A&E or wait to see the Gp??

[ohnoohnoo]

Have posted a few times about this issue, I should probably change my username as my details are now probably quite outing but I've kept it the same so people can see the previous issues!

Short version of backstory is that DD (5) has been poorly every few days since Feb which was when she got admitted in to hospital with stomach pains and vomiting. Eventually needed a drip and was told it was some sort of gastroenteritis. Since then she has been on antibiotics almost constantly for different things, tonsillitis, urine infections etc. She can't seem to go more than 5ish days without coming down with something else.

Things ramped up 3 weeks ago when she got another urine infection. Temp went to the highest it had ever been (41+), got put on antibiotics and after a couple of days seemed to be getting better. However she then developed severe diarrhoea, going up to 15 times a day and it was just fluid, sometimes had blood in it. That has continued and is still going on.

Gp agreed to do a stool sample and also referred for bloods to see if there is a reason she keeps getting poorly. Stool sample has come back negative for c diff, gastroenteritis and anything else they tested for. She is booked in to the hospital for bloods tomorrow.

Here's where I'm not sure what to do. I picked her up from school yesterday and as soon as we got home she started screaming and crying saying her stomach hurt again, she was literally lying in the foetal position and said she couldn't move. Gave her some calpol and rang Gp to let them know it was happening again. They have booked us in for a face to face appt this morning. Since then she has developed a really high fever and is still crying with stomach pain.

Should I wait and take her to the Gp this morning or should I just take her up to A&E so they can see how bad she is getting and hopefully find the cause quicker? I don't want to waste anybody's time but I'm also at the end of my tether and just want somebody to help her.

Thank you that means a lot x

Your poor little dd suffering so much discomfort. I can't believe you've struggled so much to get her on the list. Hope she gets her operation soon.

Just caught up with your posts from the past few weeks and I'm so sorry to hear that your dd has been suffering even worse.
I'm very glad to hear that you are finally getting to where you need to be with her though - taken seriously by a GP, A+E and the consultant and that she's on the waiting list.
I sincerely hope your daughter gets a surgery spot very soon (and between infections).

You have had such a tough time, you and dd obviously, I really hope the nightmare is over soon and you're able to plan a holiday or something to decompress after all of it!

Please do keep updating as you have been. I look forward to an update with the magic words she's had them out!

Thank goodness. I might have said this before op, but when my daughter was admitted for IV she had her grommets done weeks later and it literally changed our lives.

P.s You could ask them about preventive antibiotics before the op, but I guess thst won't help with resistance. My dd was put on them and it helped for a while.

@CottonSock she has been on preventative daily antibiotics since July but they haven't stopped any of the infections. The ENT dr at the hospital said we may as well stop them now because they aren't helping and it's just putting more antibiotics in her system for no reason.

Also a small update that we had a call from our Gp whilst we were in the hospital. He said he had seen that she had been admitted and wanted to call and see how she was doing, he seemed really concerned which was lovely as most gps probably wouldn't go to the effort of calling.
He also said he has lodged a complaint with the Gp surgery about his colleague that took the call we made on Wednesday. We told the Gp (not our normal one) on the Wednesday that she still wasn't feeling better and her tonsil had doubled in size overnight. We had seen our normal Gp the day before and he had put a note on the system to call back if she still wasn't feeling better in 24 hours. However when we spoke to this other Gp the next day he was really patronising and told us that kids go up and down and obviously her tonsils would be swollen because she had tonsillitis. This was despite it being her 4th day on antibiotics. He said he didn't need to see her because there was no need.

Our normal Gp explained that he had put on the system that she was a vulnerable case because of her previous infections and that she was on the verge of needing hospital treatment. He said that the fact we told them her tonsil had doubled in size should have been enough of a red flag for her to be seen instantly, he also said that had she been seen she would have most likely been treated for quinsy straight away. I'm so grateful we have this amazing Gp who really listens and tries to help. But I am now feeling quite angry that the quinsy could have been picked up 24 hours earlier than it was and could have been easier to treat.

That’s great that the GP is backing you up though OP instead of covering for his colleague, not all HCP’s would do that. I hope you get a date very, very soon!

That's what we thought, it's so unusual to get a dr that cares so much!

I wonder if some doctors are stepping up tbh.

I’ve got something going on with me. Has been gone for for a good 9 weeks now.

Been in and out of A&E

Went to see the doctor, and he said he would make a referral to such and such and hold tight.

Two hours after the doctors surgery closed, he actually rang me and said “no I’ve changed my mind. How are you? Are you still in pain?”

When I confirmed I was, he told me to just go to A&E because he wasn’t happy with how I was.

I'm sorry to hear you are also suffering, I hope you manage to get it sorted asap. It's good to hear you are getting support from a good Gp, they seem like gold dust to find! X

Once you have gotten through getting the op sorted, and DD is on the mend, I'd be putting that anger to use and contacting PALs. Luckily you have this thread documenting every single time they've failed your DD! Really hope this is the turning point, but awful she had to get quinsy before they (except lovely GP) took you seriously.

Aw shame the preventative antibiotics didn't work. I think it gave us a few months of rest. But then stopped working and we were in hospital a few times. Very similar story to yours but ears not tonsils. It was so tough. Hope you have turned a corner.

We also had a wonderful GP. I sent her a card afterwards thanking her for her care. She was so angry on my behalf and told me to kick up a fuss with ENT.

@ohnoohnoo how are you getting on?

Still haven't had a date through for the op yet but fingers crossed it will come soon.

Currently dealing with another bout of tonsillitis so we are just hoping she doesn't get as poorly as last time

Update:

You honestly couldn't make up what has now happened. She's been fully discharged from ENT. Despite not having had the surgery.

This is apparently because when we were in the hospital they didn't do a proper write up on her notes so she wasn't added to the surgery list (despite being told by 3 different consultants that she was) and they also forgot to add on to her notes that we had seen the consultant. So when we rang and cancelled her scheduled appt with the consultant (which the consultant himself told us to do because he had seen us in the hospital) they made a note that we no longer needed the apt so she was discharged.

I called today to see where we were on the surgery list and found all of this out. They said our only option was to go back on the list to see a consultant and he would decide if she needed to be added to the surgery list. This could take up to 6 weeks just for the initial appt.

I fully kicked off on the phone and said I would be making a formal complaint, lo and behold I get a call back 5 mins later saying they have managed to fit us in to see a consultant today. Went to the appt and he was just as disgusted as us and we have been promised he is going to chase it up and let us know what happens. Not holding out much hope at the moment though!

I despair

Me too! I honestly just don't even know where to turn anymore. I think I'm going to contact PALS tomorrow and see what they suggest

@ohnoohnoo I don't think you are a troll but I really, really wish you were a troll because some things just shouldn't be true.

Please complain to PALS. And keep pushing for that surgery (even though that just shouldn't be necessary after everything).

Oh. My. God. This is just unbelievable incompetence. PALS is a waste of time as well. Did the consultant say when you would hear? So sorry for what you are your dd are going through.

I'm so sorry! Thank god they managed to fit you in today. The incompetency is abhorrent!

The incompetency is Jaw dropping
OP I'm so sorry your DD is still suffering
You must be furious and worried sick in equal measures
Do complain to everyone you can think of
I'm glad your GP is in your corner

The consultant didn't say when we would hear but I'm planning on just calling the secretaries every morning until somebody gives me a date. I'm not leaving it and waiting for a letter because god knows what else they could get wrong in that time!

I don't think PALs will be able to do anything but I'm going to try giving them a call today anyway

Just to add, the consultant didn't even bother to look at her tonsils yesterday despite her having tonsillitis again at the moment

A complaint via pals will always be raised with all the teams involved. This needs to be investigated by the relevant managers and a response sent to you by those involved.

Therefore it's worth doing to highlight areas which could have been better managed and may even help your case moving forwards, as well as that if others who may be in a similar position