That the gp should be more concerned

[poorlybaby23]

I'll start this off by saying I know that Primary care is overwhelmed at the moment.

I've got a 6 month old who has this dreaded virus that's going around, I think. Been poorly for well over a week, hacking cough that brings up mucus. Now refusing any milk, so far today has had 3oz. Usually has around 6x 7oz feeds a day. Very sleepy and seems unable to hold their head up. Inconsolable crying all night and most of the morning. Called the doctors and the receptionist said that we couldn't go on the duty list as it's probably just viral. I pushed at this point as 1. She isn't medically qualified 2. My baby is deteriorating.

Still waiting on a call back, I'm unsure whether to go to A&E as I'm starting to get concerned. Aibu if they don't call to lodge a complaint?

Sorry to hear your baby is so poorly, RSV is horrible. When you feel up to it write a complaint to the practice for attention of the practice manager and partners outlining what's happened. Clinical staff are acutely aware of the effects cold weather has on vulnerable groups and will likely be horrified to hear what that receptionist did.

My baby was in intensive care for two weeks, intubated, in a coma, with ‘just a virus’ RSV and subsequent bronchiolitis. Hands down the worst time of my life. It damaged her heart.

Do pursue a complaint about the receptionist. She has no business triaging you and saying no.

Kids with these viruses fall off a cliff having masked for so long, but get better as quickly as they got sick. Mt baby is ok now. All the best.

Hope things settle down OP and that you’re on the way home soon. It’s very scary when they get very sick so young

It's never just a virus.it depends how it affects the individual and babies are a priority. I think you should complain..
I wouldn't normally say that as i admire most doctors. Glad your baby is getting better

last month when my baby was 6 months we took her in to a&e for the same symptoms - their main concern was the lack of feeding. They sucked out a whole load of mucus from her nose and she started feeding again, poor little thing was apparently choosing to breathe over eat 😢 turns out she had bronchiolitis and we had to stay over night. I was so glad I went in!!

My 4 month old has just been discharged following a stay with RSV Bronchiolitis. Thankfully no O2 support required but refused all breastfeeds for 24 hours. It’s utterly terrifying. Well done for going to ED. They will never, even mind seeing a baby even if it turns out just to be for reassurance.

Young babies are more vulnerable and everyone in A&E would usually understand this, if you as a parent feel that this is more serious, then that in itself is a reason to go. So good for you. I speak as someone who worked for the NHS and so I do know the huge pressure they are under, but if you look at the NHS website itself it will guide you.

Receptionists are not medically trained or qualified. I think it’s probably a good idea to raise a complaint, as at least that receptionist can get hopefully some more training/guidance and not make that mistake again.

As others have said a and e, always best to be on the safe side. Can you ring 111, I've found the service to be brilliant now, they sent a nurse round to the house as part of a new service twice for 2 different family's members. They were angels and rushed them into hospital.

Had this experience too - it’s so worrying. Glad you trusted your gut and went to A and E. Hope you are both back home soon.

Absolutely complain. If they don't know its very broken, they wouldn't fix it. My 4th DS was very sick. He weighed the same at 5 weeks as he did at birth. HVs fobbed me off saying he'd lost weight so he needed time to put it back on, refused to weigh him. I went to the GP and she backed them up. No one took me seriously. He started to vomit and A&E fobbed me off with norovirus even though no diarrhoea. The following day he was blue lighted in with a bowel obstruction. He was 7 weeks old and nearly died.

I wanted someone to admit they failed him and change, not a witch hunt. I listened to first time mums hang on every word the HVs said like they were God. I didn't want a baby to die because Mum trusted the HV and didn't follow her gut.

Glad your little one is on the road to recovery

Definitely go to hospital!! My daughter had RSV as a baby (she’s now 14) but the symptoms sound the same. Wishing your baby a speedy recovery!

Please call 111 or your mid wife, sitting in an a&E with a 6month would be hell. For you, your DC, other patients and the care team! If you can get some form of referral from a Dr (either via 111 or other!) it'll make a trip through a&E a bit easier! Then call your practice manager after DC is better and tell them about lack of care you've received!
Good luck

The baby was admitted a couple of days ago 🙂

I’m so sorry your baby is so unwell, I’m currently in hospital too with my son and a virus. They can be very serious esp for a baby- covid is ‘just a virus’ and yet it’s killed millions……
she absolutely should not be passing medical opinion/judgement like that as a receptionist- imagine if she had blood on her hands. Absolutely you need to make it known what was said and that is not acceptable

I took my infant to the GP with similar symptoms (lucky enough to get a f2f appointment) and apologised to the Dr in case I was being an overprotective mother 😳Baby was really poorly. Sats in the 70s, dangerously low blood sugar (had been refusing to feed) and we were blue lighted from the GP surgery to hospital where we spent 11 nights on oxygen, steroids and IV antibiotics. I’d never worry about asking for help again. Trust your instincts. Hope baby is 100% again soon x

Glad you got sorted OP. Slightly different but I remember a receptionist telling me to ring back in a few days with my intense stomach pain and throwing up. Well I went to hospital and my appendix was ready to rupture! Always trust your instinct x

Really hope your baby is better soon, OP, and relieved you went to A&E quickly, as I'm sure you are.
Yes, when home and all is well please do complain via the Surgery's complaints system. No receptionist should be diagnosing anyone over the phone as 'just a virus', let alone a baby.

OP I hope you are ok. Being on a recliner in the hospital all alone with your poorly baby is the worst but you are in the right place. Well done mumma. Xx

Please complain to your CCG directly. Ensure you get a written discharge summary from the ward.
Keep a diary .
You've said you don't want a witch hunt be clear what you do want or what you expected to happen and explain why.
Some surgeries the 'receptionists ' are actually something called care navigators and have extra training, ask if yours is one of these, if she is request she receives refresher training and the role is taken away from her until completed. If she isn't suggest she be allowed to do this (if she wants) because she is making decisions she is not qualified for.

Thank God you followed your maternal instincts and took your little one to A+E, OP, and I hope that they're feeling very better, very soon.

Definitely lodge a complaint. All this "oh, it's probably just viral, so don't waste our busy doctor's time" bullshit is dangerous. As others have said, the receptionist has no right to start triaging patients because she's not a medical professional (being a first aider doesn't count as one, either, though I've met some who clearly think that it elevates them to the same level as nurses or GPs).

I was talking to my father this morning, who told me an absolute horror story - but it explains why things like this, especially with a baby, can be so fucking dangerous. A friend of his had a grandchild born 3 months ago, normal delivery, discharged, everything was fine. Their mother knew that something wasn't right with the baby (not her first child, so she had that for comparison). She took them to the GP. "Oh, it's probably just a virus". Mum took the baby home, but she wasn't happy. Back to another GP. "Probably just viral". Mum took the baby home again. Still knowing that something wasn't right. This went on for a few more weeks, until Mum took the baby to A+E, last week - 3 months old, so 12 weeks of life beyond their mother's womb. Mum explained to them that she kept getting fobbed off with "it's probably just a virus" comments, but that she knew something wasn't right. The baby was admitted for tests/observations "just in case".

She died the next day from sepsis.

Her parents absolutely did the right thing by their baby - it was the GPs who failed them. But now there's a family grieving the loss of a baby who it was apparently very clear that there was something (I don't know what, it's not the sort of thing you can ask a grief-stricken grandparent, is it?) burbling away that wasn't a fucking virus!

Mother's intuition is there for a reason. Babies and young children absolutely cannot adequately tell us how they feel. I remember my son having a migraine and when asked what hurt, as a 3 year old, he pointed to his knee, for example. Why did it take the friend's daughter so long to go to A+E? No clue, but probably because it's been drummed into us not to "take up valuable resources" there, especially during the winter (colds/flu season) - and I absolutely understand that if the child can communicate or its an adult with a stubbed toe. But with babies and toddlers...? Nope. Trust your instincts, always, because at the end of the day - who knows your baby better than the woman who grew it/is probably the primary caregiver nine times out of ten...?

I have RTFT and know the baby has been admitted. Hope he is making a speedy recovery and home soon.

But - to those who say “call 111, don’t go to A&E with a 6 month old”. I understand where you’re coming from, but if you’re really worried - just go to A&E. If the baby needs urgent medical attention, you won’t hang around with them for hours. You’ll be triaged straight through.

In theory, running it past 111 is a good idea and it worked well for us on the occasions when the service wasn’t very busy. But one particular time we waited 8 hours for a doctor to call back, and our son’s respiratory rate was over 60. I told the call handler this, but it isn’t one of the screening questions and it made no difference to the speed of response. Turns out - it should have. When we did get a call back, an ambulance was sent right away and we were blue lighted to hospital. The ambulance crew were horrified to hear it had taken that long to call us back. I’ve since done my research and at that respiratory rate we’d now be in the car and on our way to A&E straight away.

Glad to hear you're in the right place. My GP no matter how busy they are will always put young babies on their list given how quickly they can deteriorate, and the receptionist and doctors have told me never to worry about wasting their time. That's how it should be everywhere, particularly with a lethargic baby that won't feed. Do complain. Hope baby gets better soon.

Also my mum's friend's 90 year old mum died because her GP surgery refused to see her for 'just a cough' even though she could barely move with exhaustion and was struggling to breathe. Turned out to be pneumonia, and by the time they called an ambulance it was too late :-( Always trust your gut.

@poorlybaby23 every time I called GP about a baby or young child, they always found time to see us same day. I always called in the first half of the day; I don't know what they would have said later on in the day. I'm surprised the receptionist told you they wouldn't see your baby; that was never my experience.

I've found 111 v helpful in the past; every time we called about a child they told us where to go so that the child would be seen.

Glad baby is getting care now

These fucking receptionists should just do their job and stop getting bloody notions above their station.
They are there to book appointments, not diagnose or decide medical issues.
It happened ONCE in a clinic in the town I live in and she lost her job over it. She decided that the child couldn't possibly be seen and the kiddy ended up being admitted by the out of hours doc. Mother made a complaint over the rude obnoxious know all receptionist and she was let go.
Damn right too