To make a complaint about the GP?

[GoosevonMoose]

My 14 week old DC started showing some fairly alarming symptoms on Thursday. Rang the GP first thing Friday but had missed all the same day appointments. The duty doctor phoned me back within the hour. Having described DC symptoms in detail the duty doctor said she would refer us to the paediatrician. I questioned whether we should just go to A&E and was told absolutely not. After discussion with DH I decided to follow my gut and went to A&E anyway. Triage nurse put us in a room and the paediatrician admitted us as soon as she'd seen DC. Clearly the GP made the wrong call. Would I be unreasonable to complain to the GP practice or should I just leave it?

I'd say something, I had similar with my youngest DS. Managed to see doc same day and he advised us to go to A&E at any point of other seizure. To advise you not to attend A&E was very poor, and if you'd been someone who takes GP as gospel you could be in a horrible position. Hope your DC is OK

That's really shocked me that a gp would advise a two week wait for your baby. I would complain as clearly a lot could of gone wrong, and a lot can be learnt from the mistakes. I hope your lo is doing better now they have the proper care they needed!

Yes, make a formal complaint, so that it will be properly investigated.

You followed your gut instinct, well done. Someone else may just trust the 'expert' advice with a disastrous outcome.

100% lodge a complaint immediately!

You poor thing.
I find the 'absolutely not' really odd. Why would a medic put themselves in that position?
Its crazy to tell the parents of a possibly seizing baby that they should 'absolutely not' go to A&E.

'only if things get worse', 'only if you are worried' etc would make sense but not a flat statement 'no'

Write everything down while its fresh in your memory and then leave it until you have time and energy.
You don't have to do anything now. You have enough to be dealing with.

It may help if you write it down anyway. Stop it going around your head.

I hope your little one is ok. Take care of yourself

But the paediatrician Might have made the same decision op, you might have had a call back on the day from the paediatrician?

hope all is well

I can't believe the baby wasn't seen.

Every surgery I've been with (3 as an adult) and friends and families surgeries always see babies, especially babies that young.

I don't think it should be top of your agenda right now but yes it needs to be made official and documented. I'd also be questionig your surgery's policy on appointments for babies.

"If you had been on the doorstep of the doctors at 0800hrs you could have got a same day appointment so maybe your apparent lack of urgency at the time spoke volumes to the doctor , who knows"

Op says she phoned first thing but had missed all the same day appointments. Not turning up in person to try to get an appointment shouldn't really be interpreted by a gp as meaning the situation is not urgent.

Op, sorry to hear your baby is in hospital - do hope everything goes well. ,

Wishing your baby well. GOSH is an amazing albeit quite daunting place.

Yes you should complain.

A Dr should not be telling someone not to go to A&E with a baby whose having seizures, especially when they haven't even seen the baby!

Sorry your baby is poorly

So the consultant in the hospital wasn't impressed but you still need strangers on the net to advise you whether to complain or not ! Complain op that's terrible and hope your baby is okay xxx

lilac I expect the OP is feeling shocked and confused.

I think it would be good for the GP in question to learn from this as constructive feedback rather than a complaint. GPs ofcourse would never knowingly endanger a child, that said, the least they could have done would be to examine the baby. I would flag it up with the GP as a feedback statement or something, so that if a similar situation occurs in the future with someone else's baby they at least have a look.

I was thinking along those lines Softly but I couldn't think of the word I needed

I think the GP needs to know what happened. Its something that needs to be discussed. A complaint may well hinder discussion whereas feedback might encourage it. If the response to the feedback is inappropriate perhaps the OP could then take it further?

I think it all depends on what the OP wants e.g. the GP to learn and reflect or for them to be sanctioned (not quite the right word)

In any case I think the OP needs to do what is best for her at the moment.

I would be writing a letter stating the facts in an unemotional way, and finishing it by stating that you feel the decision and advice from the GP was incorrect and you want it looking into.

So sorry your baby is so poorly.

I've been worried that she had strange movements since she was a month old but they were only really happening when she was either waking up or falling asleep. Because she feeds to sleep mostly I was the only one seeing them. I mentioned it to the GP at her 6 week check and she referred us to the paed whobsaw us two weeks later and said to wait and see. He also wanted me to try and get it on video. Some days she had none other days several but they are quick, only a few seconds. I thought maybe I was jumping at shadows and no one seemed all that alarmed.

Then on Thursday night they became far more pronounced. She also had her biggest one so far on Thursday night and did so in front of DH who was horrified. He's usually so laid back he could roll off the sofa. I should have gone straight to AE but waited the few hours for GP to open. The clinic she referred me back to only runs Weds so I knew it would at best five days until we were seen but could be two weeks again. I guess I was hoping deep down it wasn't a big deal.

So now I'm in hospital with the baby and it's all swirling in my head. The consultant said each seizure can cause brain damage and I'm just scared and trying to go over it all.

Are you on about the feedback box which is in most surgeries? I'm not sure if that's the right place for this issue. Will they be forced to respond to that? I thought that was for more mundane things.

Did you gp tell you what to do if things got worse before the paediatric appointment?

I'm very surprised at the "absolutely not" for a and e. Usually they'd say if you're concerned or things get worse to go or seek further advice, or at least come to the surgery in the morning.

Wishing your baby a speedy diagnosis and recovery.

Please just write down the facts and then put it away.
You have time for all this later but its an unnecessary stress for you right now.

I wish you all the best

DD1 used to have febrile convulsions and the NHS website clearly states that if it's the first one, it's a trip to A&E via 999 or otherwise. So if the doctor thought it was just that, I'm shocked they thought it was "absolutely not a case for A&E".

Sorry you are going through this

Our baby had seizures from 16 weeks old it was awful

At that age (

I suppose it's a bit different if GP knew paediatrician was already involved with suspected seizures but I'd be angry about the not attending a&e in any circumstance advice.
I think wanting to complain is partly wanting to feel like you are doing someing. l do think you have reason to complain absolutelt but I also know it's one thing you can focus on right now as otherwise i imagine you are feeling prettt helpless at the moment. Try not to think of the what ifs. You did all the right things.

Ah I hope your baby makes a full recovery and they get it sorted fast. 💐

I'm not sure I'd complain, but I'd let the doc know yes. I'm surprised they said wait but as she had already been seen by a paediatrician I can see why maybe they did. 🙄

Given the update I would complain. Just so the GP surgery can reasses their process for dealing with small babies.

But don't worry about it now. Hope everything is okay at the hospital and you are all home safe soon

Blueskies do you mind sharing what diagnosis you ended up with? And what the seizures looked like?

The GP could have referred us back to a paed to be seen on the same day which I suppose it what I thought might happen given that the seizures had now intensified and become more frequent. I don't want the GP sanctioned I'm more interested in helping it not happen to the next baby. If I didn't have a supportive DH who happened to see the seizure I'm not sure I'd have had the confidence to go into A&E against the GPs advice. Baby seizures aren't very clear cut and unfortunately I now know more about them than I ever cared to know. I don't just want it brushed away. I don't know who you would even formally complain to but some sort of response when I do manage to feedback what's happened would make me feel better.