Absolutely livid with on-call doctor, won't come out to see dd1

[Chiccadum]

I am absolutely livid with the on-call doctor. Dd1 has a temperature of 39.4 and is quite drowsy and has just been sick, I also have an 11 month old who is very very bad with teething. I phoned for a doctor to come out and one rang me back, all he said was 'well get her dressed and bring her in', I explained she was being sick (if she's sick in a taxi I have to pay £40.00), it's saturday night and I Can't get one for a couple of hours at least and I've got a baby who is ready for bed now and throwing tantrums because she's tired. His reply, 'well really i don't see your problem you have a couple of hours to get them ready then haven't you'.

Why the hell do we phone up to get a doctor out to see our children if they won't come out (this doctor is not from our own doctors surgery). I am absolutely livid and ended up hanging up on him and telling him I'll take dd1 to casualty instead if she gets worse.

After a horribly restless night they are still not well. I've got a sneaky feeling it's going to be a long couple of days, (I had no sleep, spent all night sitting in a chair reading and drinking strong coffee). DD1's temperature is already rising.

I understand what you say susanmt, but what annoys me is that drunks and druggies seem to get preference over sick children time and time again, why should children suffer because they can't control themselves. I've seen this first hand whilst been in casualty.

Royal London in Whitechapel also has a Peads A&E staffed by wonderful doctors who seem to comprehend just how frightening it is to have a sick baby. Because it's just kids, you get seen really quickly, even if the main A&E is heaving.

Sorry to hear they're still not very well Chicca - have you got an NHS Direct Drop In Centre near you? I've found them very good in the past when I couldn't get passed the GP's receptionist (and don't get me started on receptionists... ds has a serious chest infection and apparently that doesn't count as "urgent" despite their stated policy of always seeing children the same day... sheesh)

There is a NHS direct drop in centre but it is about 15 miles away and we don't drive, it's a two bus trip to get there and I don't know the opening times.

They are both really grissly, and their temperatures are not over 39 anymore but at the minute are wavering between 38.1 and 38.4. Dd1 has a pair of knicks on and dd2 has a nappy on and they are both red hot to touch.

As for complaining about the doctor last night, i wouldn't even know where to start.

( Chicca. You could try the out of hours doctor again - chances are it wouldn't be the same one would it - you might have better luck?

Thinking of you, and hoping they get well soon and that you manage to get some rest.

Argh that was meant to be a sad face! I must stop trying to use noses on this board!

Sorry to hear that they are not much better & that you had such a rotten night. I do think it is awful that doctors often refuse to call out especially with young children - We don't drive either & when DS is very bad it is really difficult to get a doctor out but if you really think they should be seen - keep ringing & pestering - they may need antibiotics.

susanmt I completely agree with you that the problem is mostly with the system and not the doctors. Every gp I've come across is totally overworked. And I feel bad for the good ones that have their reputations ruined by the bad ones (there are bad eggs in every profession). However, when I did complain to my gp's (spoke with the practice manager), I found myself having to look for a new gp at a very inconvenient time (I was 6 mo. pregnant, ds was scheduled for an eye operation and dh had dysentary (sp?)). They made up some bogus excuse for kicking us off the roster, and I had too much going on to take the complaint any further. And to make matters worse in our postcode there is a shortage of gp's and we were told that unless we could convince someone to take us on, we would have to be temporarily assigned for 3 mo. to someone and then be reassigned again (and again) until a proper place opened up. I did manage to find a place, but after a few visits to the gp I found out why. Luckily I managed to register with a new gp's with our new address and they are wonderful (all women I might add).

Chiccadum, have you tried giving your children both nurofen and calpol. I find with my ds, that neither one on its own will bring down his temp, but both together works a dream. Also, make sure they are drinking plenty of water or juice. Good luck.

TOOK her to the emergency doctors as she was going downhill again, she has an infection of the windpipe and vocal chords, apparantley it is contagious (which explains why dd2 has been grizzly and coughing), has high temperatures and cannot be treated by antibiotics, but, he has given her some antiobiotics as she sounds wheezy. I am nattered at the minute as she keeps falling asleep and sounds very very chesty plus her temperature is now 40.0.

I thought I heared somewhere once that once it gets above a certain temp they could start fitting, does anyone know anything about this.

They don't always throw a fit with a high temp, some do and some dont. About 1 in 100 people in the UK will have that sort of fit. With luck you dd will not be one of them. I echo what has been said about giving neurofen and calpol. It can very good at bringing down the temp. Give them at the usual dose and time interval but try to give the second medicind between the two doses of the first IYSWIM. I hope that you all have a better night tonight.

Chiccadum - I wouldn't be at all happy if my dd had a temp of 40. If it's still that high ring NHS direct and ask their advice, or harass the doctor again.....was it that high when she was seen a little while ago?
I assume you've done the Calpol/Nurofen thing - how about tepid bathing? Just flanneling them all over with tepid water, then leaving them to air dry - anything may help. Really thinking of you this evening - keep us posted.

Temeprature depends on the child. If DS1 gets ill he always runs a high temp (over 40 occasionally over 41). It's not brought down by calpol but he's never fitted. We've tried tepid sponging but that just made him shivery and his temp went up even more. It seems normal for him though. I would be much more concerned if ds2's went over 40 as it never has before (don't think it's been over 39). Try nurofen- it can be better. Just trying to say don't panic too much about the high temp- it may just be normal for your child. Obviously if you're concerned though go to A and E.

I've on to the NHS direct and they said just keep an eye on her to make sure she doesn't get dehydrated because as well as not eating she now has the runs. She is sleeping alot so I'm taking that as a good sign. Her temp has now gone down to 40. When I went to see the emergency doc earlier he didn't take her temperature, just looked down her throat and felt her neck.

Hopefully tonight won't be as bad as DH is home, he is looking after dd1 downstairs and I'm looking after dd2 upstairs.

I don't know whether any of you ladies know, but, if your child has asthma or a history of asthma they shouldn't take nurofen, I found this out from NHS this morning after giving her some, luckily there have been no adverse affect.

Thanks for all you advice and support, I'll keep you posted.

You are quite right, neurofen should be avoided by anyone with a history of asthma. Any Ibprofen or aspirin prep should be avoided. Good catch. Hope your DD gets better asap.

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Like Jimjams, my ds quite often gets a high temperature (ie around 40/41) and I have been told on several occasions to take calpol and nurofen together to bring it down. I find that nurofen is much better for ds than calpol, which doesn't seem to have much effect on him. I know how worrying it can be when they have high temperatures, especially when it is in the middle of the night. Apparently around 6pm is one of the times when temperates tend to be at their highest so I have been told.

Thanks hmb, I didn't know that, what amazes me is that her own doctor has prescribed it for her as well as prescribing an inhaler. Honestly, I don't know what to do for the best sometimes.

SofiaAmes, you have made me think twice about reporting the rude, ignorant incompentent doctor. Although I think I should I know that nothing will be done as they all stick together, I also don't want to be struck off as I have found a doctor I like and trust and after 2 previous trys (2nd one prescribed nurofen and inhaler for asthma and didn't twig) have found a fantastic one for the girls.

Basically I am in a catch 22 situation

FWIW I am asthmatic and have always taken nurofen without any problems.

I am not a doctor, and a strongly advise you consulting with your own doctor first but as I understand it if you are asthmatic and take nurofen once without any problems then you will be okay with ibuprofen. HOWEVER, aspirin doesn't work in the same way and you can suddenly be seriously allergic to it at any time if you are asthmatic, even if you've been taking it for years with no problems.

But remember not to give aspirin to the under 16's! Complicated isn't it. I've never used nurofen despite ds1's high temps as he has autoimmune everything and I haven't wanted to risk it. I use homeopathy!!! Seriously, and a couple of time's it's worked really well.

Early evening is the time for a temp peak- from 6ish up to midnight/2amish then it starts to come down again- or should do. Whe I have a temp I always feel really grotty in the evening.

To be fair to the doctor, ashma is not an absolute contra-indication to the use of Ibuprofen, but it is listed as a precaution agains use. It can cause brochospasm in 'sensitive' patients

Not a lot to add, just my son with asthma takes the Nurofen/paracetamol combo without problems. It helps him immensely and when he's sick is the only thing to keep his temperature down. I give it to him without hesitation. (They've kept the same regime up in the hospital the one time he was hospitalized for scarlet fever.) Just watch it. Seriously, just watch and if he's starting to have a bit more asthma, react from there. It's an unusual reaction.

hmb, did your child have a reaction to one of those medicines? I'm wondering what to look for, just in case. There is no way I'm going to stop using them -- my son gets such seriously high fevers, I think it's necessary to use them. Plus, I think the relative risk is just not that high.

JJ, just out of curiosity what fevers does your ds get, the highest dd1 has got to in the last 24 hours is 40.6

chiccadum- it's just occurred to me- where are you taking the temp? If you're taking it in the ear it comes up as a bit higher than say mouth (I think) or armpit (definitely) anyway. In Japan they always take the temp in the armpit- I'd be feeling really grotty but my temp would come up as being quite low.

This is not a fever thing like Chiccadum's but it shows that it's not just locum services who let you down.

When my DD1 was 4 he got an awful crack on the head (tripped up running around DH's office and fell into a desk) which left him with a split forehead - the cut was over an inch long. We took him to the treatment room at the local HC, which normally gives excellent service, but despite his age he was made to wait over an hour until the duty GP (female) had time to see him. The receptionists were apologetic about this.

This was on a Friday. He seemed OK when he was eventually stitched up and went to Grandma's on the Saturday to spend the night.

When he came home on the Sunday evening his forehead was like Herman Munster's. (Grandma is a bit vague about details like that and apparently he had also bumped his head a bit on Saturday night.) I immediately rang the HC number, which at that time automatically transferred you to the GP on call. Guess who? The woman who had kept him waiting an hour. She told us to bring him to the Treatment Room in an hour's time - she happened to live literally across the road from us, but when I said "but you are just across the road, why can't you come here?" she threw a hysterical hissy fit and wanted to know how we knew where she lived. ("Because you live across the road" wasn't a reasonable answer, apparently.)

We happen to be on friendly terms with our GP because we have kids of a similar age who went to school together, so we went to see him at home and he referred us to the "local" hospital (15 miles away) where DS was put on an antibiotic drip because the stitched cut was infected...possibly because of being left open, in the HC, while we waited an hour for her, who knows. He was in hospital for several days and missed the first couple of days at school.

Anyway I didn't like her then and don't like her now and avoid her whenever possible. I wanted to make an official complaint about her behaviour on both counts but our GP told me that he would be held responsible for what was done by his "locum" and I didn't want him to get into trouble so I let it go. (susanmt, is this still true???)

(I did see her once subsequently - at well-woman clinic - mentioned that I was considering having a 4th child and was bollocked for even thinking about it after 3 caesarians. Apparently she was having trouble conceiving. Not a good GP by most standards I think.)

Have just queried details with DH...he can't remember exactly what happened after the hissy-fit phone call - he thinks she did cross the road and see DS here and refer him to local hosp. Mind you it was over 10 years ago!