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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think my friends are too quick to visit A&E

117 replies

LouisaJF · 28/09/2013 22:36

In recent weeks 3 friends have taken their babies to A&E with a sickness bug. All 3 were sent home being told to ride it out. Two of them must have their own personal spot in A&E they've been that many times.

I know I am fairly laid back but my DS has been through the usual range of illnesses and I have never felt the need to take him to hospital. Common sense kicks in and tells me what he really needs.

Don't get me wrong, if these children are seriously ill their parents shouldn't hesitate, but it just seems that an hour after one posts about it on FB another one is at. Stop wasting valuable resources and get on with it!

OP posts:
HeartsTrumpDiamonds · 28/09/2013 22:42

Louisa honey you are tempting fate Grin

DD1 is 10 and DD2 is 7 and until March we had never been to A&E with them. One day at work, we were talking about it and stupid me, I actually said "You know I've never had to take the DDs to A&E". All smug.

Not 24 hours later there we were, DD1 broken arm. May, DD1 concussion. August, DD1 smashed big toe.

I am NEVER making any statements about A&E EVER AGAIN!

HeartsTrumpDiamonds · 28/09/2013 22:45

Having said that I have several friends who always seem to be there! Sniffles or "croup" or itchy rashes.... Usually in the middle of the night... I mean honestly, just wait until the GP opens FFS.

So YANBU.

MajesticWhine · 28/09/2013 22:45

YANBU. And similarly people that take their DC to the GP with a cold or a cough or something. What a waste of time. Just get on with it.

pianodoodle · 28/09/2013 22:46

I'm not sure really. It depends how young their babies are too and how sick.

Maybe they spoke to an out of hours doctor who advised them to go to A&E?

maddening · 28/09/2013 22:46

they would be better off going to out of hours gp - get triaged at home and an appointment which is better than an a&e waiting room - if it was an a&e situation the nurse that calls to triage would tell you to go straight in and be able to let them know you were coming in. OOO GP is normally situated at a&e sites one.

With babies though the general feeling I get from HCPs is they would rather you seek help if worried - babies can succumb to illness much faster and more seriously and can't communicate how they are by any more than crying so a HCP would be able to do checks that the parent couldn't.

usualsuspect · 28/09/2013 22:47

I'm not sure tbh.

I think sometimes have a sick baby is quite scary.

MoaningMingeWhingesAgain · 28/09/2013 22:47

Some people don't know what's serious and what isn't
Some people panic.
Some people are a bit daft.
Better to take them unnecessarily than miss something if you are not sure.

I have only been with a DC once so far - broken bone. But my DCs have two HCPs for parents so they get triaged at home TBH.

BeaWheesht · 28/09/2013 22:47

A&e or OOH Based in same place?

I've never taken my kids to a&e (touch wood) apart from when dd had a head injury and minor injuries referred us.

However my kids have been to the ooh based in the sme place quite a few times for things which you may deem unnecessary but I've never gone without an appointment from NHS.

Also having an ill baby is scary and I suffer from sever health anxiety and PND since having dc2. Thin aren't always as clear cut as you'd like. I don't get the kids seen at the drop of a hat but I think had I been struggling with these issues after dc1 I'd have been more inclined to.

usualsuspect · 28/09/2013 22:49

Our ooh Drs is based at a & e.

I wouldn't hesitate to take a baby if I was worried.

BeaWheesht · 28/09/2013 22:49

Oh and I've had dd seen at an emergency appointment for 'croup' and would again if she was so bad.

TakingThePea · 28/09/2013 22:49

My baby had gastorenitis at 9 months and we went to a&e. It was very scary and I'd rather know she was ok.

bumperella · 28/09/2013 22:50

I've an acquaintance who's DS is always at Dr or A&E, but has never been admitted or given any treatment (beyond Calpol-and-get-on-with-it). She was like this with her own health before having DS. I think she's just a bit anxious. She's an ex-HCP so really "should" be a better judge of when to get medical help, but she doesn't appear to be.
It doesn't much bother me, though of course it is a waste of NHS resources and likely does mean that someone else is in pain/suffering for longer as it increases A&E waiting times unneccessarily.
However she's very "competitive-illness" - when friends DC was in hospital for 3 nights she knows "exactly" what it's like because her DS has been taken to A&E 1,000 times now....and that DOES irritate me.

MoveYourArmsLikeHenry · 28/09/2013 22:51

I too am on the fence with this one. A baby can become ill very quickly and with bugs can easily become dehydrated. the parents were probably right to get them seen to tbh. Imagine doing nothing thinking the baby would be ok and then seriously regretting it later.

Better to be safe than sorry.

FortyDoorsToNowhere · 28/09/2013 22:52

I would rather a worried parent go to a&e if they are unsure rather than to wait it out.

all patients are triaged so the non urgent case are push way down the list.

BeaWheesht · 28/09/2013 22:52

bump she's an acquaintance and yet you know her dc's exact medical history?

FutTheShuckUp · 28/09/2013 22:53

I took my DD to A&E on a Sunday afternoon with croup as she also had a widespread non blanching rash. She was very poorly with it and the drs gave her open access to the ward for 48 hours so obviously deemed it relatively serious too.

Original poster
LouisaJF · 28/09/2013 22:53

I know I'm tempting fate and I'm not gloating about not needing to go. I'm just wondering why common sense isn't the first port of call?

We've had the same sickness bug and it is scary and horrible but you know that there's nothing a doctor can do. I just kept a close eye on him, kept his fluids up and waited for it to pass.

It almost feels like a trend rather than a necessity. If it's serious don't hesitate to take them, but a sickness bug, tummy ache and a cough are not justifiable reasons to visit A&E. all have been sent away with no treatment, or nothing more than they would have got from the GP.

OP posts:
GladbagsGold · 28/09/2013 22:54

I once took DS to A&E in middle of night and it turned out he was constipated. But I didn't know - he was not himself and was crying lots and what are you meant to do? FWIW Dr said I was right to bring him in because I was worried.

Wallison · 28/09/2013 22:55

In a way YANBU but actually with the way this new 111 number seems to be going, everyone is told to go to A&E and there is no separate number to call for the GP out of hours service where they used to be able to conduct at least a kind of semblance of an examination over the phone.

Still, we're being told that it's progress Hmm

KnightMare · 28/09/2013 22:55

yabu - 'croup' can be a fucking scary thing at 1am on your own with a baby who sounds like they're about to die

pianodoodle · 28/09/2013 22:57

If it's serious don't hesitate to take them

I think the trouble might be that with young babies the parent might not be able to judge whether it is serious or not and a doctor would.

usualsuspect · 28/09/2013 22:57

Babies can get dehydrated very quickly with sickness bugs.

I wouldn't judge a worried parent about this.

imnotwhoyouthinkiam · 28/09/2013 22:58

I took ds2 to the ooh which is in a and e.with what seemed like a sickness bug.

He ended up being admitted and tube fed for 4 days.

usualsuspect · 28/09/2013 22:59

When mine were little, you could get a home visit from a GP.

Now you are advised to take to ooh or a&e.

That's what has changed.

Drinkprunesbutstaynexttotheloo · 28/09/2013 23:01

I think you are boasting about how level-headed and rational you are. Good for you.