking of you too

[Misspixietrix]

*Wishing. Sorry!

[ErrolTheDragon]

Bun - so glad he's getting treatment now. Poor lad - and poor you!

[Lweji]

You did well to go to A&E again.

GPs are for illnesses that can wait or your run of the mill ailments.

Anything more serious and they will send you to A&E anyway. It doesn't have to be life threatening rush in ambulance type thing.

GP receptionists can be awful, though. Maybe you should write a letter to the practice GPs about what happened.

[AnotherStitchInTime]

Bunraku I was on your thread last night,.very glad to see you have taken him back in. Poor little mite, hope he gets better soon.

[Laurel1979]

Your old surgery are obliged to provide care for 7 days after the date of your house move, to give time for you to register elsewhere, although the other posts are correct in stating you can register as a temporary resident anywhere, in order to receive urgent care. Was it the actual GP's who refused you an emergency appointment, or the receptionists? Unfortunately sometimes this sort of thing goes on in reception and the doctors are unaware. If they were aware and still refused, that was very poor indeed. I've worked as a GP locum in over 30 practices and have never known a GP to refuse to see a sick child on the same day, particularly with a diagnosis of pneumonia. It does sound from your post that your child may require admission to hospital however, if not keeping anything down, in which case A&E or Paediatric Rapid Access (not all areas have the latter) would be more appropriate. I hope everything is ok,
Laurel

[Mandy2003]

My exP couldn't register with a GP in his new area as he needed regular appointments but the new GP had 3 weeks wait each time he tried.

I can't register with one in my village because its some weird part-time system split between 3 surgeries, the other two being in parts of the town where no bus goes. How can I predict whether I will need a doctor's appointment on a Monday afternoon, a Wednesday morning or Friday between 3 and 4.

Plus as an earlier poster mentioned, the strange anomaly that is the walk in centre...most people probably rely on A&E because it doesn't have these strange timings and rules.

But it works the other way too - once when I lived in London I was in A&E (probably sent there by my GP) and while I was waiting a doctor was carefully enunciating to a non-English speaking family that their child had A COLD and that they may well have called an AMBULANCE to get to A&E but they WERE NOT going to get one to take them HOME (capitals the doctor's, not mine).

[Tabby1963]

So pleased Bunraku that your son is now receiving correct treatment and being assessed. He will recover quickly now with intravenous drip giving him fluid and super strong anti b's. What is it with locums?

Many years ago I was staying at my parents for a wedding event and my son became ill (7months old). We had been to a local GP (mine before I moved away) who gave him anti b's.

However a day later he had a raging temp, we had a fan on him and bathed him with water to try and cool him. He wouldn't/couldn't drink, was sick. I was extremely concerned. We called a doctor out (a locum) who arrived in a bag mood, didn't even touch him, but said it didn't matter that he wasn't drinking. He made me feel like a time waster :( .

We drove home next morning (6 hours) and I immediately took him to see my GP (emergency apt) who rang the Children's Ward and told them to expect us.

Five days in hospital and he fully recovered. Pneumonia - you don't mess with it.

[Badvoc]

Well done.
Glad he is feeling better