GP won’t see sick toddler in case Covid

[SupaTeddy]

My 3yo has some sort of flu bug and is vomiting clear liquid, runny nose and cough, he hasn’t eaten since Wed and is drinking very little. The bug started on Sat but eating and drinking didn’t stop till Wed. Multiple LFT tests are negative. I have the same bug.

GP said they will telephone today but won’t see him unless he has a negative PCR. That could take another day or two to get a result and I’m worried.

AIBU to think they should see a sick child regardless when he’s vomiting and not eating? What should I do if they won’t see him?

Hi OP.

My DS used to vomit clear fluid and not drink or eat much.

I was advised by A&E to give him sips of squash (not Robinson's, something to do with one of the sweeteners they use).

They advised little and often. With squash in it, they told me it stays in the body longer than water. Try little sips every ten mins or so and if it stays down, up the amount / frequency.

Hopefully if it works, he will also work up an appetite. Then maybe try with some soft toast and take it from there x

ArabellaScott Fri 08-Oct-21 12:51:46 Agree, Tango. GPs seem to have abandoned their posts, and patients. It's astonishing

Really thought I'd wandered into the Daily Mail comments section!

Your comment is laughable

They really have not "abandoned their posts"

Certainly not round my local area by the sounds of things

I massively object to the GP being labelled as selfish.

It’s up to all of us to do our bit here which includes knowing, over 1.5 years since this started that a cough means you should get a PCR.

The GP has a duty to protect their other patients and their staff from people who think the guidance somehow doesn’t apply to them.

DD started coughing so I got her a PCR the same day. She is prone to viral wheeze so we may well need medical attention at some point but without the negative PCR test the GP is unlikely to see us. Fair enough!

@INeedNewShoes

Totally agree with all you have written

a&e departments are being overwhelmed by people who should be seen by gps and hospitals frequently have far sicker people than those who might be waiting in a gp's surgery. I agree that this far into a pandemic they should have a room that possible covid patients should be seen in and they shouldnt be having a lot of patients in their waiting room as they can switch between phone appointments and in person so space out in person appointments. They could see a sick child at the start or end of the day.

A covid patient may take out a gp and receptionist - they can also take out the same or greater number of hospital staff. I'm not impressed by gps passing the buck. They should have PPE and know how to use it by now.

Having said that - you are unreasonable not to have done a PCR before now. Doctors can be wrong, especially after months of being over-worked.

A covid patient may take out a gp and receptionist - they can also take out the same or greater number of hospital staff. I'm not impressed by gps passing the buck. They should have PPE and know how to use it by now.

Totally agree with this

The NHS website says fever, cough and loss of taste or smell. We’re coughing but no fever and we can smell and taste just fine.

You only need one symptom as others have said. I really don’t understand how after nearly two years of Covid people still get stuff like this wrong. It’s embarrassing.

@TurquoiseDress

ArabellaScott Fri 08-Oct-21 12:51:46 Agree, Tango. GPs seem to have abandoned their posts, and patients. It's astonishing

Really thought I'd wandered into the Daily Mail comments section!

Your comment is laughable

They really have not "abandoned their posts"

Certainly not round my local area by the sounds of things

Perhaps it varies according to area. No patient has seen a GP in person where I am for over 18 months.

Is he urinating OP?

@ArabellaScott that is rubbish

@ArabellaScott you're seriously saying no one from where you're from has seen a GP in 18 months? Absolute rubbish

This. Arabella your comment is so ignorant it's almost funny.

Sounds like you are jumping in the band wagon of daily mail type crap about GPs

Shame on you.

Bandwagon? I'm only responding to my own situation. There are no GP appointments where I am. The service seems to have vanished. We are offered a phone appts system that is virtually unworkable and certainly is missing important diagnoses/issues.

As one example, my friend who is terminally ill and deaf and does not have English as a first language misunderstood his diagnoses over his phone appt. I'd have thought a doctor could have offered a terminal prognosis in person, at least.

It has been noted locally by patient support groups that this is a dangerous situation, but there are no moves to reopen face to face services.

There is no point whatsoever in the GP service we currently have. We may as well have none.

[quote WhenISnappedAndFarted]@ArabellaScott you're seriously saying no one from where you're from has seen a GP in 18 months? Absolute rubbish[/quote]
Face to face, no. We are supposed to have phone appts. They don't work for everything. Anyway, I don't wish to derail the OP's post further.

'Flu symptoms' are fever, aches, cough etc. so surprised you haven't already done a PCR.

I didn't have any of the main symptoms (baring maybe a very mild fever) and tested positive. My test results did take ~36 hours to come back though so I'd get a test ASAP. Ring 111 if you're really concerned though!

Perhaps it varies according to area. No patient has seen a GP in person where I am for over 18 months

@ArabellaScott

I find this very hard to believe indeed

What's your approx area, how can you be certain that NOBODY has been seen by GP in over 18 months

That's quite a statement, some facts would be useful to back this up

@ArabellaScott that's believable, I thought you meant at all. My GP has recently only just started face to face appointments.

@ArabellaScott
The problem with GPs at they moment is that remote consultation significantly increased their productivity in terms of number of patients they can consult with. At the same time the workload of GPs (alongside a&e and ambulances services) has increased hugely and the number of available GPs has decreased due to retirement, GPs going part time or leaving the profession and poor recruitment.

Therefore if they suddenly switch back to a face to face model they won't even have doctors available for many patients to have any kind of consultation, face to face or phone.

The system's broken, but the GPs aren't being deliberately difficult they are trying to do the most for the most.

All those are symptoms of covid. The symptoms aren't just a cough, high temp and loss of taste and smell.
Get tested asap, if they get worse whilst waiting for results seek emergency care (walk in centres, ooh, a&e etc) if test is negative ring your doctor for an appointment.

Op I agree, it is disgraceful.

Our GP saw my son (in full PPE) when he had breathing difficulties making him cough. He needed steroids. I think we were just lucky.

Get the PCR ASAP anyway and if you get significantly worried about breathing or any type of non responsiveness or significant lethargy before the result comes back, go to A&E. Try to keep getting fluids into him, if you can't for more than a few hours then go to A&E.

@ArabellaScott

This. Arabella your comment is so ignorant it's almost funny.

Sounds like you are jumping in the band wagon of daily mail type crap about GPs

Shame on you.

Bandwagon? I'm only responding to my own situation. There are no GP appointments where I am. The service seems to have vanished. We are offered a phone appts system that is virtually unworkable and certainly is missing important diagnoses/issues.

As one example, my friend who is terminally ill and deaf and does not have English as a first language misunderstood his diagnoses over his phone appt. I'd have thought a doctor could have offered a terminal prognosis in person, at least.

It has been noted locally by patient support groups that this is a dangerous situation, but there are no moves to reopen face to face services.

There is no point whatsoever in the GP service we currently have. We may as well have none.

Arabella terminally ill patients frequently misunderstand their initial diagnosis, especially if they feel very ill or face additional challenges. I was given a likely diagnosis and told it would be terminal, luckily I had an incredibly rare chronic illness instead. But I didn't understand what I had been told face to face. My partner did though and even my friend did when I told her what the Consultant had said. It is why taking someone is recommended for serious illnesses. So although very sad, that happens with face to face appointments as well.

I would ring 111 after hours and they might give you an appt.
Try Arsen Alb - available at lots of chemists and healthfood stores - it was recommended when my son was 3 and couldn't have much else and it worked almost instantly.
I would also be getting sringe and sringing fluid down the side of this mouth.
www.nelsonspharmacy.com/arsen-alb-30c
Hope he feels better soon.

OP- two people in my family have had covid recently

Person 1:
Temperature
Cough
Lethargy
Abdominal pain
Diarrhoea

Person 2:
Headache
Lethargy
Diarrhoea
Vomiting
Loss of taste & smell

Get him tested!

My GP offers screen and phone appointments for majority of ailments which is fine. The vast majority of what a GP sees is very minor and easily dealt with remotely. Face to face if initial discussion with receptionist indicates it. And I asked for a remote appointment and told the receptionist what was wrong and she made me an appointment. A GP rang back in half an hour and said she wanted to see me face to face. Of course, there are some poor GPs. If your GP wasn't great before the pandemic they still wont be great. But being honest, most of what people see the GP with isn't even worth a GP appointment.

Making sure he is drinking is the key thing. Squash, ice pops, slushies. All have sugar in them as well which helps if he is not eating. If his wee looks normal and he is seeing as usual, then he will be fine.