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Original poster

why dont docs do home visits anymore,

48 replies

misdee · 06/04/2006 19:06

Angry

dd1 is really ill, but i am quite welcome to bring her down to the clinic, never mind the fact i haver 2 other kids to look after and one is already settling for the night. why wont the docs come out anymore?

OP posts:
starshaker · 06/04/2006 19:09

i waited till after hours and called nhs 24 said i didnt have transport and they came straight out

starlover · 06/04/2006 19:10

they will... but you have to be VERY persistent.

I can kind of understand it that it's easier for everyone if people can get to the clinic... it means mroe patients can be seen.

but if you really can't get down there they ought to come out to you

BingoStingo · 06/04/2006 19:10

id say its
£££££££££

compo · 06/04/2006 19:11

I thought Starlover and Starshaker were the same person Blush

mythumbelinas · 06/04/2006 19:15

yep, when i've called nhs 24hr doctor has come out to me

NatalieJane · 06/04/2006 19:16

One night about 2 and a half years ago, DS (then 18 months) came up in a red blotchy rash, it was really hurting him to the point where he would walk up to me to give him a cuddle and as soon as I touched him he would scream in pain and run away again. It was the middle of the night, DH and I had had a bottle (or 2!!) of wine in the evening, so couldn't drive, rang the out of hours and all we got from them was we shouldn't have had a drink, and we should be able to get him to the surgery (which was in the next town - further than a taxi ride) We ended up having to ring for an ambulance...

noddyholder · 06/04/2006 19:19

what is wrong with her misdee?If it is serious they have to come out

DumbledoresGirl · 06/04/2006 19:24

A doctor has been out to see our children on at least 3 or 4 occasions, usually in the middle of the night, but once one came during the day when ds1 couldn't move without being sick.

I think you have to keep asking or really lay down the facts about how hard it would be for you to get to the clinic.

PrincessPeaHead · 06/04/2006 19:34

because they are there to look after everyone, not just you (sorry, but tis true)

stitch · 06/04/2006 19:36

docs will come out if it is necessarry. and two other kids sleep being disturbed doesnt mean its necessary. in the grand scheme of things that is.
can youget a neighbour in to sit with them?
hope she gets better soon.

waterfalls · 06/04/2006 19:38

PrincessPeaHead
That was harsh, home visits are there because they are sometimes needed.

Misdee, if you explain your situation, you will get a home visit, but you are not likely to be prioritySmile they have to get the backlog from the waiting down first.

waterfalls · 06/04/2006 19:39

Waiting room.............I meant

SparklyGothKat · 06/04/2006 20:02

well her dd1 has gone to A&E, I have her dd2 and dd3 here.

DumbledoresGirl · 06/04/2006 20:05

Gosh, Sparkly, what is the matter with her? I do hope she is better soon. Sad

waterfalls · 06/04/2006 20:05

Hope she is ok, what seems the matter?

SparklyGothKat · 06/04/2006 20:06

she can't breathe properably and her temperture isn't coming down. The amberlance (sp??) man said to me that because her temp. isn't coming down it is causing probelms.

Caligula · 06/04/2006 20:10

Sounds ill enough to have had a doctor come out, quite frankly.

SparklyGothKat · 06/04/2006 20:11

they don't come out here, but if my son's doctor is working, he will come out for DS because he knows about DS's disabilities.

Caligula · 06/04/2006 20:12

they don't come out at all? Did they consult with patients before they made that rule? Did they eck as like...

waterfalls · 06/04/2006 20:13

My doctors surgery has a gp assigned to home visits only everyday.

SparklyGothKat · 06/04/2006 20:15

they will come out if you kick up enough fuss, when DH was working nights, DS was very ill, but because he has Cerebral palsy and I couldn't get him to the out of hours clinic the doctor came out. It depends on which doctor is working and if they know your family.

Spacecadet · 06/04/2006 20:16

i had pnuemonia on new years day and the on call doc would not come out, i had to phone back repeatedly and i was contantly told that i had to drive 20 miles to the out of hours clininc!
eventually one came out and he was useless, said i had a virys, ended getting my own gp out on jan 3rd by which time i was desperately illAngry
their criteria for home visits out of hours are.
medically bed bound.
elderly.
elderly in a care home.

BingoStingo · 06/04/2006 20:17

my uncle Gp once told me that chest pains were a good one

SparklyGothKat · 06/04/2006 20:20

I had to call the out of hours doctor with dd1 when she was 4 months old, she was really raspy, the GP said it was asthma and gave me steriods to give her, 3 days later she was worse, so took her to A&E and she had bronolitis, the steriods had made it worse, and she was in a o2 tent for a week.

Bugsy2 · 06/04/2006 20:26

My sis is a GP and at all the practices she has worked in, she has had to do home visits. Most doctors hate doing them & very often there is little they can do when they arrive on the scene, more often than not if it is something serious, you'll end up going to A&E.
When a doctor is on call, they are driving around places they don't know well, they get lost, they get harrassed in large estates. My sister has had the tyres on her car kniffed twice. They often get clamped because they are trying to park in a hurry to get to someone - yes the practice picks up the cost but it takes ages to get the clampers to free the car. Sometimes they have to go to dodgy domestic situations or potentially threatening environments.
So, those are some of the reasons why you have to really need a doctor to come & see you. Not to mention the funding issues. Most practices have limited resources and an on call doctor obviously sees a much lower ratio of patients than one working in the practice building itself. The Govt has set targets for the number of patients to be seen & so it goes on .....
Generally speaking doctors are not heartless b*stards, but the system is not very forgiving.