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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To call an ambulance for my baby?

228 replies

Kanfuzed123 · 24/12/2021 23:52

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

OP posts:
Starcup · 27/12/2021 10:27

@Draggondragon

One of the kids caught Covid at school in a rural area of the UK. They were taken by private ambulance (without being dead) to the guardians house and visited by a private GP every day until they could return to school. No NHS, no 111 etc. Face to face care. According to him, the doctor had a 'well awesome car' so assuming that both private health and private GPs do indeed exist if people take the trouble to provide for themselves properly.
Yes, but there isn’t that many of them about. If they (the doctors) get struck down with covid, they still won’t be able to come out regardless of how much they could make financially, because ultimately they are still governed by the same rules etc as the rest of us.

Private healthcare is great if people can afford it, but during the pandemic it can’t be guaranteed.

youvegottenminuteslynn · 27/12/2021 10:46

@Draggondragon

I don't think you can get a private ambulance within minutes / the time required in an emergency, can you?

I know private ambulances can be hired for transport to / from appointments and to GPs etc, and are used by the emergency services (so fielding public 999 calls) when they are understaffed, but I don't think you can call them directly in a life or death situation and be seen in time for life saving treatment.

chopc · 27/12/2021 10:54

@Kanfuzed123 OP glad your baby is well. Did he/she receive any treatment in A and E or was just observed?

Draggondragon · 27/12/2021 11:03

[quote youvegottenminuteslynn]@Draggondragon

I don't think you can get a private ambulance within minutes / the time required in an emergency, can you?

I know private ambulances can be hired for transport to / from appointments and to GPs etc, and are used by the emergency services (so fielding public 999 calls) when they are understaffed, but I don't think you can call them directly in a life or death situation and be seen in time for life saving treatment. [/quote]
Read my other posts. Such things do exist or do you think my kid got moved in a volunteer St John ambulance GrinGrinGrin

FoxInABox · 27/12/2021 11:09

How is baby doing today OP? You did the right thing, always better to be safe.
My DS caught the cold our DDs had when we brought him home from hospital after being born. He developed a bacterial chest infection as well as bronchi at 10 days old. We had similar to you in that our Gp wasn’t concerned after examining him, prescribed antibiotics which the pharmacist didn’t want to give due to his age as he felt he should be at the hospital- I wish we had taken his advice over the Gp, yet on phoning the gp he again said he had no concerns and to go ahead and get the antibiotics. Within hours we couldn’t wake him and his neck was sucking in, he was admitted to HDU on a ventilator. Luckily he made a full recovery after 8 days in HDU. He has asthma but this has settled as he has gotten older. After that experience I always go off my gut feeling and never dither the way I did- always worrying would I be wasting the hospitals/doctors time. Every doctor and nurse has always said they would happily see a heathy baby to put minds at ease and to never feel bad for seeking help. The GP did contact me after to apologise and said he would be extra cautious with young babies in future. You can never be too careful with young babies, bronchi can take a downward turn very quickly.

youvegottenminuteslynn · 27/12/2021 11:20

@Draggondragon

Read my other posts. Such things do exist or do you think my kid got moved in a volunteer St John ambulance

I did read your posts - I asked whether a private ambulance can be called (not through the 999 service) and attend in time to save a life in a life or death situation? I genuinely didn't think they could do this, be called specifically and attend in a life or death emergency?

Draggondragon · 27/12/2021 11:43

Why would you call 999. It's the surest way to not get help. I just call Healix and they act
No idea what they do but they seem to always manage to find a suitably qualified person rather than a dippy nurse of dude with a phone algorithm

youvegottenminuteslynn · 27/12/2021 12:00

@Draggondragon

Why would you call 999. It's the surest way to not get help.

As someone whose life has been saved multiple times thanks to 999 (epilepsy) this is bollocks. And disingenuous. "Why would you call 999?" What else should the swathes of people who can't afford private healthcare do? Disabled people for whom private healthcare would be impossible due to the premiums of existing health conditions? You're speaking from a position of privilege as if you don't understand the privilege you have when it comes to being able to have private healthcare.

And as I say, 999 has literally saved my life on multiple occasions when I've had to have immediate blue lights to hospital.

Pieminster · 27/12/2021 12:25

Christ, that Dragon person is rude isn't she? Let's hope she remains abroad so there's no chance of bumping into her

Starcup · 27/12/2021 13:31

@Pieminster

Christ, that Dragon person is rude isn't she? Let's hope she remains abroad so there's no chance of bumping into her
Brilliant 😂
Original poster
Kanfuzed123 · 27/12/2021 13:47

Baby is ok, still retracting and his cough is awful and he can’t really settle at night so we’re all shattered. I’m starting to come down with a cold again, dh has one too and dd…. The thought of this happening all over again is terrifying.

No treatment in a and e for baby as obs were ok.

OP posts:
ShesMadeaTwatOfMePam · 27/12/2021 14:30

Two questions. Why would someone need to be visited every day by a private GP because they have covid?

And why is dragon being so aggressive?

ShesMadeaTwatOfMePam · 27/12/2021 14:31

Op don't be afraid to get baby seen again.

Tryagainplease · 27/12/2021 16:39

Dragon speaks as someone who has no fucking idea how capitalism works.

In order for the wealthy to be wealthy, the ‘poor’ have to remain ‘poor’. The economy is not design to support absolutely everyone getting a ‘well paid job’ and ‘paying for their own healthcare’

Spoken as someone who has a well-paid Jon and private health (although not a plan that would send a GP to my hotel room Hmm)

Tryagainplease · 27/12/2021 16:40

*job!

youvegottenminuteslynn · 27/12/2021 17:25

As @Draggondragon didn't answer, as someone with private healthcare am I misinformed when I say the below @Tryagainplease? I'm sure it's not possible but @Draggondragon implied I hadn't read their posts properly and said 999 was the 'surest way to not get help' which sounds (obviously) ridiculous when as far as I am aware the following is true:

I asked whether a private ambulance can be called (not through the 999 service) and attend in time to save a life in a life or death situation? I genuinely didn't think they could do this, be called specifically and attend in a life or death emergency?

Starcup · 27/12/2021 17:34

@youvegottenminuteslynn

As *@Draggondragon* didn't answer, as someone with private healthcare am I misinformed when I say the below *@Tryagainplease? I'm sure it's not possible but *@Draggondragon** implied I hadn't read their posts properly and said 999 was the 'surest way to not get help' which sounds (obviously) ridiculous when as far as I am aware the following is true:

I asked whether a private ambulance can be called (not through the 999 service) and attend in time to save a life in a life or death situation? I genuinely didn't think they could do this, be called specifically and attend in a life or death emergency?

Personally I think it’s bollocks. Who the hell has ever in their life seen a private ambulance racing to an emergency?
youvegottenminuteslynn · 27/12/2021 17:40

Who the hell has ever in their life seen a private ambulance racing to an emergency?

I know, right?

I suppose private ambulances do so when they are used by the NHS at times the service is stretched, but dragon seemed to think they can be specifically summoned to emergencies within the same time (or sooner!) as can be done by calling 999. Which, let's be honest, absolutely isn't true. She said she would 'call Healix' and they do the rest but that would mean losing vital time in life and death cases.

"Hello Healix, how can I help?"
"I think my partner is having a heart attack"
"Can I check your policy number first?"

Which is why in a life or death emergency, it's important to call 999.

humdingle · 27/12/2021 18:04

@Draggondragon I don't think you understand how private healthcare works in the UK and I don't think your posts are accurate.

Bupa doesn't own hospitals, it hasn't done for approximately 15 years. But when it did own hospitals, it didn't take care of emergency situations. In fact, in some emergency situations they'd have to blue light people to a larger NHS hospital.

You can't summon a private emergency ambulance to take you to a private emergency department.

UntilYourNextHairBrainedScheme · 27/12/2021 18:08

Although there is clearly a poster on the thread living in cloud cuckoo land, I do agree that people have ridiculously low standards when it comes to the NHS. The NHS is stupidly underfunded partly due to deliberate government policy IMO but also because UK tax payers resent paying for it properly.

In Germany we pay 15.5% of our income for healthcare (government funded for the poorest) - that's just healthcare, not social care, state pension, old age care or unemployment benefits which are all separate additional compulsory deductions.

Ambulances are supposed to arrive within 12 minutes maximum and 95% of the time they do, though some areas are exceptions.

There's a map of Germany here where German residents (or anyone else) can check response times - where I live the average is 5.2 minutes.

www.ruhrnachrichten.de/regionales/so-lange-braucht-der-rettungswagen-in-ihrer-stadt-zum-notfall-oder-unfallort-w1651127-2000026169/

No private ambulances - health care is free at point of use and on a socialist "from each according to their ability to pay, to each according to their needs" type model.

Though despite the higher funding there are still problems of course, and ongoing fear of how the system can cope with the aging population.

MrsTerryPratchett · 27/12/2021 18:16

@Kanfuzed123

Baby is ok, still retracting and his cough is awful and he can’t really settle at night so we’re all shattered. I’m starting to come down with a cold again, dh has one too and dd…. The thought of this happening all over again is terrifying.

No treatment in a and e for baby as obs were ok.

You poor thing. So try to get some rest in shifts.
Scrooge89 · 27/12/2021 18:23

@Kanfuzed123

Baby is ok, still retracting and his cough is awful and he can’t really settle at night so we’re all shattered. I’m starting to come down with a cold again, dh has one too and dd…. The thought of this happening all over again is terrifying.

No treatment in a and e for baby as obs were ok.

@Kanfuzed123 get baby back to hospital. His obs might have been ok yesterday but he could be getting worse. If still retracting could need oxygen.
WorriedGiraffe · 27/12/2021 18:28

Call 111 again about the baby as he may have gotten worse. Have you tried the calpol plug ins? I’ve read on here they are good for nighttime coughs, they are usually available
On Amazon prime

Kitkatchunkyplease · 27/12/2021 18:30

Poor state of things that a newborn waits an hour for an ambulance! Glad baby is a little better op

Original poster
Kanfuzed123 · 27/12/2021 20:43

The wait was actually closer to 2 hrs which is a truly sorry state of affairs. I actually agree with a pp who said our standards are set ridiculously low when it comes to the nhs, wait times and care not the staffs fault, largely the public for voting in this f’ing party, anyway I digress.

The paed said he might get a little worse but look out for more severe retractions, less feeding and poor colour. She said the feeding was the greatest indicator of how he’s doing, if he’s really struggling to breath he wouldn’t feed but he’s feeding little and often and he’s still having plenty of wet nappies and his pee is water coloured so he’s taking in enough milk. His cough is worse at night, probably because he’s lying down but his retractions look the same or a little bit better

I’m going to take him and DD to the GP tomorrow, no less for a bit of a learn for the GP who said it was nbd.

OP posts:
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