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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think that NHS services shouldn't use me as a go between

44 replies

ladyflower23 · 30/10/2019 12:08

DD who is 4 needs to have a blood test. I had to phone our local children's hospital to arrange this myself. The person on the phone told me that my GP should have prescribed a numbing cream for her and to go back and ask for a prescription. So I did this and he has refused saying that it is part of the service that the hospital should provide and he can't have all parents coming to him asking him to prescribe this. I explained that she needs to have the cream put on an hour before the appointment and I assume that is why they have referred me back to him, so that I can do the cream at home before we come in. He said I would need to phone the hospital back, tell them what he had said and ask if I can come in an hour earlier for them to put the cream on. AIBU that there should be some sort of internal system where these kinds of issues could be raised rather than asking parents of patients to go back and forth saying he said she said? I think I'm going to try my luck at a pharmacy and see if I can get some off prescription...

OP posts:
CloudRusting · 30/10/2019 12:10

You can buy Emla cream over the counter

GrumpyHoonMain · 30/10/2019 12:12

Did the hospital really ask you to go to the GP for a prescription, or did they ask you to go to the pharmacy to get numbing cream?

Original poster
ladyflower23 · 30/10/2019 12:14

Perfect thank you!! I will buy some and save myself the time and stress of phoning and begging!

OP posts:
Brexitstash · 30/10/2019 12:14

You can buy it. I have a lot of sympathy for GPs in these circumstances, the hospital expects them to do all kinds of things that technically they should be covering.

SpuriouserAndSpuriouser · 30/10/2019 12:15

I’m really not seeing the issue. You had to ring for an appointment, and there was a minor quibble about emla cream, so you had to make a further couple of calls. They are hardly using you as a go-between, it’s your child, of course you have to take some responsibility for his care.

Anyway I’m glad the issue is resolved now!

Original poster
ladyflower23 · 30/10/2019 12:16

@GrumpyHoonMain they said that the gp should have prescribed it when they told me to make the appointment and to go back to ask them for a prescription.

OP posts:
Original poster
ladyflower23 · 30/10/2019 12:18

But they are both telling me different things! And neither of them told me i could just buy it. There must be a protocol so they are not arguing about it (via me)

OP posts:
KnifeAngel · 30/10/2019 12:19

Why do you have to go to the children's hospital? All our blood tests here are done in any of the hospital's locally even for children.

RuthW · 30/10/2019 12:21

It's because they are two separate businesses under the nhs umbrella.

Original poster
ladyflower23 · 30/10/2019 12:23

The children's hospital is on the same site as the main hospital for my City so I guess they just refer all children there

OP posts:
quincejamplease · 30/10/2019 12:23

The NHS does shit like this a lot. And then the staff wonder why patients aren't overflowing with gratitude for having been disrespected and treated like shit.

Hollyhobbi · 30/10/2019 12:33

You wouldn't be able to manage in Ireland then! The hospital clinics won't write prescriptions! Even if they are prescribing them for life threatening disorders, in my case Warfarin to prevent blood clots and in my daughter's case Neomercazole and Beta blockers for Graves disease (autoimmune overactive thyroid). And the GP is €60 a visit or the Endocrinologist I see twice a year will write me a prescription for Warfarin!
.

notangelinajolie · 30/10/2019 12:46

I sympathise and had a similar experience with hospital and gp both passing responsibility to each other. I suspect it comes down to money and whose budget the cost is coming from.

You can buy Emla from the chemist.

MyDcAreMarvel · 30/10/2019 12:48

Why can’t they just use the spray at the hospital it takes seconds.

kingsassassin · 30/10/2019 12:49

I sympathise. Last time I had a mirena fitted I was given a prescription for the mirena which I had to get made up and take with me to the fitting - it couldn't all be done as part of the same order, which seemed absolutely mad. Not least because it was not easy to get that prescription made up...

raspberryk · 30/10/2019 12:57

The cream doesn't really do much anyway (personal experience) we just bribed ds when he needed a blood test (3.5) and (7) with Lego if he sat still without the cream. He had seen me have blood tests and injections and wasn't phased. He sat on my lap and talked about which Lego he wanted to buy.

missyB1 · 30/10/2019 12:57

These sort of arguments between different hospital services happen all the time (even between hospital departments!) no one seems to care that it’s the patients who are inconvenienced or even go without. You are young and capable, imagine how it is for people with disabilities or the elderly. It’s this kind of crap that pisses people off.

Disfordarkchocolate · 30/10/2019 13:19

And from experience the cream is rubbish.

Original poster
ladyflower23 · 30/10/2019 13:23

@missyB1 I totally agree it must be so stressful for people who are mentally or physically unwell to try and deal with these disagreements between services/departments. And maybe I am being a bit precious over making a few phone calls. I just find it weird that this seems to be a grey area and it's not a case of its A's job or it's B's job. Also was getting anxious that everyone was going to refuse to give me the cream before I found out I could buy it!

OP posts:
Original poster
ladyflower23 · 30/10/2019 13:25

@MyDcAreMarvel no one has mentioned a spray. They will probably offer it to me on the day now after all this 😂

OP posts:
manicmij · 30/10/2019 13:43

Surely if GP requested blood test then a prescription should have been given at the time you were told this. If you are attending the hospital and you were advised a blood test was required then that is where a prescription should gave been issued. Pres criptions are free for children and you shouldn't be put in a position to pay.

PullingMySocksUp · 30/10/2019 13:47

If you do use the cream, you need to make sure it is on thickly at the required site and hasn’t budged in the time it’s on. We’ve had mixed results from it. When it’s on thickly and in the right spot it works brilliantly.
The spray is also great but they need to act fast with it.

Scoobydoobywho · 30/10/2019 13:54

I don't know if it varies from trust to trust, but when our ds had a blood test they sprayed his arm and he played on their i pad. He didn't react at all.

StinkGhoul · 30/10/2019 13:57

You need to make sure you buy the pack with the dressings or buy the Tegaderm dressings separately - normal dressings won’t work as they’re absorbent

We’ve had the same issue and I just buy it now