To call an ambulance for my baby?

[Kanfuzed123]

So my baby is 3 weeks and caught the horrid cold I had at delivery. Day 10 and 14 midwife and HV said he seems ok but watch out for retraction, as colds can become bronchilitis, if he starts retracting he needs to get to a and e asap. He looked worse today, couldn’t get to see GP so sent a video, GP said he seems ok but monitor. Tonight he started retracting more significantly and he’s been so sleepy, falling asleep in feeds. So I went to take him to hospital but my fucking car won’t start, and an error message has come up on the dashboard. Ubers keep cancelling and the only taxi firm answering have more than an hr wait.

I should call an ambulance right? I don’t want to over react and drain NHS but equally my little boy is struggling

I’m sorry this isn’t the Christmas you would have wanted. Hopefully they can discharge you so you can get back to your toddler for Christmas morning. You should never feel guilty for using healthcare resources for a baby with breathing difficulties- you were obviously worried and much better to be checked by the paeds.

You too OP 🎄

Just to reassure you, my 18 month old has been taken to hospital twice by ambulance with a cold. The first ttime, I phoned NHS 24 and they sent round paramedics and the second time, my mum phoned for an ambulance as DD was so unwell. For us, it's just a cold but it really takes a lot out of their wee bodies.

Hope he's OK.

@Draggondragon

This isn’t a thread about an elderly person. It’s a thread about a baby. Context, for goodness sake! There is 0 implication that healthcare resources are “only” for babies with breathing issues; the poster is just reassuring the OP.

@Draggondragon how did you come to that conclusion from your quoted post?! It literally just says that tiny babies are extremely vulnerable, which they are, to reassure a frightened parent that they did the correct thing. I’m sure if the thread about calling an ambulance for an older patient there would be posts reassuring the op that they were correct to call an ambulance for a vulnerable elderly person.

@Draggondragon

How did you manage to get that from this thread? Bizarre

@Draggondragon - obviously your mother shouldn't be left to die!! Using 999 for a baby with breathing difficulties AND for a 70 year old in a critical condition is both absolutely fine. Using 999 for a 70 year old who doesn't want to wait for a GP appt for her mildly infected toenail is not fine, that's what people talk about for 'allowing' use of resources.

How is he op?

Hope he’s doing ok. You did the right thing

Oh poor thing.

Sounds like bronchiolitis.

Definitely doing the right thing.
Hope you're both ok.

Just a bit of reassurance we had exactly the same happen when our LO was that age! Turned out he was just fighting a cold but not bronchillitus (sorry spelling!)

Well done to you for picking up on the symptoms and acting so quickly. Your baby is in the right place.

Happy Christmas, hoping you both can go home soon xx

Er Draggondragon I’m not really sure why my post made you feel so angry. The poor OP was in bits worrying about calling an ambulance for her newborn. I was being nice and reassuring her that she should absolutely feel no guilt calling an ambulance for a baby. At no point did I make a comparison with older patients or anyone else. Maybe instead of coming on to rant about the NHS you could wish the OP well for what is likely to be quite a stressful day for her.

You did the right thing. My partner is a paramedic and they never ever mind being called out to babies and young children. You would not believe some of the ridiculous, time wasting jobs they get. People call for an ambulance then aren’t there when they arrive, they get called out for cut fingers, attention seekers and people who are just lonely or bored and want to talk to someone. They sympathise with those ones. A baby with breathing difficulties is a genuine job for them.

And the waiting time - it’s not ideal and they’re not happy with it but they are rammed at the moment. DO started the morning shift the other day (7am) and their first few jobs had come in at 10pm the night before. People aren’t realising how badly Covid impacts the service.

@Draggondragon

New babies are extremely vulnerable, especially when it comes to anything respiratory. They are admitted at the drop of a hat.

It's not personal to your elderly relatives and it's very odd that you have drawn that conclusion here.

How is your little one now? Home safe and sound I hope

I'm glad you've had him seen op. You can't be too careful with babies.

What a weird thing to say. So should I leave my mum to die because she's 70? Although the NHS would probably kill her anyway. I get that babies are vulnerable but everyone's lives matter, if there is rationing going on, be open about it and list who should survive the NHS and who should die. So much hypocrisy on this thread.

Were you drunk last night? I can't think of any other reason you'd come onto a thread about an ill baby and start going on about your mother.

Op was completely right to phone an ambulance and it's sod all to do with whatever care your mum might need.

I hope all is well OP and you get home to have a lovely Christmas with your family.

@Kanfuzed123

They came a few mins after I posted the update. He was retracting pretty badly, the paramedics were shocked the GP said this was ok, they’ve taken us to the children’s hospital but his obs look good, just want him checked over to make sure he’s not on a downward trajectory.

i hope baby soon improves xxx please complan about your GP who refused to see your child and would only take a cursory dismissive glance at a video. i know this seems standard for GPs but they can't abdicate their responsibilities

@Andoffwego

You did the right thing. My partner is a paramedic and they never ever mind being called out to babies and young children. You would not believe some of the ridiculous, time wasting jobs they get. People call for an ambulance then aren’t there when they arrive, they get called out for cut fingers, attention seekers and people who are just lonely or bored and want to talk to someone. They sympathise with those ones. A baby with breathing difficulties is a genuine job for them.

And the waiting time - it’s not ideal and they’re not happy with it but they are rammed at the moment. DO started the morning shift the other day (7am) and their first few jobs had come in at 10pm the night before. People aren’t realising how badly Covid impacts the service.

its GPs refusing to see patients that is impacting the service

How stressful for you all. Hope your little one is on the mend soon and you get home for your christmas dinner. My baby had bronchiolitis a few months ago and it looked terrible to me for a while but he ended up making a good, speedy recovery. Hopefully will be the same for you

@Draggondragon

How is 2 hours classed as an emergency? Surely 999 ambulance is minutes not hours. How can they justify 2 hours, it's criminal and potentially murder. Ask anyone else in any other country how long 999 takes to arrive. God, the shit you people put up with 🙄

Well, how is an ambulance supposed to arrive in minutes when you live an hour or so away from your nearest hospital?

Or when the nearest hospital only has say, five ambulances to cover a 100 mile radius and they're all in use but fifteen people need emergency treatment?

It's not about the "shit we put up with" - it's being realistic when our healthcare services are on their knees.