can you change community paed if not happy?

[JoMaman]

hello,
I was wondering if anyone knows how to go about changing doctors once you have been assigned a community paed? Ds1 has been seeing one since October and she's awful. I've just written a 2 page complaint letter about her and now I don't have the energy to rant any further about it... Has anyone successfully changed? My ideal would be to change to a hospital based paed, or failing that, another one in the same team. I'm just not sure who I ask to get moved (my GP who did the original referral? The keyworker? someone else?).
thanks in advance x

My comm paed's a waste of time too,so I will be interested in replies you get!!

I think you can get your GP to refer you to somebody different. They may not be keen to because of professional courtesy but your child's welfare is way more important so stick to your guns.

hi troublewithtalk, thanks for your post - we've got BIBIC in a month's time. I'm looking forward to getting their advice as I've heard good things on here about them, but as far as I know there is no link in to NHS services, so even if they say an MRI would be a good idea (as has a private paed that we saw as a one off), unless my community paed will agree to refer, it seems like it will not help us get one on the NHS...

We've got our local authority ASD panel on Friday, and I think based on what they say, the next step is either going to be a) take the plunge and sort out an ABA programme (if ASD dx) or b) consider ICAN or somehow getting a private MRI (if he doesn't get a ASD dx). I'm sort of expecting the outcome to be "he might be, he might not", which is what all the professionals seem to have said so far, so I think I will be shocked if there is a definitive yes or no. Ds1 is 28 months. Dreading it.

thanks Al1son, I think I will ask my GP for advice on it as I get on OK with her. I fear there is no way out of the community paed system as it is linked up with all the physio, OT, SALT etc from what I can tell.

It varies from area to area but you may find that your ASD panel automatically gives you access to a developmental paed.
I love DS2's Community paed she is wonderful BUT whilst undergoing assessment for ASD he had a different developmental paed attached to the local CDC, he also has had hospital paeds etc for medical & other stuff but we keep the community paed because she overseas his overall care iykwim.
So it amy be that you end up getting access to another paed anyway.
If not go back to your GP and ask for referal to someone else.

Check out childrens services at your local hospital & see who is available.

thanks anon, hopefully the ASD panel will refer us on. If only our community paed was like yours, ours thinks parts of his care aren't her problem and fails to let me know what areas she can actually refer us to, and when she does refer she gets the forms wrong, leading to an additional 2 month delay [grits teeth]...

Poor you, I have learnt over the years to walk away from any professionals not giving good support, it is just frustrating & a waste of everyones time.
Good luck with finding someone more helpful.. What area are you in? Maybe someone can recommend a good paed?

thanks - i'm SW London and i've had a few recommendations but don't understand how to actually make the change!

I thought like you that it was impossible to change due to other linked services e.g. physio/OT. Hope you do manage to find another paed as I imagine it is just adding to the stress having to make a complaint. I've been told before that some comm paeds don't have enought specialist knowledge to be of much use.

We refused another appointment with our comm paed because she was wrongly very blunt in dxing my DD with CP (and another little girl whose Mum I met subsequently!). The dx was then overturned the following week by DD's hospital paed whose opinion I trust far more - so we had the most awful week ever thanks to her grrrr!

We changed DS's special school paediatrician because we couldn't get on with her. It was easy - we just requested our original CDC one back again and she agreed. She has known DS since he was a week old and it is good to have her overseeing his care - albeit very infrequently - 14 years on.

I managed to change from DS's hopeless community paed to one from another county, after a disastrous meeting where he treated me very badly.

I went to my GP and asked for DS to be referred to DD's paed. I told her I would never, ever, under any circumstances be in the same room as that awful man ever again and neither would my son. I also made this clear to all DS's other therapists. GP was obviously not happy, but I stood my ground and got an appointment in two months.

I changed mine where we used to live he kept telling me wait and see so I wrote in and demanded another paed there when I next went so saw both orginal one said let's wait another 3 months other one over ruled him and said no was CDC consultant

We have moved now and just seen new paed be intresting see what she offers us

What is it with these community paeds? I had an awful appointment with one re dd4's statementing for school. It was so bad I cut it short but now we have to go back and see her this week . Our only hope that the hospital paed will agree to write re her medical condition. If not at least I'll be better prepared for it!!

thanks - encouraging to know that it is possible! I will see what happens after the autism panel on Fri and let you know!

good luck with it and truth once you got all the referals you tend not to really need a Community paeds involvement. I currently mange all the other professionals involved with Ds lot easier that way