Went to the George Elliot children’s urgent care department following the advice of 111 doctor after she experience breathing difficulties in the early hours of the morning, my daughter is aged 6 and had been previously hospitalise a month earlier for the same / similar problem, consultants then told us that she may have asthma, although no formal diagnosis. It took three week to get her down to just using the brown inhaler, after this first episode and we went on to have no issues during Christmas.
She then started coughing again on the 14th Jan after having no cold symptoms. Again her breath during the night deteriorate and were using the blu inhaler every couple of hours, after a particularly bad night, I sought help from the GP who after an a examination at a COVID Hub and prescribed her with was a 3 day course of steroid this help reducing the cough fits to a couple of times a night. When they stop she deteriorated again which then lead us attending the George Elliot Sunday night into Monday morning. My daughter was so distressed that we struggled to calm her down, she was gasping for air and it took 10 puff on a blue inhaler to get her breathing back under control. We did not want to take up time valuable hospital time but on the advice I had received and from the NHS website we felt we need medical advice so we rang 111 and spoke a doctor who sent to the hospital to have her checked over.
The nurse who triage her was very quick to pass judgement questioning why we had taken her out for a walk earlier that day, it was cold but we thought she need fresh air, “why earth would we take her out”. Should you not take asthma suffers outside? , I had previously received no such direction and was unaware that there were issue taking her outside . Am I to keep her locked inside? . Surely this also not good for your health either. When I gave the nurse the history from December, the nurse stopped me and cut me off, and questioned my judgement again saying why I had not sought further medical support, but I had I spoke to my GP and was directed by them.
I felt this person had formed a negative opinion of me, I explained my limited knowledge of asthma and how to manage it, then I was abruptly put in my place by the doctor correcting when using the term asthma stating that it was a viral chest infection. I explain I understood that fact that we did not have any formal diagnosis and what every it was I just wanted to stop her grasping for breath during the night as she was becoming frighten and she was struggling from the lack of sleep. Also had it pointed to me that neither myself or my husband were not doctors, something we have never claimed to be.
I have done everything in my power to care for my daughter and we desperately tried to prevent attending the hospital, but it was the middle of the night and it was the week end what more could I do and I was directed by the 111 service. They did treat her, she was given 2 nebuliser and steroids, she was discharge with a prescription steroids which were in tablet form. So clearly we were right to seek the help.
Unfortunately due to her age she could not swallow tablets and they made her sick, resulting in us having to contact the GP from a further prescription, but unfortunately they went on to prescribe the wrong amount of soluble tablets, this is still to be resolved. How do I feel like? Like the present of me and my daughter was an annoyance, that I was somehow to be blamed for us being there. I felt judged, that I was failing my child. I am exhausted from trying to get this right for my daughter, I want support and an guidance, they are correct I am not a doctor or a nurse and have never claimed to be, but with the current COVID restriction I have being trying to do my best to protect the NHS and manage my daughter condition. I don’t want her in a hospital, and I want to manage this at home but if we need help then sorry we need help. Do I every want to go to George Elliot again then answer No , this is not my first negative experience from this hospital.
"I want support and guidance"
About: Castle Mead Medical Centre Castle Mead Medical Centre Hinckley LE10 1DS https://www.castlemeadmedicalcentre.co.uk/index.aspx George Eliot Hospital - Acute Services / Respiratory medicine George Eliot Hospital - Acute Services Respiratory medicine CV10 7DJ
Posted by JT4285 (as ),
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