Mum slams Sheffield surgery for ‘refusing’ to see child, 1 who later sent home when heart rate logged in at 180bpm
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The woman, who asked to remain anonymous, said that the receptionist at Chapelgreen Surgery in Chapeltown 'refused' to schedule an appointment for her child, instead offering a phone consultation with a doctor.
She said her son's illness started on March 30 and when she spoke to a doctor over the phone, the doctor diagnosed a chest infection, prescribing a five-day course of antibiotics.
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Hide AdHowever, after finishing the medication, she felt that her son was no better, and her husband called the surgery only to be told they were full and no appointment for the day and to call the day after.
She then called the next day, only to be told the same until they finally got an appointment on Friday, April 8.
The doctor then agreed to see their child and told them his heart rate was 'slightly high' but nothing to be concerned about and discharged him.
However, a week later, their son did not recover and they decided to call 111, who then gave them an appointment with an out-of-hours GP.
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Hide AdReceptionists’ authority needs to be ‘removed’
She said: "This was when I found out that his heart rate was logged at 180 beats per minute and shouldn't have been discharged.
"He shouldn't have been refused an appointment and should have been seen that too as he's under five."
She said her son was 'diagnosed incorrectly' and that if the doctor had seen him on March 30, they would have discovered her son had swollen glands and infected tonsillitis, not a chest infection.
"I was also told that a five-day course of antibiotics is not the guidelines and should have been given a minimum of seven days,” she said.
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Hide AdShe said receptionists have been given authority that 'needs to be removed,' allowing them to decide whether or not patients can see doctors.
She said: "From what they think is just a chest infection to a near miss, my son could have ended up in hospital."
GP: ‘We cannot meet current demands’
In response, Chapelgreen Surgery offered its apology to the parents, saying that there are currently 'unprecedented pressures' across health services in Sheffield.
A spokesperson said: “We are very sorry to hear of this situation and we empathise with the patient and his parents.
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Hide Ad“We advise that the patient contacts the practice directly so we can work with them to address their concerns.
“There are currently unprecedented pressures across our health services in Sheffield. This is in common with most areas of the country and is leading to huge levels of demand for GP services.
"Once all our appointments are booked for the day, our receptionists are asked to advise patients to contact 111 or the walk-in centre for help, or the out of hours service if we are closed.
“Every day, we have more people asking to see or talk to a GP or nurse than we have appointments for.
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Hide Ad"Unfortunately, despite working flat out we cannot meet current demands and therefore signpost to other available NHS services.
“We’re sorry that, on this occasion, the high level of care we strive to achieve wasn’t met. We will be putting plans in place to ensure this doesn’t happen again.”