My son woke me at 02:30 with severe lower back and abdominal pain. He was writhing about the bed in agony, using a hot water bottle on his back and had taken paracetamol and ibuprofen, plus other pain relief.
His pain worsened and I called 111 for him. He spoke to a nurse who would send the details to Dumfries out of hours (OOH). Glasgow advised us to call them back if the pain got worse. It did, so I called them again. Eventually a doctor from Dumfries called and spoke to my son and asked him to attend. I drove my son there as he was still in so much pain.
The nurse checked his vital signs then the doctor called him in. I went in as well. I was rather shocked when the doctor sat back in their chair, legs splayed, hands in the pockets of their fleece jacket, facing my son. Not a very professional demeanor in my view, and making my son feel quite uncomfortable. They then proceeded to tell my son he didn’t have appendicitis as he had no right sided abdominal pain and it wasn’t DKA as my sons ketone levels were normal.
My son tried to explain it was the same as he had experienced a couple of months ago and he had received antibiotics at that time. So the doctor gave him antibiotics and other mediaction which had not helped previously. I asked what they suggested for the severe lower back and abdominal pain,but they didn’t have a reply. They didn't actually examine my son. So we left, having to stop for my son to be sick again on the way home.
I got the distinct impression the doctor felt we were wasting their time, but quite why we would choose to be up all night and then have to visit OOH at around five in the morning unless there was a reason is beyond me. A simple check of his record would shoe my son is not a “frequent flyer”!
I’m sorry to say if my son is unwell like this again I would just take him to A+E, and as an ex-NHS worker this does not sit well, but I can see why the public are choosing to do this nowadays.
I feel this doctor needs to think about how they come across to their patients. My son is only 22 and was brought up to be respectful and polite and this doctor made him feel very uncomfortable, which was not necessary.
Staff attitude