Why is it Always an ordeal booking a doctors appointment even 4 baby?

[griff31]

My small 7month old been poorly last few days.
My toddler had same and she was really bad thankfully on mend now.

Hes got constant runny nose
hes hot but not burning up.
hes got a cough and seems to be blocked up.
Hes feeding but still breastfed but hes also vomiting.
hes had very runny poo

Im offering him water
hes off his solids
giving him calpol and neurofen every 4-6hours
trying to prop him up so can breathe better.
karvol on his sheets
but hes finding it hard to settlle

Rang doctors and did they show any concern/sympathy?
No getr the is he really ill?
we very busy does he have to see the doctor?

I have had similar things in past.
with them making me feel like neurotic mum.

Just wish they show more concern as a 3rd time mum not panicing but do get fed up fighting just to see a doctor.

Is this common amongst all gps?

Got me wondering if receptionist gives everyone hard time then the parent says ok then we wait and child gets worse maybe goes hospital will be receptionists fault!

To be fair if the GP saw every baby with a sniffle then there would be no appointments for others. I think they have to try to make sure that they only make appointments for those who need it. I do prefer it when that decision is made by a triage nurse rather than the receptionist though!

From what you have said unless he is keeping no liquid down (when he needs A and E not GP) then there isn't a lot that a GP can do for a cold really!

I always get a same day appointment for my DC, no questions asked. I think some surgeries probably insist their receptionist says something along the lines of "is it urgent", mine just accepts that I wouldn't be ringing if it wasn't, I guess. I hope your LO gets better soon.

to be fair, I suspect there is little they can do for him. it does sound just like a bad cough/cold virus thingy.
and they're probably inundated with people coming in with the same thing that they just can't do anything for.

that said, I do agree that worried mums, esp of babies ought to be given priority and a little more sympathy and some time to put their mind at rest.
would they let you speak to the GP on the phone?

Our GPs always offer same day appts for children. Who is asking you all these questions - is it the receptionist? Surely they shouldn't do that, what about patient confidentiality, and they are not medically qualified are they? When I ring, I just ask for an appt and I don't get into a discussion about what's wrong. One receptionist did ask me what it was for once, but I said I'd rather discuss that with the doctor thanks

Mine are brill. Lovely receptionists. Have never had a prob getting dcs seen same morning or same afternoon. And they have ring back on the phone line so no hanging on waiting for a pick up.

I don't understand how surgeries operate like this. Ours if I phoned up for a baby would slot them in anyway. Straight away if necessary. If I phone up for the children they will always see same day, and if I said with an adult it was necessary they would. We don't end up waiting silly lengths of time(30 minutes is unusual), the doctors aren't stressed, and they finish roughly on time at the end of the day.

Heck, I've had a couple of times when I've phoned up 10 minutes before they shut on Friday... they've always seen me. I've had a couple of times when the doctor has not been able to diagnose exactly, so has asked me to come back later in the day, and in one case called to check ds at home on their way home. I've also phoned up asking to see immediately for a nasty head cut... and they have. I can phone up and ask them to ask a doctor to phone me, and they will at short notice.

My dsis who is a GP says she never minds seeing babies/toddlers because they're either quick or really need to be seen. She'd rather see a baby than leave parents worrying all night.

maybe depends where you are DeWe and how busy the surgery is?

Indeed thisisyesterday. Our surgery do their best but with such big numbers of people wanting to be seen (and to often when not really needed) it isnt always possible to get an appointment straight away. Unless receptionists can add more hours into the day I really don't see what they are supposed to do.

It is all well and good saying people should be slotted in but slotted in where exactly? How do you do that without people having to wait even longer?

I genuinely wonder why we get it so easy at ours. Our surgery is full, doctors are never sitting around doing nothing, but up the road from us is a similar sized surgery with space on the books and I know several people who have needed an appointment with a young child who have been told that they can't be seen within 10 days, go to A & E. One person I know had a baby who had recently been hospitalised with pneumonia and they were told the best they could do was 3 days away. How do two similar surgeries get so different attitudes/waiting times?

I was once in the dentist waiting room and someone came in asking for an emergency appointment (looking very swollen) and the receptionist told them there were no spaces and go away. When in the dentist, the dentist commented he'd got a lazy day because there was no one in the hour after me, which he didn't particularly want. Face was a bit when I told him what had just happened but it was too late. In that case it was the receptionist causing the problem, I'd guess.

It depends on the surgery, I didn't go to the doctors for years as could never get an appointment. You had to call first thing but all appointments were gone for next 48 hours. The following day the same thing ad infinitum until you got better, died, or changed your method of birth control me

I changed surgeries when I moved and the new place had a drop in clinic every morning, and a gp call back service in the afternoon if you had questions. I was in awe.