or is this really appalling care from 111/Somerset out of hours?

[WoolyMammoth55]

DS is 11 months old and, like half the country, has a bit of a cough. I find it physically impossible to swab him but the rest of the family have been consistently testing negative for Covid.

Last night at 3am he woke up crying wildly, with very loud wheezy breath sounds. I woke up DH, we decided against waking up the 4 year old and driving 40 mins to A&E, thought we'd try 111 instead.

It wasn't a long wait to speak to the operator, they said a medic would call back within an hour. The phone rang in an hour but it was an admin non-medic from the out of hours service, saying that he apologised for the slow call-back. I asked if I should go to A&E and he said he couldn't advise, isn't a medic, to hold on for the medical call.

I hovered over the baby for the next 4 hours, watching him sleep, listening to him wheeze. At 8am the same admin dude called back to say the minor injury walk-in service is open so we've been discharged from out of hours care and can walk-in to minor injury unit at our convenience.

I was meant to be called back within an hour. Instead 5 hours passed and I never did speak to a medic.

Baby has seen the GP today and diagnosed with croup. But still - isn't that appalling for out of hour care? We live far from an A&E here and 111, when it worked, provided a really useful service.

I realise it's the fault of government underfunding and appalling attacks on the NHS, but this is really not functioning at the moment. I'd like to complain but no idea to whom.

@gamerchick

Whilst it’s good to know how to aid croup at home, it’s irresponsible to imply hospital is not required. All croup varies in severity, and whilst things can help, sometimes medical attention is vital.

You can swab him, your dh or you needs to hold him securely whilst the other does it. Many times have I had to hold down a wrestling baby/toddler whilst the hospital had to do blood tests or insert eye drops. It's horrible but it can be done.

I'm not sure how many OOGPs out there would be happy to listen to a wheezy 11month old over the phone at 0400 in the morning and say they don't need to be seen. Whilst croup can be very mild and managed at home without medications, it can be life threatening.

Might also be worth noting that the steamy room for croup is no longer recommended, in investigations it was of no benefit, more info on how to manage croup/warning signs with this link:

www.nhs.uk/conditions/croup/

Your DH could have driven you there and left you there and took the other child home. I don't even bother ringing 111 when I'm worried about my kids as it's a crap service, I get a taxi to A and E as neither of us drive.

[quote Justheretoaskaquestion91]@gamerchick

Whilst it’s good to know how to aid croup at home, it’s irresponsible to imply hospital is not required. All croup varies in severity, and whilst things can help, sometimes medical attention is vital.[/quote]
I didn't imply bugger all it's common sense to take them in if home fails. We tend to know if kids don't pick up.

@gamerchick

I am sorry but to me your post reads as if, once you knew how to deal with it at home, hospital was no longer required. Which isn’t the case for everyone. Also, a lot of parents do not have any common sense, sadly! You can’t take it for granted (our paedatrician has had to put a sign up in the examination room telling parents not to leave babies unattended on the bed as people kept leaving babies on there when he left the room and there were some serious consequences!)

'It's pathetic that people are still defending a system that kills people. Talking to a moron with an algorithm or a nurse with a nurse degree isn't how normal Healthcare works anywhere else in the entire world.'

Talking to a 'moron'?!

111 is there to direct you to appropriate healthcare depending on the information you give them.

If, for whatever reason they don't get back to you, you then use your initiative and ring back say your dc is wheezy or whatever, or get a taxi to A&E. You don't twiddle your thumbs for hours while your dc could well be deteriorating then moan about them the next day.

Also, nothing wrong with a nurse with a 'nursing degree'.

@Draggondragon

It's pathetic that people are still defending a system that kills people. Talking to a moron with an algorithm or a nurse with a nurse degree isn't how normal Healthcare works anywhere else in the entire world.

Maybe in other parts of the world people speak to nurses with economics degrees?

Your 11 month old won’t like having a pcr done, but swaddle him, one of you hold him and the other do the swab as best you can. None of them ‘like’ it.

*What I needed was some timely out-of-hours medical advice, for someone to listen to the wheeze on the phone and say "Yes that's croup - steam will help".

That's EXACTLY what the 111 service is meant to be. Let's get it funded right so it can do its job, no?*

That's not my understanding of 111 at all.
To become a 111 operator you have a month of training 37.5 hours a week and no prior medical knowledge required. Some of that training will be stuff like how to use the computer systems which is where any self care advice would come from. It's not a service for diagnosis ime They might have been able to signpost you to a closer service if it was during the day but it wouldn't be ok for a person without proper knowledge to diagnose.

I think the part where they told you to wait x hours for a call can be improved. Are they told to tell everyone to wait x hours or is this an accurate estimate based on demand at other services ? There could be people dying or getting seriously sick from waiting for that call

'What I needed was some timely out-of-hours medical advice, for someone to listen to the wheeze on the phone and say "Yes that's croup - steam will help".'

Seriously, as if anyone would diagnose over the phone and say this! They'd rightly be sacked.

It isn't an advice service it's an assessment and referral service.

I think our worst wait was 18 hours they then rang in a panic checking ds was OK fortunately we had got in touch with the Dr's first thing who checked him over and gave him medication HE put in a complaint about it because he wasn't happy with the service I received

'What I needed was some timely out-of-hours medical advice, for someone to listen to the wheeze on the phone and say "Yes that's croup - steam will help".'

Not the point of 111

Also learn to drive - particularly if getting to A&E is difficult without a car.

What I needed was some timely out-of-hours medical advice, for someone to listen to the wheeze on the phone and say "Yes that's croup - steam will help"

Ah, there’s the issue, you need to dial 222 for baby mind reading.

Steam does not help with croup and is not medically advised.

[quote Justheretoaskaquestion91]@gamerchick

I am sorry but to me your post reads as if, once you knew how to deal with it at home, hospital was no longer required. Which isn’t the case for everyone. Also, a lot of parents do not have any common sense, sadly! You can’t take it for granted (our paedatrician has had to put a sign up in the examination room telling parents not to leave babies unattended on the bed as people kept leaving babies on there when he left the room and there were some serious consequences!)[/quote]
Actually I'll agree with you there. A scary amount of people don't have common sense. Makes me wonder how we've survived as a species.

@gamerchick

It does make you wonder 😆🤦🏻‍♀️