AIBU to think a GP should be able to send a child for blood tests?

[MotherOfDragonite]

Our GP refuses to, leading to delays of between two and five months while they are referred to the community paediatric team. I want to check whether it would be reasonable of me to complain to the ombudsman about their policy.

The background is that my DD (6) has had 5 episodes of fever lasting 4-6 days each time over the past two months. No other symptoms apart from headache and achey joints (eg no cough, cold, sore throat, vomiting or diarrhea). After the third episode I went to the GP (but they actually made us an appointment with the nurse practitioner) and asked for blood tests. I explained that my daughter had been losing weight and was pale and tired all the time. I asked for a full blood count and if it was possible to check for glandular fever in particular. I was told that it definitely couldn't be glandular fever as she was too young, and that they couldn't send a child for blood tests, and that they'd have to refer her to the community paediatric team which could take up to 18 weeks. I then asked if there was no quicker way to get a blood test and was told there was actually an "urgent" community paediatric triage service. When my DD had her 4th episode of unexplained fever and we still hadn't heard from this "urgent" service I then rang up again and had an emergency phone appointment with a GP. He confirmed that nothing more could be done and that we just had to wait.

I sent a formal complaint to the GP practice and was told that this was their policy, and that "we feel if a child is unwell enough to need blood tests then it is prudent to see a paediatrician for a holistic assessment".

In the meantime I paid for her to see a paediatrician privately. We had the blood tests on the same day. She tested positive for Epstein Barr virus -- it's been glandular fever.

It's really useful to know, both so I don't think she's dying of leukaemia but also so her school understand why her absence rate has been so high and why she is still so tired and also so they allow her to skip PE. It turns out that it's important to refrain from exercise for 4-6 weeks after having glandular fever in case your spleen ruptures!

We've finally had a letter through about the NHS community paediatrics triage and the appointment is in January, 2 months after we went to the doctor and asked for blood tests.

Without a diagnosis, I could have been continuing to push her to cycle to school each day and do PE, putting her at risk of rupturing her spleen. It also worries me that another child could have similar symptoms but these could be symptoms of leukaemia. I feel it's really dangerous that they can't do basic blood tests for a child without waiting for 8 to 18 weeks for a paediatrician referral.

AIBU to take my complaint further, to the Ombudsman?

Also I think it would be sensible on cost grounds -- if my child gets referred to the community paediatricians who then order a blood test, she has had (1) GP/nurse appointment, (2) paediatrician referral which might have been unnecessary, and (3) blood tests.

If they just referred directly, they could save a paediatrician referral if it was unnecessary (as it would have been in our case).

They can. Two of mine have had it done at the surgery. One by the GP himself.

However he probably wants you to see paediatrics because he wants them to be fully checked.
When ds was like that, but more acute he had blood test done through the paed as the GP wanted to make sure he was thoroughly checked and he didn't have the paed knowledge that the hospital would.
We got in on the 2 week suspected leukaemia wait (it wasn't) so was pretty quick.

You could also take her to a walk in centre the next time she had a fever and ask for the blood test, although you've gone private now anyway. Some GP's get a phlebotomist to do it they are under 16yrs but that wait seems ridiculous for a FBC.

Thankfully that's not the standard round this way. A special team in the hospital has to do it, and you need to book into them but the gp can refer. Managed to pick up one of dcs schoolmates leukaemia recently. A referral to paeds was possibly helpful given the circumstances I guess but I can't imagine why they can't refer for a blood test themselves.

Hope you manage as much as you can to get this sorted for dd

our gp used to order bloods test for kids to be done at the hospital before they got a phlebotomist.

It was really annoying having to go to the hospital for dd's routine bloods it's much easiar now she can get them done at the gp's

does your gp have a phlebotomist or does the gp or nurse do the blood tests.

Hi, where we live there are only phlebotomy centres (in fact there are specialist ones for children) so everybody gets sent there for any blood tests and the GP/nurses don't do them themselves. But the GP sends you direct and the results come back to the GP.

You need to exhaust the complaints process at the GP surgery, including any appeal process they have in place, before the ombudsman will help you.

Sounds like a daft policy so worth following up on

I don't mind going somewhere else for the tests. When I had mine done you can just go and walk in on the same day with the GP referral, you don't even need to book an appointment or anything.

My issues is with the fact that there's this delay of 8 to 18 weeks before a child would even get sent for the blood tests. We're ok now because I could afford to pay but I'm worried another child might not be if that makes sense.

You need to refuse to leave the surgery until you've been given a blood form to take to the hospital. I found a lump in my ds neck when he was 5 and gp dismissed as swollen lymph node. It was huge. I made a fuss and they sent us up to the hospital that same day for bloods.

Ok, I will continue with the complaints process at the surgery before going to the ombudsman. Their letter doesn't make it sound as if there is any appeal process but there are certainly things I can point out about how their policy is dangerous.

We are sorted out as I paid for the blood test privately but I really want them to change their policy as it just seems dangerous and wasteful.

@MotherOfDragonite hi i know this is an old thread but I'm hoping you might see this. My daughter (3yo) needs a blood test and NHS can't do it until late April. I do not want to wait that long, I wondered where you got your little one a private test please? And how much you paid? Thank you