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Trowbridge GPs argue over seeing sick baby
5:10pm Friday 3rd July 2009
A father from Hilperton has raised concerns after he was kept waiting with his sick baby for almost an hour while two surgeries argued over who was ‘on call’.
Steve McElvie and his wife Caroline, who have only recently moved to Millards Close, took their six-month-old son Archie to Adcroft Surgery in Trowbridge on Thursday after he fell ill.
They had contacted Trowbridge Community Hospital early that day, because they had not yet registered with a doctor’s practice, and were told that Adcroft was the ‘duty surgery’ that day and that the family should contact them to get Archie treated.
Mr McElvie said: “They spent more than 40 minutes arguing with another surgery about who was on duty and not looking at my son. I think that’s bad.
“After an hour when neither would give ground, we were told we had to register with Adcroft and they gave us an appointment for 2.10pm, so we had to go away and come back. And still no-one had looked at my son.”
Archie had become ill that morning and was not keeping anything down. When he was seen by the doctor later that day, the McElvies were told it was a bug and they could treat him at home.
“The way I was treated, I was beginning to wonder what country I was in,” he said. “The hospital had directed us there and they have the roster. I know they are under pressure, but it’s not right when it’s a six-month-old baby.”
Linda Thomas, practice manager at Adcroft, said that the surgery could not see patients without them being registered, but that if it had been life-threatening a duty doctor would have seen them as a matter of urgency.
She added: “At all times the surgery and staff attempted to assist the parents and baby and he was seen within two hours of the initial request, despite not been registered with us.”
Georgie Agass, assistant director of communications at NHS Wiltshire, advised the family to contact the Patient Advice and Liaison Service if they believed they had been unfairly treated.
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Your Say YourWiltshire
Independently, leigh Park says...
8:18pm Fri 3 Jul 09
How would these people cope if they had waits like we had when we were younger? Everyone crowded a waiting room for up to 4 hours to be seen.
Total twaddle.
Talk Is Cheap, Wiltshire says...
9:05pm Fri 3 Jul 09
Angel831, westbury says...
9:29am Sat 4 Jul 09
to be honest..when you move somewhere different the first thing you do is register with the local surgery especially when you have young children.
tethered, warminster says...
11:52am Sat 4 Jul 09
TGLP, swindon says...
1:20pm Sat 4 Jul 09
tethered wrote:BOTH surgeries should be struck off.
Agree with you completely,Spent 3 hours once in MIU at trowbridge after being told would be seen urgently.If you have kids should register straight away.It was lickily nothing serious either.
They clearly don’t understand why there in the medical business.
To anyone who works for them (clearly there isn’t) take note.
You are there for our health and welfare and benefit.
NOT how you think, (we draw huge wages and try as hard as possible to do as little as we can.
Or how about... This job is great and the pays fantastic, if only we could stop these bloody people from disturbing our day time rest.
Independently, leigh Park says...
4:18pm Sat 4 Jul 09
I've just had a routine prostate examination TGLP. Perhaps you can tell us how many times you have stuck your fingers up mens bums or dissected a turd as part of your job?
How about a REAL emergency? Not some stupid 4 year old with his head stuck in a p1ss pot but putting someone back together after a serious accident. How about routinely having to tell people that they have terminal cancer?
Yeah great job eh? Don't knock doctors.
TGLP, swindon says...
5:36pm Sat 4 Jul 09
Independently wrote:Been there, done that, even got the T shirt.
" This job is great and the pays fantastic," I've just had a routine prostate examination TGLP. Perhaps you can tell us how many times you have stuck your fingers up mens bums or dissected a turd as part of your job? How about a REAL emergency? Not some stupid 4 year old with his head stuck in a p1ss pot but putting someone back together after a serious accident. How about routinely having to tell people that they have terminal cancer? Yeah great job eh? Don't knock doctors.
If you don’t like the job Fu*k off.
There’s plenty of Pakistanis and Indians who want the chance to earn, nay (win the fu*kin lottery) by being a doctor.
They are no more, NO MORE than body mechanics.
I have more respect for the guy who sorts my motors out than any of the holier than thou **** heads who are threatening the health of children.
What if this poor child had meningitis?
Be nice to children, they decide which nursing home you’ll end up in.
But if you’re a doctor in rural Wiltshire, you’ll have made pretty good provision for yourself with our health money..
great pass word, for doctors.
live-lean.
Talk Is Cheap, Wiltshire says...
8:37pm Sat 4 Jul 09
You and I and everyone else needs to be registered with a doctor.
If they couldn't be bothered then tough!!
Having said that the baby would have been looked after if they had called the emergency services!!
wiltshire resident, wiltshire says...
10:59am Sun 5 Jul 09
It is fortunate that on this occasion the baby was struck down with a minor bug.
The Wiltshire NHS Trust need to get to the root of the problem, which here is that the GPs were delaying due to arguing who was responsible for helping someone in need. Don't they get paid enough to come out anyway?
TGLP, swindon says...
1:29pm Sun 5 Jul 09
I allways "allways" deal with the problem and then do the paperwork.
It,s like going to the toilet. First you have a cra*p (thats the job) then you wipe your ars*e, thats the paperwork.
You CANNOT do them the other way round or we all get shi**t over us.
TGLP, swindon says...
1:33pm Sun 5 Jul 09
Talk Is Cheap wrote:KIDS CANT VOTE OR REGISTER.
TGLP you seem to be missing the point. You and I and everyone else needs to be registered with a doctor. If they couldn't be bothered then tough!! Having said that the baby would have been looked after if they had called the emergency services!!
TGLP, swindon says...
1:42pm Sun 5 Jul 09
10:59am Sun 5 Jul 09
I appreciate what is being said, but don't Doctors sign the Hypocratic oath..
Yes I "think" some do, their the biggest hypocrits of all.
A domestic body mecanice, thats the one,s who give out repeat perscription,s get,s in the region of a million pounds a year.
Do some work you fat ;azy barstewerds and if you cant or your so complacent over the job, go and retire with our money and atleast we can get someone who "wants" to do something usefull, and help sick children.
It,s not a glory job.
If you want glory join the police, they give themselves medals for sneezing, and cost the country more than is spent on health care.
Talk Is Cheap, Wiltshire says...
5:31pm Sun 5 Jul 09
TGLP wrote:REALLY? SORRY, I DIDN'T KNOW THAT!!
Talk Is Cheap wrote: TGLP you seem to be missing the point. You and I and everyone else needs to be registered with a doctor. If they couldn't be bothered then tough!! Having said that the baby would have been looked after if they had called the emergency services!!KIDS CANT VOTE OR REGISTER.
DUH!
Nick Taken, Trowbridge says...
2:06pm Mon 6 Jul 09
All our GP contact will be over a phone before long.
Get your 'tamiflu' buddy set up peeps.
Steve and Caroline McElvie with their family
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Not Suprised, Wiltshire says...
5:20pm Fri 3 Jul 09
That title just shows where our money is wasted, it should be spent on better service so this does not happen again