absolutly disgusted..please, please help

[Evesmama]

short version:

dd full of spots, been bad since weekend, not eating/drinking, constantly crying.
rang doc to take her in.
dd fell asleep on my knee only hour after getting up.
already couple inches of snow outside and blizzards start up again.
rang doc to politley ask for doc to come out, explained situation.
was told no1, docs arnt doing call out today because of snow and dont come out for babies anyway???eh?
asked if they expected me to come out and walk 45 mins in thick snow and still falling with 22 month old in pram with temperature, constantly crying and covered in spots...her blunt reply..yes!, the doc would have to do the same!!!!
after much tooing anf froing, managed to get hold of dp at work, got him to come home and rang back to say i was coming in.
they said theyd send me straight through.
3 people later, i went up to ask why we were still there?, she said, shes speak to the other receptionist.
finally got in.
doc said it was a viral infection and wasnt chicken pox as they have fiud filled heads on...what like the ones on her hands?????oh yes, well it could be chicken pox?/but dont know! just keep temp down and come back if im worried???WTF, im here now!
she gave me a prescription for calpol to keep temp down.
asked her if i was okay to give calpol with medised as this was controlling the itching and helping her sleep..she said "yes medised is totally fine to give 'with' calpol".
went to chemist and quiried again and was told...NO!!, medised and calpol both contain paracetamol and i would overdose her and make her very ill if i gave both together!!!!!!!!

where to i go!!!
am very very angry

Can't really say anything to help, can I? But that sounds like outrageous treatment. Did you tell the doc about the hassle you'd had getting to them? have you asked why they don't come out to babies? i think you should write a letter setting out your situation this morning - a calm one - and see what response you get.

Contact these people? General Medical Council .

but there is nothing they can give for chicken pox...

poor you
the GPs at our surgery don't come out either.

I would right a letter to the surgery outlining your concerns - particularly the issue of paracetamol which obviously is really dangerous. If you're not happy with the response you could speak to the health authority. Or would it be the BMC?

Bloody hell. You have every right to be furious. make an official complaint asap.

Its the paracetamol thing that is so bad.

Sounds awful - but just thought I'd comment on the '3 people later' bit - perhaps they got there before you, also wanting to see the dr ASAP???

Agreed.

agreeing with jangly

i think you would need to make a complaint to the surgery directly (ring for the name of the practice manager) and copy in the Primary Care Trust they belong to (they should be able to give you details). thank god for pharmacists...

They don't come out for babies? Since when?

Are you supposed to go to A & E instead with a baby? Or call an ambulance? What did they say was an alternative?

Definitely complain to GMC.

Enid, I think it's mainly the paracetamol thing that is the problem, not whether there's any treatment for c'pox. The GP is giving out dangerous information which could have easily led to an overdose if evesmama had not been vigilant in re-checking with the pharmacist.

for you, evesmama. What lab do they grow doctor's receptionists in? Definitely write to practice manager and health authority.

my mother is a dr's receptionist, and i assure you they are not all like that, even though it does seem to be quite a common experience.

I am shocked yet again by your appalling health system. As I mentioned before, my bf's mother died of misdiagnosed cancer just before Christmas (on NHS). In Switzerland, we pay through the nose for private health care but IMO with the 2 little ones, it's well worth it. I realise that private health care is out of the question for most people in the UK but shouldn't something be done about that? Sliding scale fees? It makes me so angry that there is such incompetence in medical heatlh!

evesmama, I think you really do need to take the matter about being advised to use Medised with Calpol further. That's very serious. Hope she is feeling better soon.

Sorry bundle, I was just being flippant - actually a very good friend of mine is one too! - but there are some power-crazed nightmares out there.

I would write to the GP and ask for a full explanation of the total sorry affair .. ask them to explain their policy .. tell them you will be talking to the GMC

I think that's appalling treatment

and for CP they can prescribe an anti-histamine and calamine so you don't have to pay for them

s'aright snafu (there are some nightmare patients out there too...)

sansouci, I do not think we have an appalling health care system, and the success stories, of which there are many, do not for obvious reasons get the press which the bad ones do, iykwim.

and sansouci, we pay for our NHS too.

also to add, when i went through to 'call outs', the woman asked why i coulnt put dd in a normal taxi just this once!!! and said she didnt know when doc would call..anytim between then and 6pm tonight!!!

yes, very naughty about medised and calpol.

Did you know you can buy calamine cream now rather than lotion - very very good for soothing itching, also porridge oats in the bath, you can give piriton if she's over 2, sympathies, cp is vile.

enid, another vote here for calamine cream.

relented(was gonna calm down first) ive rang practice manager and told her the lot..although very polite and got the facts..no apology, questioned wether i had asked clearly and said no its not calpol, its neorofen..to which i said no, then she found that, she was looking at some old notes!!!!!what the hell is going on!!! dp thinks i should take it further????

I didn't mean to offend, bundle! I have lived in England, after all. I admit I shouldn't make sweeping statements but there are an incredible number of horror stories re the NHS, even here on MN. Of course there are hard-working, excellent professionals out there but even my own MIL has been waiting several months for a coloscopy, etc because she has been having rectal bleeding (not haemeroids, apparently).