To tell you the NHS is a frightening failure for children?

[redorbreak]

I suppose when we read headlines it's A&E waiting times and often focused on adults

But I'm here to give a personal account of how dangerous it is for children, something we haven't shone the light on as much as adult care and waiting times being horrible right now.

DD was born very prematurely and she had some awful breathing this morning, which then worsened into sucking in a lot at the rib cage (not that unusual for her but it seemed worse than usual). She couldn't stay awake much

I knew an ambulance would take a long time and needed the car, so I was going to drive her myself. I went to put her into her car seat and she went floppy, like a rag doll. Limp and floppy. I screamed and luckily H was there who phoned an ambulance

I explained calmly but seriously on the phone what was going on. The phone operator said 5 hour wait. I said please, she's gone floppy. Please help us. She said sorry, but 5 hour wait times. Can I take her myself?

I explained I could take her myself but I wouldn't be able to see if she was okay or not? I'd be driving. She said that was safer than waiting for an ambulance

I put the phone down and took her in, frightened, petrified for her life. I got there after 25 minutes and rushed to her. She was still not responding. She was triaged straight away. Her Sats were sitting at 69/70.

She is currently in PICU (intensive care) and I don't know when she will wake up. Nobody seems to be straight with me. I'm not getting a clear picture here. My H is on his way up now and hopefully they will tell me straight what this means for her now

The NHS is fucked.

I’m shocked OP- I know the nhs is awful atm but a floppy baby??? My daughter had her first seizure as a toddler 4 years ago and an ambulance came instantly, friends at my daughters school has prem twins who turned blue due to a virus last month and had an ambulance turn up instantly.
Where in the country are you?

A friends child died during lockdown of sepsis having been misdiagnosed by the GP and then the paramedics being told by the GP surgery that she didn’t need to be taken to hospital, they called them out 3 times because she was just so ill but by the time they decided she needed to be taken in it was too late 😨

😱

I'm honestly so sorry to read this. I hope your little one gets better soon, I can't imagine how scary it must've been.

The state of things in the UK right now is dreadful. I live in Germany and witnessed two bicycles crashing last week, nothing too serious, no one was really hurt but one of them was clearly in shock and screaming. An ambulance was called and it arrived literally 2/3 minutes later. My mum who I was on the phone to at the time couldn't believe how fast it had gotten there, which just goes to show how bad things are back home when you can't believe how fast an ambulance turns up. I hope something is done soon to support the doctors / nurses / NHS and offer the care that is needed.

Its been failing for years probably even decades and not just for children. This isn't new.

@VirtueClapper83 on behalf of everyone else on this thread, how dare you. See yourself out.

What a horrible comment, she certainly isn't whinging. If you have ever had a sick child in hospital there is often very little else to do but sit and wait and maybe distract yourself on social media?

@VirtueClapper83 Shame on you!

Mums need support too and the OP has been through such a traumatic event we can't even imagine. I imagine her DD is sleeping/sedated; What is she supposed to do, sit in silence and stare at her?

Ridiculous.

OP, I'm so glad she's getting the help she needs ❤️

Jesus virtueclapper have some bloody empathy. Have you ever been in ICU or PICU with a loved one? The hours are long and heavy. Why the hell shouldn’t the OP reach out and ask for some support? Thank God most have been happy to offer it. Talk about kicking people when they’re down.

hope your little girl makes a good speedy recovery, OP.

You did the right thing, OP.

virtueclapper should be bloody well ashamed.

Fucking hell. This terrifies me with two little ones. I really hope your baby will be ok, well done you for doing what you needed to. I'd have been a mess.

Op I'm so sorry and wishing your baby and you all the best. I sometimes kind of hope if anything bad is going to happen anyway at some point in my life then please at least the timing should be when I'm abroad so I can get proper healthcare (we travel to certain countries a lot due to work). That's how bad this country has become. Totally feel you when you mentioned the safety of the UK, yes the safety has vanished whether it's the NHS or the police.

Children should be number 1 priority for ambulances, and nobody will persuade me otherwise. I’m livid on your behalf OP and hope your daughter makes a good recovery xx 💐

Don't waste your time thinking about the rude mums in the waiting room. It's no excuse, but they're no doubt stressed for their own children and not acting properly. If they stopped to actually think about the reality of your situation vs theirs, they'd feel ashamed I'm sure. Forget them.

And don't worry about the speeding - I absolutely loathe speeders, but if my baby needed the hospital then I'm sure I'd be speeding with the best of them!

I'm so angry for you about the situation you were placed in. I am furious with the way this country is going and with the government. They know full well what they're doing.

I am thinking of you and your family tonight hope everything gets better from here

How scary for you.

I don’t get it. What is more urgent than a floppy, unresponsive child or baby?

Call be a cynic but I wonder if triaging rules mean that an adult that is conscious and talking but has chest pain (which could be a heart attack but just as likely to be indigestion or a panic attack) get prioritised. Not the fault of the call takers and it must break their heart.

I’m very very sorry you had this experience but sadly not surprised at all.

A friend had an utterly terrifying experience with her two year old in our local hospital last month. One junior doctor on duty for the entire children’s ward. The care her son received was horrific and dangerous.

Children certainly don’t get special treatment!

My god OP I'm so sorry to her this. Well done for managing to hold it together and get her there. I think in your position I'd have genuinely gone to pieces and probably crashed the car or something but you did it. I really hope she's doing better soon and I'm absolutely livid on your behalf.
WTF is going on in the world when there is a 5 hour fucking wait for a floppy baby? Right now of course your focus is on your daughter but when she's home with you I would contact your MP, the papers, hell even the BBC. People need to know how bad things are.
And anyone who thinks a cat 1 call out on a tiny baby shouldn't be absolutely top number 1 priority is wrong frankly. I'm sorry. I know its clinical need but if you have a bunch of cat 1 calls then the baby is first surely?

You're a nob

Feel free to message me op

My daughter was in picu at 8 weeks old for 5 days with rsv

She's now a bright and bubbly 3 year old.

We were in the John Radcliffe and the staff were incredible

Don’t try and justify yourself. How dare you try and set yourself up as arbiter of what people can and cannot talk about.

This is awful and I can't imagine what you and your DD have gone through today. I hope she soon recovers.
The NHS is struggling so badly and we have a PM who is in denial about how bad things are. Nobody, whether they are 1 day old or 100 years old, should have to wait that long for an ambulance if they are in such need.