"Worried I was going to get the same staff member again"

I had an appointment at my local out of hours for my daughter who had all of sudden started walking with a sort of limp and seemed to have been in some discomfort. Upon arriving to the appointment, the doctor didn’t welcome us, or let us know where we were going but walked away ahead of us and left us to find our way. Didn’t check her OBS. Proceeded to ask me how they could examine her and didn’t do any of the normal procedures.

The doctor checked her legs to see if there was any swelling and told me to give her calpol as she has probably hurt herself without me knowing. In the 2.5 years of my daughter being born I have never been made to feel more patronised or stupid. They questioned if I had a health visitor for her, when do I see them and that all I could do was contact my GP on Monday the next week. Baring in mind my daughter had been unwell the whole week and this was all linked to it.

We asked the question as to why we were sent there if there was nothing they could do, and the doctor started talking about other patients who are having heart pain. Said that the clinicians that are on 111 line aren’t medically trained so they don’t know much and they just advise. This was the most unprofessional treatment I have ever come across in my whole time in being a parent and previously.

After we left they wrote a note on my daughters record about myself and my partner, saying that we demanded scans and x-ray when in the 111 call I never mentioned a scan or x-ray, nor did I want my daughter to have one. Towards the end of the appointment they asked me what was the main reason for the visit, and that the sore leg wasn’t the reason when in fact the whole call and visit was for the leg.

It seemed almost as if it was a chore to examine my daughter. I’m not understanding how she can have been properly examined without knowing her temperature, levels and anything else that the procedure follows.

I returned back to out of hours at a later time and the nurse was so great that I had. Explained to me about my previous visit and because of that note that was left staff might have their guard up about me. Hearing that coming from someone is the most hurtful thing, as I am never rude to anyone and would never ever lose my temper. I explained I was begging to get help for my daughter and I got turned away and told to give her calpol.

Upon having to call my out of hours again, I was actually worried I was going to get the same staff member again and if I did I would have refused the appointment because if the way it made me feel, and to me following NHS values no patient should ever get made to feel like that. The experience was absolutely awful and I will do all I can to make sure I and my family are heard for what they put us through.