Can anyone explain to me why on 4 occasions now I have had to pay privately to get the healthcare treatment I feel a BABY deserves

[CrushWithEyeliner]

when my GP is utterly perplexed at what to do for DD yet says he is unable to refer us as it is not "urgent" enough.

These conditions have included impetigo infected excema all over body non responding to AB and chronic diorreah for 2 weeks (currently) in a 16m old.

I feel the NHS/ GP system will only act when a child is dying.

When I see a private consultant they are intelligent, engaging informative; tell me to call them night or day if I am concerned, provide all sorts of testing, they listen to my concerns.

DH pays over 3K in tax every month. Why can't I have this service without paying so much extra? I am specifically talking about children here - there is NO priority given in this to ill children. In Italy/ Germany and other European countries I know you are assigned a Peadiatrician at birth. What is going on?

Sounds like you need to change GP

sounds like your gp is the problem here, i've gotta say i wouldn't go back to a gp who doesn't see any urgancy in infected eczema

change gp's and see if that makes a differance

If you feel your doctor isn't listening to you and giving you the care you want, can you change to another surgery or doctor??

You are fortunate to have access and the means to afford private care...

change GP. ours keeps appointments back for children so you can always get seen that day, is insistent that if your maternal instinct is tingling that they WANT to see you, and very good if you need anything. your GP sounds like an arsehole, tbh.

your GP is shit. change him. Also, for your next GP, get a letter from your private consultant stating the importancr of an urgent referral.

DH writes arsey letters to GPs all the time

I thought so.

shit that it what my friends said to me. how do I change?

Change your GP! Our surgery is lovely about babies and small children. I have phoned up before now and told them that I know that all the appointments will be gone, and asked them if they suggested the walk-in NHS centre. Both times, DD has been treated by the surgery, once when she was vomiting she had an emergency appointment, even for a nasty nappy rash (i.e. a pretty minor problem), the on-call doctor phoned me and left a presciption for me to pick up at the front desk.

I know I am fortunate NP very fortunate to be able to have some savings to dip into but believe me they won't be there for long if this carries on.

Funny that; when I see my NHS GP, she is intelligent, engaging and informative, and listens to my concerns. You need to change GP. Your resentment about paying tax for public services is a separate matter.

I would ask around with other Mums in the area to get a recommendation.

I know the tax thing is unrelated but it's more of a rant . I am v worried and for DD

We have had to go private for everything for our children. Maybe DH should pay less tax this year.

gp should be referring you to paediatric consultant-dermatology at the very least and with some urgency.
arse get a 2nd opinion is there another gp at the surgery who could see you? I have done this for myself before and got better treatment, so worth doing.

Yes, change. I had a GP like that and I changed surgeries. Now I can always get the dcs seen the same day and always get the referrals we need.

I'm with Zazette here. I think your attitude (and vulgar mention of the actual amount) towards tax is a completely seperate issue.

I have moved a bit and seen many different GPs over the last 10 years, not always the one the children are registered with and I find that they have all been polite, helpful and willing to listen to my concerns.

Perhaps, due to your feeling that as you pay more tax than others you deserve a better service, you are coming accross as a little combative or demanding?

please do not call me vulgar M if you knew me you would know I am far from. I already said that was unrelated and a bit silly. I am just concerned for my DD. I made no mention of paying more tax than "others" so just back off.

The problem is there are 2 GPs there who are equally laid back so it would have to be another surgery I think. How do I go about changing surgeries? Would I qualify for one further away?

our gp's have been lovely mostly. have had a few battles with a couple but generally on the whole they are fine.

how far away is the other surgery? i live close enough to 4.

I agree if you are unhappy with your gp, look for another. I do feel for health providers who have to decide who is most worthy of the limited resources. I am sure that private doctors will be very nice because they are tendering for your business.

I have checked and there is another not too far.

I don't really care if they are not super lovely but I just expect them to deal with an ill child with a sense of urgency and listen to me.

I just phoned another surgery and said can I join. They said have you moved and I said no, I don't get on with the GP at the surgery at the other end of the street. (It is a long street).
As long as there is space it should be fine.

My GP is all the things you describe your specialist to be but the other one was the complete opposite. There will be doctors that you cannot work with the same as everything else.

don't just change GPs - make sure you complain to the one you're leaving as well.

As you said - you'll need to change surgery. with the new GP contract you're registered with the practice- not with a specific GP, so you can't just "change GPs"

Changing is easy - go to new surgery - tell them you want to register with them, fill out some forms - done.

What everyone else said! I'm not overkeen on my GP generally but I can't fault them when it comes to dealing with DS, always priority given to babies. The out of hours doctors in a clinic at the hospital brilliant as well.

I did not call you vulgar, I said it was vulgar to mention the actual amount. I was typing very slowly and didn't see your statement that it was silly to have mentioned it.

I know you are having a tough time with you ill LO, but on the other thread you actually said you had ignored your GPs advice about witholding milk - this is a very basic and common thing to have to do after a bout of upset tum.

Even in adults a serious bout of D(&V) can cause a short term lactose intolerance and as your LO is already on goat milk it shows there there is existing sensitivity.

Perhaps you should make an appointment on your own and tell GP of your concernes, after all you know your LO the best and you feel that you are not being taken seriously. Try and build a rapport with one of the group GPs there. I'm afraid there are very strict rules about attending a GP surgery from outside your own area.

In your original post you mention DD not responinding to AB for infected eczema, fwiw my DS had infected eczema all over, bleeding and weeping etc. At no point were we given oral ABs just topical creams and applications - they worked fine also I was neither given nor requested a referral to a skin/allergies specialist so I don't think your GP is witholding treatment or being particularly useless. I was told to moisturise up to 7 times a day - more if I had time - stop using fabric softener, keep on with the goats milk/cheese, change some other items we used (soaps etc) and it worked - it was had boody work but he is now 3.7 and has perfect skin and I only moisturise once a day. Going to a specialist is not always the answer.

I didn't/don't mean to sound harsh but perhaps both GP and you could both do with polishing up your 'bedside manner'.

I am not going to bother with explaining to you the ins and outs of my DD conditions M. You don't have a clue about my DDs infected excema or the conflicting advice I was given, the fact that I have seen no improvement from following this advice or her history. You have got all shirty with the fact that I mentioned tax and you are talking nonsence tbh.

Thank you everyone else for your helpful advice. I will do my best to get past this massive obstacle of a GP who doesn't listen to my very real concerns, or tell me to do things when he hasn't even seen DD. In the mean time I have some faith in the consultant we are seeing pritvately, but I know there are no magic answers.