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AIBU?

To take son to A&E as bloody 111 so inefficient!!

21 replies

DaisyFlower123 · 20/04/2013 19:06

My son has had a really nasty bark like cough since last night. This morning woke up with temperature, calpol seemed to help but it has gotten worse all day. Through-out the day his temp has keeps peaking out over 40, i've managed to keep it down but he has gotten worse and worse, to the point where whole body is boiling and keeping bathing him to keep it down, he is lathargic but still talking, etc. At 1pm I rang 111, was called back over an hour later by a nurse, who I told the same thing over again for another 20 mins. 2 hours later another GP phoned me, said he didn't feel he needed to see him at the point but if temp went over 40 again phone back and I'd be able to get an OOH appointment straight away. I wasn't overly happy with this and half hour later this happened, his temp shot up and I couldn't bring it down. I phoned 111 straight away again, was told told OOH would call be straight back with appointment. 2 hours later nothing so I phoned 111 again, apparently there is no case for my son so had to start all over again, to which she then wanted to send out an ambulance! I am bloody fuming, I know my son well enough to not think he needs A&E but he is poorly enough to need a Dr. I do not want to clog up A&E with cases with can be dealt with by a GP but if my son gets any worse that is where I will go as i have now been told I may have to wait up to 6 hours for a call back.

This is the second time I have rang 111, and both times have been disasterous. I am shocked at the inefficiency of this service! AIBU to be annoyed!?!

OP posts:

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lljkk · 20/04/2013 19:08

What would the doctor do, diagnose something to do with antibiotics? Saturday night A&E (shudder). If you go, I would go soon.

No walk in centre near you?

YoniOrNotYoni · 20/04/2013 19:09

Whereabouts are you? Some hospitals have a gp as well as a&e so they'll send you there.

How old is ds? If my 20mo was so ill & I couldn't get ooh I'd take him in.

lljkk · 20/04/2013 19:15

You'd probably wait 2 hours for an ambulance too (in our county you would). So get driving I would, if still worried.

DeadWomanWalking · 20/04/2013 19:15

Do you have a Walk in Centre that's open late? We have a couple in our city, if not, take him to A&E.

LittleRedDinosaur · 20/04/2013 19:18

I'm a GP & I don't think it would be unreasonable to take your son to see someone. It sounds like 111 is really not fit for purpose (I'm on maternity leave at the moment and haven't worked since it came in). A walk in centre would probably be best but I really don't think A&E would be unreasonable if he gets any worse. It may well all be a virus with nothing much to do but he could have croup or a chest infection in which case he needs seeing and treating. You have been completely reasonable. 6 hours is too long to wait in my opinion. I hope he feels better soon

orangepudding · 20/04/2013 19:19

Hope he is seen soon.

The advice now is not to bathe your child to cool them down as a sudden drop in trump is usually followed by a sudden rise. Also between doses of calpol give him nitrogen ( if he is old enough and able to have it).

queenofthepirates · 20/04/2013 19:19

No, if you're worried about a child with a spiking temperature, you go to A&E now.

PeggyCarter · 20/04/2013 19:19

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

orangepudding · 20/04/2013 19:20

Trump = temp
Nitrogen = nurofen

[Blush]

Doodledumdums · 20/04/2013 19:21

Not unreasonable at all. I called 111 at 11pm on Weds night because I was very worried about my 3 month old, they were useless and said I could drive him an hour away to see a doctor, but not until 4am. I decided at midnight that I couldn't wait that long, so took him to a and e who saw him straight away and deemed it necessary to keep him overnight in hospital. I think with babies and children, if you are worried and think a and e is necessary then I would go.

I hope your DS feels better soon

girlsyearapart · 20/04/2013 19:21

At least you got through to 111 I tried last weekend when my cousins dd had something stuck up her nose & was on hold nearly 20 min before I gave up & we went to a&e..

It does sound like croup. I was in a&e last night with dd having an allergic reaction & a baby around 18 months came in with croup the staff saw to him straight away.

DaisyFlower123 · 20/04/2013 19:23

Son is 26mths. Funny straight after I posted ooh called and offered appointment straight away, so to their credit 111 obviously listened to my irate rant and concerns and got on to them straight away, dh and I on our way now with ds.

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DaisyFlower123 · 20/04/2013 19:23

Son is 26mths. Funny straight after I posted ooh called and offered appointment straight away, so to their credit 111 obviously listened to my irate rant and concerns and got on to them straight away, dh and I on our way now with ds.

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deleted203 · 20/04/2013 19:25

I'd take him to A&E. 111 seems to be nothing more than a call centre IMO - when I've tried they've told me someone will call me back and you can wait hours for this to happen, and then the nurse advises you to go to A&E if you are concerned. They are pointless.

Lucyellensmum95 · 20/04/2013 19:27

I would definately take him to A&E, temperatures tend to spike higher of a night so if you have been struggling during the day then you wont be able to keep it down and that a dangerous temperature.

ARe you doing calpol and nurofen at the same time? If this isn't controlling the temp then he needs to be seen he really does.

As someone up thread saturday night, A&E is the last place you want to be so go now and get him seen. He will be triaged and seen pretty quick im sure.

TheScreamingfrog · 20/04/2013 19:33

Glad you got an appt. I hope you get what you need for him. I wrote a post very similar to this a couple of weeks ago for my dd. It turned out she had bronchitis.
The doctor we finally saw told us that the whole system was farcical and she did not agree with the changes at all.

DaisyFlower123 · 20/04/2013 20:03

Apparently bad case of tonsillitis coupled with ear infection as well. Glad I pushed to see dr as have antibiotics now.

OP posts:

DaisyFlower123 · 20/04/2013 20:03

Apparently bad case of tonsillitis coupled with ear infection as well. Glad I pushed to see dr as have antibiotics now.

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girlsyearapart · 20/04/2013 20:23

That's good to hear. Not that he's poorly obviously but that he has the right medecine now

ihateveggies · 20/04/2013 21:43

Hi, did the ooh go mention croup? My son had a bad case of croup and he had to be kept in hospital for a while (and given steroids). Croup can be dangerous

maddening · 20/04/2013 22:01

Croup is the sympton - it is the barking cough. It is due to the voice box and upper respiratory tract being inflamed. It could be caused by any illness affecting the area - eg throat infection, measles, cold/virus etc etc.

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