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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To expect a doctor's appointment when I ask for one?

83 replies

AstridPeth · 19/11/2018 19:17

Ok so I know how overstretched our nhs is and how long it can take to get appointments but...

I took my dd (12) to the doctors last Mon, whilst there it was discovered that her oxygen levels were at 72% , she was ambulanced into the hospital and we spent until Friday evening in there with her on constant oxygen, regular nebs. Diagnosed with bilateral pneumonia. She was very poorly bless her and at one stage they almost put her in HDU.
She got discharged on Friday evening with the instructions that we are to book an appointment to get her seen at the doctors again this Friday.
My dh tried to make the appointment today and they said the earliest they could give him is the 10th Dec. Dh said this wouldn't be acceptable as the hospital specifically asked for an appointment on Friday and the receptionist informed him that he would have to ring up on the day to try and get an appointment.

AIBU to think that in these circumstances; where it has been specifically requested from the hospital that she should see a doctor that she should have been given an appointment? I know that they keep a certain number of appointments available for release on the day, so in theory she could have just been given one of those.

OP posts:

Schuyler · 19/11/2018 20:15

I just read more, if you’re worried, phone tomorrow and get her checked over.

TheFairyCaravan · 19/11/2018 20:15

My GP surgery is absolutely fantastic but there's not a cat in hells chance that I would have been able to ring up today and made an appointment for Friday. DS2 is a severe asthmatic, and has spent many a week in hospital, they would always fit him in on the day, or DS1 when he was little if he was really poorly.

In your shoes I'd probably ring the practice manager in the morning and explain the situation, they might be able to reserve you an appointment first thing Friday so you're guaranteed one.

Good luck, I hope your DD is soon on the mend.

Schuyler · 19/11/2018 20:16

Hospitals are super unrealistic about follow up. I’ve been discharged and told it was imperative I’m seen within 4 weeks. Unfortunately, there was a 17 week wait to see the consultant. Ridiculous.

mrwalkensir · 19/11/2018 20:18

Our surgery does this. Emergency and non-emergency are booked on the day. There is phone triage to confirm that you need to be seen. It works really well - with ours you would be seen.

Bluetrews25 · 19/11/2018 20:25

Honey is soothing, but it does not help with loosening mucus! IMHO of 25 yrs+ experience....nebs tend to do the job better.
OP, you say she is not 'coughing it up'. Do you realise that not everyone has any mucus to cough up at all, and/or swallowing it is ok as it it not going back onto the chest but going to the stomach?
Try to have her up and about as much as possible - resting in bed, lying flat is the worst thing you could let her do. By all means rest in a chair, but she needs to be upright interspersed with walking around to get those lungs inflating.

Queenofthedrivensnow · 19/11/2018 20:29

My surgery changed to this batshit system. I stated during a phone fall 'you are stopping me from accessing the surgery' this seemed to open up a magic portal into alternative universe and I have never struggled since to get an appointment

MumUnderTheMoon · 19/11/2018 20:30

Ring on the day, some dr surgeries keep a number of emergency appointments which can only be booked on the day. If you don't get one then take her back to a&e at the hospital and get her checked there.

Original poster

AstridPeth · 19/11/2018 20:32

She is sleeping propped up a night and during the day we have her down on the sofa also propped up with pillows so she isn't lieing flat. She is doing her excersises throughout the day and we also try and make her walk up the stairs a few times daily, takes a lot out of her but it's getting her moving. the x ray showed a third of her lung on one side was in shadow which I thought was mucus and the other is about a quarter. She said she has been swallowing some as she can't get it all the way up. The tiny bit I did see was really thick.

OP posts:

EmilyRosiEl · 19/11/2018 20:40

Our GP practice has the same policy- it really really sucks and prevents some people from accessing medical help. They've now started making same-day appointments with Urgent Care Practitioners/Paramedics instead of GPs, which is even worse.

It seems completely appropriate that there should be a few GP appointments available each day for people who need to book ahead, having been recently discharged from hospital or with specific medical conditions.

Would you be able to take the day off on Friday so that you can take any appointment or is that not possible?

EmilyRosiEl · 19/11/2018 20:42

Also would it be worth buying an Oximeter? That way if her oxygen level drops too low then you can go to A&E or phone the GP and demand to be seen quickly?

Original poster

AstridPeth · 19/11/2018 20:47

i have never heard of an oximeter but I do like the sound of that going to Google it to find out more. I work at a school not far from the doctors so dh would be able to pick me up on the way through to save me having to take the whole day. I am a T.a , I just wanted to be able to arrange cover should I need to ( He may be able to get an after school). I am hoping under the circumstances they would be willing to be flexible other wise i may have to book the day. Will have a chat with work tomorrow.

OP posts:

Stickmanslittleleaf · 19/11/2018 20:48

IME the best way to go is phone in Friday as soon as you can, explain that it's an 'emergency appointment' for Friday and why then if they offer you a call back from the duty doctor and will not give you a physical appt take that. The duty doctor will call you and tell you to come in. If the duty doc hasn't called you in the afternoon call back and speak to practice manager. Or call 111 and they will allocate you a GP appt at a hospital (or local site if you have one). If neither of these are forthcoming and she's not feeling/ looking better I'd consider going back to A&E, you'll be in for a wait BUT you've tried have her seen and can't.
I'm in NHS frontline customer service involving children and this is what I'd do.

Blueblueyellow · 19/11/2018 20:51

Op I'm in Ireland but work in a doctors office and think the system works alike.There are a certain amout of emergency appointments kept for the day.They will have put you on an emergency list and put a note to say your dc needs app friday.Just call on friday and they will slot you in.

Original poster

AstridPeth · 19/11/2018 20:52

Just looked up oximeter. That's what they had her hooked up to in the hospital, I didn't realise you could buy them for home use. Friday is still a few days away and she may have perked up a lot by then. The oximeter would definitely give me piece of mind without having to take up valuable space in A and E.

OP posts:

Bluetrews25 · 19/11/2018 20:54

Sounds like you are doing the right things.
Inhaling steamy air is what we used to encourage, as it loosens mucus like a neb, but the dreaded elf and safety kiboshed that. I used to get just boiled water with vicks or menthol and eucalyptus in bowl on the kitchen side, towel over head and inhale the steam, hold 2 seconds, exhale. But can't recommend it now. Just FYI.
You can get pulse oximeters (little finger clip to show O2 sats) on ebay etc for around £10, AFAIK.

Pixie2015 · 19/11/2018 20:54

Like others have suggested call back tomorrow or take your discharge letter in / ask receptionist to view discharge if electronic - if not willing to arrange a review as needed ask to speak to practice manager . The other alternative is contact the ward she was on and ask them to contact surgery on your behalf you have been placed in a frustrating position that many people face. I hope your receptionist or PM help x

LizzieBennettDarcy · 19/11/2018 20:56

Your poor DD, hope she's better soon.

I do think that hospitals should be able to contact GPs and ask for you to be seen. Life would be so much easier, especially with shared information.

chickywoo · 19/11/2018 21:06

To be honest I’m suprised she was discharged from hospital so quickly (esp to do so on a Friday evening!) seems like she’s still got a lot of recovering to do - in this instance they could have given you open access back to the children’s ward in case of any deterioration at least until she is reviewed and they could have made her an outpatients appointment for this week.
I would just follow your gps usual procedure for appt on Friday, when you have explained the situation she will meet the criteria for an emergency appointment and they can’t not see her.
If you find them being difficult always throw the ball back in their court - make them tell you their decision not to see her and reasoning behind it and ask them to document it in her notes - they soon give you an appointment they will anyway though

TooExtraImmatureCheddar · 19/11/2018 21:20

OP, I had pneumonia in August and I was under the impression that I had to cough up all the phlegm and gunk, and I was coughing but not very much was coming up. I got worried about it so I asked the dr the next day and he said that you don’t have to cough it all up - it gets reabsorbed as well, so don’t worry about it. I was also knackered when I was released (spent 4 nights in hospital) and had to have long naps in the middle of the day for at least a week/10 days afterwards. It’s all part of the healing process.

I was sent back for a follow up chest x ray after 10 weeks and neither the GP nor the ward seem to have any clue about where the x ray has gone. After 4 phone calls I gave up. I feel fine now so I assume my chest is now clear!

SnuggyBuggy · 20/11/2018 06:59

Hospital wards aren't great with admin. They often tell a discharged patient that they will receive a follow up appointment and then do nothing, as if they expect it will just happen.

We get loads of irate phone calls from patients asking why they haven't had an appointment made. We are told to be apologetic but really want to say, "you didn't get an appointment because the ward are fucking useless and didn't bother telling us you needed one".

Yvbmioasp · 20/11/2018 18:53

How is your daughter OP? Did you manage to speak to someone at the surgery?

Lemons1571 · 20/11/2018 19:25

My father was discharged after a hip replacement and had no contact from anyone medical for weeks. Aftercare = zilch. Stitches and wound checking? No chance. In the end he got a taxi to the gp surgery and said he wasn’t moving until someone did something. He got a district nurse visit the next day.

Oh and when he was still in hospital, the discharging ward had phoned the gp surgery to try and get him a follow up appointment in two weeks time after discharge and the receptionist told them no! And wouldn’t budge. So that didn’t help either.

Original poster

AstridPeth · 20/11/2018 19:26

HI all thank you for all of your messages. I went into work today and explained the situation and they are happy for me to leave at the drop of a hat on Thursday for the appointment. So we will go with phoning up on the day and IF they fail to fit us in (this has never happened to us before) I will speak to them myself and get her an appointment on Friday. I was speaking to a collegue today and she said that her grandson was discharged from hospital and told he needed to see a doctor 48hrs after and the receptionists said no can do phone on the day. Only his mum works as a receptionist in another doctors so knew exactly how the system works and was able to get an appointment by pointing out that she knew that had spare ones.
I don't want to come over all heavy handed unless I have to. In any case my dd seems to have so much more energy today. She hasn't been asleep during the day at all and has started coughing up all her gunk (dh saved it for me to see, so kind of him). So she is definitely on the mend. I have ordered the oximeter off Amazon and that will be here tomoz for my own peace of mind. But I can see how much better she is today and it is really reassuring. Thanx again for all your well wished and support.

OP posts:

bluefolder · 20/11/2018 19:29

TBH I'd be pretty pissed off that the hospital isn't seeing her on the day unit, they could have easily done that. Not really on to pass it to the GP if she has been that ill. I think your anger is focused in the wrong direction.

SDTGisAnEvilWolefGenius · 20/11/2018 20:26

Could you make an appointment with the practice nurse, for the obs she needs, on the basis that, if there are any red flags from those, the nurse will make sure she sees the doctor ASAP?

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