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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

to think that nhs direct is crap and that my doctors should have a proper out of hours service

37 replies

pud1 · 18/05/2010 12:39

my dd is 9 months and had a bowel intersesection in jan. this is when your intestine slips into your bowel. she had an op to pull it out and cut the bad bit off as well as some colon and her apendix. she has recovered realy well and is a very happy baby. she is a good sleeper but last night she was a nightmare. she screemed for 4 hours between 7 and 11. the only time she has been like this is when she was ill in jan. i called my doctors to get the out of hours number and when i called it i ended up talking to nhs direct. the guy on the phone had no idea what a bowel intersesection was and i was left to wait 45 mins for a nurse to call me back who understood her illness no more than the first guy. by the time they had called back she had settled and in her cot asleep. she is fine this morning so i am thinking that it may have been realy bad teething or looking at her nappies more likley contipation i am goign to the doctors this afternoon to get her checked.
when she had the illness in jan she was pooing blood and when i called nhs direct then they just told me to wait 5 hours for the doctors to open. i did ignore this and took her to the hospital and she had to have an emergancy op.

OP posts:

BusyMissIzzy · 18/05/2010 12:45

Bit harsh to say NHS Direct as a whole is crap, but I'm sorry they gave you bad advice. YANBU to think you should have access to out of hours doctor though.

VinegarTits · 18/05/2010 12:45

YABU the NHS direct IS an out of hours service, and they are there to give you advice, you cant expect them to know everything and you dont have to take there advice, you have the option of taking your dd to A&E is you are that worried

AuntieMaggie · 18/05/2010 12:48

for every case like yours where nhs direct didn't help there are hundreds where it did - unfortunately the case you describe is a bit unique so i think you're right for being upset that you couldn't get to see anyone but i don't think it's necessarily nhs directs fault

if you're that concerned in future i would call the local A&E dept if you feel that their response isn't satisfactory

hope your dd is ok

SirBoobAlot · 18/05/2010 12:50

Sorry you had a bad experience, but YABU. On the whole I have always for NHS Direct to be fantastic, especially while I was pregnant, and when DS was a very small baby.

The fact you had to wait 45 mins is generally around average on a busy night, and personally I always take having to wait as a good sign; means they don't think there is anything to be overly concerned about! Your DD had a specialist operation, you cannot expect everyone to know about / understand it, although again, I do get why you would have wanted instant answers given the circumstances.

There should be a local out of hours doctor (with our doctor if you call the surgery and they are closed they have the number as a message after ringing) and second the option of taking your DD to A&E if you're concerned again.

fernie3 · 18/05/2010 12:55

We have had good experiences with NHS direct our only problems have come when NHS direct have told us to go to the out of hours gp which has been awful and dangerous in one case where my daughter was sent home very ill (later told she should have been admitted straight away).

FabIsGoingToGetFit · 18/05/2010 12:57

YANBU

I rang as was worried my son had meningitis. They said they would call me back. I am still waiting and that was over 7 years ago.

Original poster

pud1 · 18/05/2010 12:57

i supose its my doctors i should be annoyed about. the number on the answer machine was nhs direct. did not feel that it was bad enough to take to the hospital but would have liked to see a medical proffesional in an out of hours surgery. not have a phone call with a nurse that did not understand the condition

OP posts:

RedRedWine1980 · 18/05/2010 13:04

Is your DD under a consultant or has she been discharged? Have you not got a contact number for the team who operated on her and looked after her afterwards? If not id have been inclined to go to a&e as in most cases they ring you back after an hour and tell you to do just that

RedRedWine1980 · 18/05/2010 13:06

OMG Fab mind you I was very grateful for their help after my son decided to stick his tongue through one of the slats in a neutradol air freshner and eat a chunk

Original poster

pud1 · 18/05/2010 13:11

she did not have any return appointments when we left hospital. was suprised by this as she waas very ill on morphene ( cant spell it) and in hospital for a week. this is why i felt a bit lost last night as i did not have a decent contact

OP posts:

NestaFiesta · 18/05/2010 13:11

YANBU pud1. My son had a fall out of his crib when he was 8 weeks. I rang the GP, two dooors away and the receptionist told me to ring NHS Direct! I told her I am only 2 doors away and she said then go to A and E (I don't drive). She said he would need to be Xrayed and they can't do that at the GPsso take him to A and E. As it was he didn't need to be X rayed at all and I spent 5 hours in A and E, where a few cursory checks proved he was OK. Any trip is worth it for my son, but I really hated that receptionist for a long long time.

NomDePlume · 18/05/2010 13:18

OP, if you want to be angry with anyone, be angry with your local Primary Care Trust (who sort out the funding for GP services in the UK).

The truth is, is that there just isn't the funding for proper out of hours GP services any more. There's no point in being peeved with your GP practice, they haven't done it to piss you off, they don't offer the service (in all liklihood) because your PCT won't fund it.

Joolyjoolyjoo · 18/05/2010 13:21

YABU to expect the nurse to have knowledge of surgical prodedures (was it an intussuception?) BUT I am surprised they didn't arrange for you to attend the OOH clinic (rather than A+E), which is what they usually seem to do when they can't offer real advice over the phone. It usually means you get an appointment to be seen, without the wait of A+E, but in our case the OOH service is within the A+E dept, so if you then need to be transferred to the hospital/ surgical dept it can be done swiftly and easily

I would say if you are worried, it's not unreasonable to say you would really like to speak to/ see a doctor, given the specialist nature of your dd's history

GetThePartyStarted · 18/05/2010 13:26

YANBU, in my experience if you ever do manage to get someone to actually speak to you NHS direct will invariably tell you to go to A+E if you are worried. No matter what.

A colleague rang NHS direct about a rash (just a rash, nothing else), they told her to go to A+E as she was pregnant. A+E for a rash!

nursie999 · 18/05/2010 13:28

I kind of agree a little bit with the OP.
Intussusception is very serious if not treated in babies. (and really, its not unknown... Im not a paediatric nurse, and I know what it is)
I am aghast that they told you to wait for GP the first time when your little one was passing blood.
At least she settled last night. She may well be constipated, and that is at least easily treated.

However, Nom is right. The government and their ridiculous GP contracts have a lot to answer for.

Original poster

pud1 · 18/05/2010 13:29

jooly - it was a intussuception. thanks for the correct spelling. have never known as i couldnt read doctors hand writing.
it seems you have some medical knowledge. i do need to see a doctor that has some specialist knowledge. i am bothered that she only has 1/2 a colon and although i understand she will be loose for about 6 months she does now seem to be having problems passing a motion. i am also sure there would be dietry changes that would help but my hv and gp dont seem to be able to help

OP posts:

nursie999 · 18/05/2010 13:48

Pud, you need to have her referred back to the original paediatric surgeon.
Speak to the GP this afternoon, and let them know you are concerned about the constipation and that you haven't been back to see the surgeon since the original operation.

islandofsodor · 18/05/2010 13:51

YANBU. NHS direct is all very well, though I have never had decent advice from them to be honest. There should be an out of hours clinic that you can access in this sort of situation

hatingmyjob · 18/05/2010 14:06

YANBU to be annoyed but your GP practice should have other out of hours arrangements other than just NHS direct. They are obliged to give the NHS direct number on their answerphone as a choice but there should also be a number for a proper GP led service in your local area. NHS direct is not a substitute for a GP, it is an alternative to get advice.

ThreadKillerQueen · 18/05/2010 14:09

YANBU for being angry at the service and information you received, can you complain?

YABU for dismissing the whole service. I so wish we had the NHS service here.

RedRedWine1980 · 18/05/2010 14:09

For the person who said their 8 week old had a fall- what did you expect the GP to be able to do? The least that should happen is the baby should be admitted for a few hours to have neuro obs to make sure they havent sustained a head injury...

RedRedWine1980 · 18/05/2010 14:11

If you can contact your daughters consultant (who may possibly have performed her operation) and discuss the fact you dont seem to have had any follow up care/guidance. Thats shocking.

NestaFiesta · 18/05/2010 14:30

RedRedwine- it was me whose DS2 had a fall. I'm happy to tell you what I expected from my GP. When my DS1 had a fall I took him to a GP who saw him immediately, checked for vomiting, drowsiness etc and declared him fit and well. My 8 week old DS2 did not fall far and was not admitted for a few hours as the three A&E professionals who eventually saw him did not think this was remotely necessary. He was not sick or drowsy and was responsive, smiley and feeding well. My GP could have done those checks. My GP is 2 doors away and could have seen him quickly, A&E is 12 miles away and I don't drive.

Anyway, this thread is about out of hours GPs vs NHS Direct/A&E and in my opinion, we are fobbed off far too often with NHS Direct when we used to be able see or talk to a local GP out of hours. OP-YANBU!

Original poster

pud1 · 18/05/2010 14:31

i have questioned it with my gp and hv and they both saifd that there musnt be anything to worry about if they have not asked to see her they must be happy with her. am going to push it

OP posts:

Joolyjoolyjoo · 18/05/2010 14:35

Been thinking about this and you are NOT unreasonable to want to be able to access advice wrt your child's previous medical problems as and when the need arises.

If the only number your GP has on their OOH answering machine is for NHS 24, then there needs to be a way for you to talk to or access (within a reasonable timescale) someone who can give you pertinent advice ie a doctor, or specialist paeds nurse.

Sorry, pud, but the only medical knowledge I have refers to animals (am a vet ) but it has stood me in fairly good stead as regards my children's health!!!

I would go to your GP, outline your experience and ask what you should do in future- eg is there a way of contacting the hospital that did your dd's surgery. I'm shocked that you seem to have had no aftercare! Intussusception is a serious condition, and the surgery can have ramifications (well, in puppies, at any rate!!) so I would have thought they should have been a bit more attentive to her aftercare.

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