To not have to wait over an hour to get a GP appointment for my 18 month old

[MrsT84]

DD was really not herself yesterday - just kept sleeping, stumbling when she tried to walk, off food, very snotty and grisly. By the evening she had a temperature up to 39.9 using a digital ear thermometer. I gave her some calpol at 6.15pm which helped a bit, she ate a few pieces of pasta but through the night she was very restless and kept getting hotter and hotter again.

This morning she was still very under the weather - sleepy, washed out looking and just not herself. Had a small amount to drink but refused breakfast. She has also had a cough for almost 3 weeks. She has been quite rundown having had HFM and then a stomach bug. So, once I had taken my DS8 to school I got on the phone to try and get a GP appointment/ some advice for poorly DD. I rang at 8.50am and it said there was more than 30 people in the queue ahead of me, so I dialled the number to hold my place in the queue, and they would call me when my number got to the front of the queue. I am still waiting to be called now, 1.5 hours later, and I haven't even been able to tell them why I am calling yet! I haven't called the surgery in over a year but didn't realise it had got this bad!

My surgery don't allow e-consults for children, I could try 111 but am already waiting for the surgery to call me back...sorry for the rant but anything else I could try?

The waiting time you've seen experienced (2.5 hours) doesn't sound unreasonable for a GP appointment.

I think that's quite good, you called nearly an hour after opening when 30 people were waiting but didn't have to hold the line just register for a call back, they've called back in less than two hours offering a same day appointment locally even though your own surgery is full.

@SgtJuneAckland my surgery doesn't open til half 8 so I was 20 minutes from it opening, only delayed by having to take my 8 year old to school. About 3 years ago all of the local surgeries became part of a larger medical centre, meaning you can get sent to any of those depending on your need. The merge has made it even harder to get appointments as there is one central number for 1000s of people, as opposed to five smaller surgeries having their own patients.

DD was seen by GP and he thinks it is viral but wants me to get a urine sample back today as it was such a high temperature and must be coming from somewhere. DD was so good at the doctors, considering she hasn't been since she was a very tiny baby! (Probably as she was too lethargic to get cross with him!) She has just managed a tiny bit of lunch and is moving about a bit more today so hopefully it will pass. GP has told me to get in some ibuprofen to alternate with the paracetamol if she goes downhill again (although she hates any medicine) so I will do that when I fetch DS from school later. I now have the pleasure of trying to "catch a wee" for hubby to take back to the surgery this afternoon!

Really hope she is feeling better soon. Good luck with catching the wee!

We have orange and strawberry flavoured ibuprofen just now. Much easier given with a syringe than on a spoon. We sometimes bribe with a chocolate button afterwards to get the medicine in.

@Mmr224 the surgery gave me a paediatric wee catcher "uri bag" which I had to tape onto DD and sit inside her nappy. She was obviously a bit uncomfortable but was so good. She even said "mummy wee wee nappy" and lo and behold, she was right! Luckily we had a spare container and hubby was able to drive it straight to the surgery. Tested clear thank goodness. She has been a bit chirpier this afternoon but still very clingy. Hopefully she will sleep well tonight x