To have taken this child to a and e

[UncontrolledImmigrant]

One of my children, in the space of a couple of hours developed what led him kee last me an infection - heavy swelling around one eye, and around the mouth, with facial paralysis on that side as well. The eye was running uncontrollably, it loasked as though that one eye was crying heavily

I took dc to a and e as it was 10 pm on a weekend, there is no longer an out of hours service in our area.

Is this the kind of thing that I should have waited and tried to get a gp appointment for? It was the day before New Year's Eve

There is no in your favour.

This is the whole point of socialised health care. If you have need it should be met. No matter how many times you need it. And no matter how much you pay in to it. Some people will 'subsidise' others. Those lucky people who earn enough and are well enough to pay in more than they ever take out.

The problem with socialism is human beings don't cognitively work like that. We rarely see ourselves as fortunate. We just see others using something that we have paid for. We see our taxes being taken and object. We think it would be fairer if we just paid for what we needed. And perhaps had the option to bestow charity upon the deserving poor rather than the wastrels who use it now. This attitude is fed by those who would profit in such a system. And demand for wants is pushed up in the nhs. And not every need can be funded some are prioritised.

And it fails. Socialism is a great ideal if you ignore the psychology of human beings. As we can't ignore our psychology it seems always destined to fail.

OP you are not single handedly responsible for the crisis in the NHS just because you took DS to A&E!

He was very ill and needed treatment immediately.

The issues here are lack of social care, lack of GP appointments, twats who turn up at A&E because they've got a slightly sore leg and 'it's their right' (I saw that one on a documentary about problems in A&E - I wanted to throw something at the TV) , drunks, the list goes on.

A mother with a seriously ill child is using the service in the way that was intended. Absolutely no need for the slightest iota of guilt/doubt!

I think Pacific is just observing generally

There's definitely an issue with common sense and A&E - hence why they have to put up signs saying " please only attend for accident and emergency".

There's an issue with 111 and A&E. Layer upon layer of scripted bureacracy.

Cellulitis can be life threatening if left untreated, particularly in children. The fact that they kept DC in on IV antibiotics and that DC still has paralysis says that you would have been negligent NOT to take him to A and E.
This is what it says on the NHS website about cellulitis:
"Call 999 for an ambulance or go to your nearest accident and emergency (A&E) department immediately if:
your face or the area around your eye is affected"

Take a look at the website for more info
"http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Cellulitis/Pages/Introduction.aspx"

You did the best and right thing.
I hope DC makes a speedy recovery.

Yep, A&E sounds entirely reasonable under the circumstances. Hope everything is OK now.