Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To keep my child from school

84 replies

immigrant002 · 07/12/2022 15:31

Email from school with confirmed cases of strep a ! Would you keep your child at home in this case ? Not really sure what to do

OP posts:
QS90 · 07/12/2022 23:44

These aren't usual times, people and families are having to weigh up risks more on their own, as we don't have the safety nets in place that we usually do. Not to pile on the fear mongering, but a friend of a friend's child had it last week, and was hospitalised. There weren't enough antibiotics in the hospital for the sick children, apparently it was horrendous. We live in Bristol.

katecl98 · 08/12/2022 10:51

QS90 · 07/12/2022 23:44

These aren't usual times, people and families are having to weigh up risks more on their own, as we don't have the safety nets in place that we usually do. Not to pile on the fear mongering, but a friend of a friend's child had it last week, and was hospitalised. There weren't enough antibiotics in the hospital for the sick children, apparently it was horrendous. We live in Bristol.

Hi, I live in Bristol too. Who said they haven't enough antibiotics? I work in a GP practice and there seems to be plenty. The GPs have been told to not stick to prescribing one type of antibiotic for this reason, to avoid stock issues.

If it puts anyone's mind at rest, the GPs where I am are literally prescribing them to pretty much any suspected patients to be safe. If you can't get through to your GP (most are extremely under staffed) pop to the reception and explain how worried you are regarding symptoms. Receptionist or GP will not turn away a sick child or worried parent. We have been given (hopefully others too) triage training for this exact reason!

SinnerBoy · 08/12/2022 11:00

RunLolaRun102 · Yesterday 16:33

I wouldn’t. You can get antibiotics to treat Strep fairly easily - example my sister in law got it for DN from an independant pharmacist at 10pm.

We needed something for our daughter, when she was 4. She had cystitis. There are several pharmacies close by, but none of them had the antibiotic in stock. The fifth one phoned the hospital pharmacy and I ended up going there.

mushroomsIncoffee · 08/12/2022 11:07

Is there a shortage of antibiotics in your area? If so then yes keep your dc off, if you are confident you can get hold of them if needed I’d send in and keep an eye for symptoms.

where we are there are no liquid antibiotics at all the pharmacies and gps are panicked and parents are beside themselves

BesidetheseasideXxx · 08/12/2022 11:35

Mine is off with a vomiting bug and I'm actually quite relieved. If he wasn't being sick I wouldn't be keeping him off but I understand the anxiety. To make you feel better OP, I think doctors have lowered the threshold for prescribing antibiotics in children at the moment so it shouldn't be a fight to get them prescribed.

For those people saying "we've always had scarlett fever and tonsillitis etc.." I have heard of those things before of course but as a relatively young parent with a young child I never knew those things could become so deadly so quickly in children and this is where the fear is coming from. I've always kept my child at home for a couple of days before calling a doctor but parents are now being told (by other heartbroken parents on the news) "if you have any doubts scoop them up and take them to hospital." It's this message which is causing all the anxiety and sense of urgency if a child gets symptoms.

VanillaImpulse · 08/12/2022 13:06

Pharmacies have now been advised to give solid dosage forms for children due to the suspension being difficult to obtain. It will need to be crushed for children which is off-licence but at least they get the antibiotic they need.

BirdyWoof · 08/12/2022 13:41

Interviewnamechange · 07/12/2022 18:00

@BirdyWoof

I am medical and have worked on an infectious diseases ward for many years.I have looked after many patients with Strep A related illnesses.

It is not to look superior, it’s to stop fear mungering. I think encouraging hysteria is far more embarrassing.

Well, then, if “you are medical”, no one else can dare to have an option, can they? Your word is gospel. 🙄

No one is encouraging “hysteria”. It is perfectly acceptable that forum users can discuss how they feel about Strep A with other users who are similarly worried/concerned. Nothing about that is embarrassing.

What I do find embarrassing is the fact a little girl died of Strep A after being sent home from A&E twice and it was only on the third trip that she was diagnosed and given the correct care. Care that she should have received the first time she arrived. Of course, this care came far too late for her, and now a family has to come to terms with the fact their child died over something that should have been easily treated.

So, forgive me if I think your opinion “as a medical” isn’t really worth very much. Maybe if some of your wider colleagues had actually spent an extra 10 minutes examining that poor girl, she’d have made it to her 6th birthday.

I find posts from users like yourself incredibly distasteful. You have no idea who reads these threads, and I don’t think accusing parents of being “hysterical” and “embarrassing” is much consolation to those who have actually lost loved ones from Strep A.

What would have been far more useful, “as a medical”, would have been to have a post saying something to the effect of “X is usually easy to treat, these are the signs that you need to look out for and this is how it’s usually treated. If you see any of these symptoms please don’t hesitate to contact your GP to have your child checked over” if you wanted to provide something of substance to this thread.

That would have been far more beneficial rather than being dismissive of parents’ concerns. It’s that dismissive attitude that has cost several children their lives so far, and although statistically it’s still a minute number, that doesn’t make it any easier for those who have lost their child.

You need to do better as a medical professional.

QS90 · 08/12/2022 22:58

@katecl98 It was the mother of the girl who was sick, who told my friend. She was pretty freaked by the whole thing apparently. Not sure if this was this week or last week, or which hospital unfortunately.

It's reassuring to hear your surgery at least has antibiotics and a good policy in place.

StripyHorse · 10/12/2022 15:58

ZeViteVitchofCwismas · 07/12/2022 22:44

Yy wrong lane.
It's the lack of back up.

NHS let's us down every single winter.
We need an overhaul

No.

Government underfunding of the NHS is letting us down.

New posts on this thread. Refresh page
Swipe left for the next trending thread