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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Doctors won’t see me (saga continues)

324 replies

TheCatsPaws · 12/02/2018 09:13

Previous posts about severe anxiety, recurrent miscarriages.

Had a D&C on Wednesday. Yesterday had a raging temperature, coloured discharge and general unwell feeling. Rang EPU who said to make an emergency doctors appointment today re possible infection.

Got an emergency appointment today. Stuck in traffic for half an hour because road is covered in snow. Rang GP, stuck on phone for 20 minutes. Got told by a receptionist that “sorry you’re too late, we won’t see you”

I explained I had surgery on Wednesday and the ward thinks I have an infection, and wants me to see a dr today. “Sorry that’s our policy”. After much arguing, I asked if she’ll be personally responsible if I get sepsis to which she just quoted policy at me again.

AIBU to be fuming? I’m going down to the surgery and demanding to see the manager right now.

OP posts:
user789653241 · 12/02/2018 12:09

If I suspect post op complications, I wouldn't even bother going to see GP. What can they do in worst case scenario? I would go straight into A&E or walk in.

Bettyswitch · 12/02/2018 12:09

OP go to A&E!
Triage will asses you and decide weather you need urgent attention for suspected sepsis.
From personal experience Its hard at times like these to think clearly, dont waste time arguing over this missed app, you have other children so you need to concentrate on making sure you are as fit and healthy as possible for their sake. All the best.

Tomorrowillbeachicken · 12/02/2018 12:12

Definitely need to go bk to hospital you had surgery and go to a and e.

kikibo · 12/02/2018 12:12

Surely the GP doesn't sit there for 10 mins when a patient doesn't turn up?? I've been late, called and they'll just carry on with those in the waiting room until we're there. At all 3 docs I've been to, including 2 specialists. I can't see the problem.

Secondly it is unreasonable to turn a patient away with a potentially serious, if not life-threatening infection. The GP is more than good enough to prescribe antibiotics in this case. Why the hell would you want to go to A&E?

Thirdly, when I had my (voluntary) termination 15 years ago they said to go to the doctor immediately if I had a temperature because infection could render me infertile. I'm frankly appalled by people's attitude. The situation is already bad enough for the OP.

However, from the symptoms you describe it could also be flu, though the feeling of having been run over can be from really high fever too. Given that it could be an infection I think a doctor's visit is definitely in order.

snash12 · 12/02/2018 12:14

GPs need a triage system. Nobody who is potentially dangerously ill should be refused a pretty much immediate appointment.

Thats when you go to a&e

SusannahL · 12/02/2018 12:15

This is an extraordinary thread!

If I had the op's symptoms I wouldn't be on MN asking the opinion of non-medics, I would have taken a taxi to A and E

snash12 · 12/02/2018 12:23

I’m amazed at people proposing A&E when we know it’s only for life threatening issues and that otherwise you should see your GP..... hmm

If it is an infection post surgery then it could be lfe threatening. I never recommend A&E for non-emergencies but if the OP genuinely has signs of infection I would go to A&E if this GP appt was missed this morning. They will triage and assess the risk. I busted my ankle - painful but not high risk so I had to wait a few hours. My dad a year or so ago had had suspected flu for a few days but got much worse, went to A&E, triage, onto a ward within the hour - pneumonia. Triage nurses will know what is important and what can wait for a while.

Tomorrowillbeachicken · 12/02/2018 12:27

Sepsis is life threatening. I had it last year and felt like a dead man walking.

Pumkinfailure · 12/02/2018 12:27

If you need to catch a train, and it’s very very important for whatever reason you catch that train, and your train leaves at 3pm but you turn up at 3.10pm. Then you’ve missed your train, it won’t wait for you because it’s improtant you catch it. You get another train or make alternative arrangements.
Your GP is likely seeing 40+ patients over the course of a day, each with a 19 mum apt. There is NO slack in this system. A and E or the urgent care centre, or a polite less entitled chat with the surgery may help?

LemonShark · 12/02/2018 12:27

I’m amazed at people proposing A&E when we know it’s only for life threatening issues and that otherwise you should see your GP..... hmm

GP would have been fine.
That's what the ward recommended.

But given that GP is no longer an option due to missing the appointment a walk in or A&E are your only other choices (based on OP: further posts show she got an appointment at GP later on)

TerfsUp · 12/02/2018 12:30

If I had the op's symptoms I wouldn't be on MN asking the opinion of non-medics, I would have taken a taxi to A and E

That's because you have common sense.

CheesyWeez · 12/02/2018 12:31

The cost of a missed appointment "is close to zero" : www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b09l2351
the piece is at 2 minutes 35

I agree of course we should try to arrive on time but things can always happen that we can't control.

Good luck OP and I'm glad you're seeing the doctor tonight.

AnElderlyLadyOfMediumHeight · 12/02/2018 12:31

I agree with going to A&E. GP is the wrong place, tbh.

I would also urge you, when you are feeling better, to read lonelymelissa's excellent post carefully. Like some others, I lost all sympathy for you, miscarriages or no - and I've had six of the horrible things - at your assumption that nobody else could possibly be an emergency apart from you. Even when we're in difficult situations and understandably rather self-absorbed, things collapse if we don't exercise a minimum of consideration and perspective.

I hope you're OK and they get whatever it is in hand quickly.

Mistigri · 12/02/2018 12:32

Remarkable thread.

OP was advised to go to the GP - personally I would go down to the practice, see what they say and if they won't budge then stand at the reception desk and phone 111 again.

DeathByMascara · 12/02/2018 12:37

Are you on your way to a&e OP? I had sepsis when pregnant, my gp surgery managed to fit me in as an emergency appointment but had they not, I would have gone to a&e. In the end, I was referred to the maternity unit & the only reason I didn’t get an ambulance was because my husband would have driven me there quicker. 5 days on HDU before I started to feel better.

Please, go to a&e now, if you’re not already en route.

MichaelBendfaster · 12/02/2018 12:46

Go to A&E, for heaven's sake.

Laiste · 12/02/2018 13:03

Taxi to A&E.

LemonShark · 12/02/2018 13:04

"Today 12:32 Mistigri

Remarkable thread.

OP was advised to go to the GP - personally I would go down to the practice, see what they say and if they won't budge then stand at the reception desk and phone 111 again."

Christ on a bike. A suggestion that you should go to the GP does not translate into a mandate for a GP surgery to accept anyone who turns up at any time Hmm. if they'd have had no appointments at all for three weeks then what do you think a patient would do then?

There are also GPs at walk in centres. Fancy that.

LemonShark · 12/02/2018 13:10

Also agree with PP that there are practices who will (rightly) strike you off their lists if you are rude or abusive to their staff.

This:

"After much arguing, I asked if she’ll be personally responsible if I get sepsis to which she just quoted policy at me again.

AIBU to be fuming? I’m going down to the surgery and demanding to see the manager right now."

From the OP would have gotten her nowhere. She got lucky by going in and calmly asking if she could be seen later, which she was. But if they'd not have had space, that's not their fault!

I'm not having a go at OP with this: but I am frequently astonished at the reluctance to take any personal responsibility for oneself shown here on MN. It's always someone else's fault. Even when they've offered help and have no more capacity to help and there are hospitals and walk ins and whatnot. No, it's the surgery's fault (even the receptionist who likely takes orders from the doctors re how to handle DNAs) for not being able to magic up ANOTHER appointment when the first one given was missed.

Wonder if people have this attitude to all areas of their life or just healthcare Hmm would you kick off if you missed your train and your ticket was valid for only that specific train? Go complain to the ticket office that they wouldn't let you on the next one without paying again? No.

Mrsjellybum · 12/02/2018 13:16

I work in a GP surgery and considering she rang to let them know she was stuck then we would have still seen her. I WOULD HAVE SEEN her no doubt about it.

She's post op. She needs to be seen.

If she was a frequent later then maybe we wouldn't have and advised in A&E or walk in centre.

lonelymelissa · 12/02/2018 13:25

When you are better OP, and I hope that is very soon I wonder if you should consider the problems you have been having with your doctor's surgery? Although, as I stated earlier, I sympathise with the surgery when patients miss appointments because of it's knock on effect on other patients with potentially very serious medical concerns. However, I now see from your posts over the weekend that you are upset that a doctor did not give you an appointment that you requested, did not give you the medication you requested, did not call you back on at least three occasions an then of course the difficulties of today and your somewhat awkward and difficult exchange with the surgery receptionist. So, as I state, once you are in better health and able to deal with matters better maybe you could address what the issue between you and the surgery seems to be. Obviously none of us on here will know about tones of voice or exact conversations, but it seems as if there is a strained relationship here, that as I say, maybe needs to be addressed at some point.

In the meantime I wish you well with A&E and hope that they are able to help you get better very soon.

LemonShark · 12/02/2018 13:34

That's a good post lonelymelissa, and worth thinking about actually in the future when things are a little more settled. It may be that the OP has for one reason or another become a 'heartsink patient' in the eyes of the surgery staff/doctors which may be part of the reason she's having so many different problems.

Usually when that's the case it's quite hard to come back from, clinical judgments shouldn't be different between patients depending on how they're viewed but everyone knows they are (look how often a woman is ignored re pain and written off as 'women's issues' for example).

Might be worth moving to another practice once you've recovered more, failing that you can sometimes make an appointment with the practice manager and address it. Be calm and non confrontational, just act curious and willing to discuss and try and solve the problem, and take examples of when you feel you've been treated unfairly (though today's lateness and non prescription of benzos are almost certainly justified) and see what they say.

grannytomine · 12/02/2018 13:35

There are also GPs at walk in centres. Fancy that. Do you understand that not everyone has easy access to a walk in centre? As I said up thread by bus from where I live you could do it in 1.5 hrs but buses only once an hour so could be 2.5 hrs to get there and that is if there are no roadworks (there are at the moment) so could be longer. If someone is really unwell it could easily be a 6 or 7 hour trip and would cost about £7 which you might not have.

Not everyone lives in a city. Fancy that.

grannytomine · 12/02/2018 13:35

6 or 7 hr trip there and back and waiting to be seen, not one way.

grannytomine · 12/02/2018 13:38

If I had the op's symptoms I wouldn't be on MN asking the opinion of non-medics, I would have taken a taxi to A and E

That's because you have common sense.

And money? From where I live it would be £30, I can afford that, maybe you can afford it. Not everyone can afford it.