What exactly are GP's for?

[Bumblingbovine]

I know it is possible this will start a ruck but I am actually genuinely interested in your views.

I ask because I find getting an appointment at my GP a very difficult process.

DS has been complaining (intermittently - ie it happens on and off throughout the day and night) of stomach pains (so bad he curls up and cries) and nausea. The problem with this is that it is very intermittent so a lot of the time he is fine. Some days he has no problem then he will have 2-3 days where it happens again.

However he is

• losing sleep some nights because of it (which is having an effect on his behaviour)
• Eating less on the whole and as he is already underweight (in lowest 2% for BMI) I am a bit concerned about him.

This has been going on for about 3-4 weeks now. After having ds crying again last night and this morning I decided to get a GP appointment just to check him out.

The options I had was a routine appointment Since DS still seems OK for school and is fine 80% of the time at I thought I'd go for this but was told I would have to wait 10 days.

My other option is for ds to be seen as an urgent appointment but that means taking an appointment today in the middle of the day (which I have done)

However DS doesn't seem THAT ill. I would just like to talk to a professional for some reassurance really. 10 days is a long time to wait when I have already waited 3 weeks to see if it will pass yet I feel a bit of fraud asking for an urgent appointment.

If I thought DS was an urgent case I'd probably take him to A&E or if I went to the GP I'd expect DS to be very ill.

Yet weirdly if ds was being sick or had a temp I'd probably be less worried as I'd assume it was a virus and would watch and wait so probably wouldn't take him to the DR unless he seemed really ill

Is it really unreasonable to expect to be able to see a GP within 2-4 days for a routine appointment (which is what I hope this is)

DS has not been to the GP in nearly 2 years BTW for anyone who thinks I am being a bit PFB and he has been ill in that time with various bugs. There is just something about this that worries me.

Uhmm, your son has been crying in pain, on and off for 3-4 weeks. That to me qualifies for an urgent appointment.

I thought GPs had to offer you a routine appointment within a minimum time and 10 days does seem excessive but I'd worry about it after your son is sorted.

I hope he's ok.

I suppose if you put it that way it is an urgent appointment!. I am going to have to go now as the appointment is at 10.40am but DS is sitting watching the TV and seems fine now of course !

Will be back later

Bumbling, how did the appointment go? What did GP say, did they run any tests etc?

Can I ask, has your DS also been drinking more and/or going to the toilet more as well as eating less?

My surgery has always offered an appt for the same day when I have phoned in the morning. For a routine appt, eg to see a particular doctor you like, it is usually around 4 weeks!

They do emphasise that the same day appointments are not 'emergency' appointments, so if you have an acute illness you always get seen by someone. I once asked for an appt sometime that week, about a totally non urgent thing, and was given an appt for that afternoon.

I agree if he is unwell an urgent appointment is/was appropriate, how did you get on?

GPs (as I've understood it) are for prescribing and referrals. They are not for diagnosis.

Well I had a long day. Had to take ds to school after the apointment, then go to work and ended up working very late to make up the lost hrs. Luckily dh picks up on a Tues. Then I forgot to come back on here.

Anyway as I expected the Dr has no idea and sent me away with a "come back in 10 days to 2 weeks if it hasn't improvd or before if it gets worse" She did examine thoroughly though. I just wanted to get a visit in so that if in 10 days ds is still not better she will start some tests or something.

Mattelie - I haven't noticed ds going to the loo more (he is an iron bladder sort of child) or drinking more but I will keep an eye out for it,

I am hoping (as is the DR) that it is a bug and it will pass but we will see.

Sorry meant dh picks up on weds of course. I am so tired I am losing track of the days, Must got to bed. Thanks for the advice/support

Bumbling - how old is he? My DS had a bout of severe stomach pain when he was in Y3, and we had a terrible time with it. GP's were hopeless - he was given laxatives, then bunger uppers (can't remember the technical term), then we were told it was psychosomatic and that it was attention seeking. He was rolling about on the floor crying in pain with each attack - we'd have a day with it, then 2 or 3 without. We took him (on the advice of his teacher) to A&E who x rayed and found nothing. Eventually we went to an alternative health shop and she said that it was "stomach migraine" - we looked it up and it ticked all the boxes. He was given some tablets to take when the pain came on, can't remember the name I'm afraid, and within a few weeks it had settled down.

I asked GP about it at another separate visit, and she said "well, yes it could have been that". So bloody helpful - I'd never heard of it, but actually I'm told it's quite common. It maybe worth you looking into - good luck, it's miserable when you can't help them.

Migraines are sometimes experienced by children as stomach pains, according to stuff I've read.

Thanks Frostyfingers and werewolf will definitely look that up stomach migraines

Ds seesms to be about the same we had some more complaints about his stomach this morning and some last night before bedtime but it seemed to pass and he went off to school OK

Sorry Frosty - DS is in reception