"A day with doctors guidance."

mMy daughter who is 19 months lost her balance at our kitchen table she fell onto the floor and banged the back of her head & neck.. landing in a seated scrunched up position.

Instantly her eyes rolled back her tongue came out her fingers were very tight and going into a claw position & her breathing was like a deap faint growling.

I picked her up and her body was shaking & her body was forcing backwards I was trying to shout her name and trying to make it stop.

I placed her on the floor and tried putting her in the recovery position and her body relaxed slightly..

My husband & I tried to comfort her but she was very stunned & scared my husband assures me she is ok and although I've been screaming for an ambulance my husband assured me she was ok. She was looking at me by this point but still had not cried.

She was wanting to sleep so I made the choice to take her to her gp immediately as I thought sleeping was bad after a bang to the head. I was also concerned there wasv no mark where she had hit.

Ivy was seen quickly by her Gp who assured me she was ok but I would be taking a risk not taking her to our local a&e department for observation as the first 6 hours are the most important. & that symptoms of concussion could happen much later he assured me driving to ayr that if she wanted to sleep let her I was concerned about her sleeping.

I travelled with my daughter to the a&e in Ayr.

On arrival the receptionist asked why I was there I stated my daughter had fell & was knocked out for around 1-2 minutes.. she asked who sent you here I said our gp she asked & he sent you here? .

I was like yes but please understand I had been crying since the incident & I was quite concerned that my daughter had not cried since the incident she was pale and not her self at all.

I could see out of the corner of my eye a room for childrens waiting area I asked her should I not be here why is there a childrens department?

She said on you go the door will be open for you.

I went into the room and and ivy started to pick up around an hour in..

Not her usual self but she was picking up.

We waited and waited but nothing. To be honest the 3-4 hours we sat there flew by I think I was slightly traumatised after the whole experience..

Being a mum of 4 oldest being 11 ive witnessed bangs cuts trapped fingers etc but I've never had that before.

Eventually a lady came in the door I had came in asked for my daughter I said here she is, left the room I got our things together and went towards her opened the door she said where are u going I said to come with you.. she said no no you don't come out here I said I didn't know she walked me through the waiting room into a ward and said oh used used used as she checked the rooms and said oh well back into the waiting room...

I said really my wee girl has been unconscious at 10 this morning its 2 oclock I think she needs seen.. I was assured she was only trying to help she took our details and left.

We waited a bit then a lady called us through and she heard our story and done a little check I explained that I hadnt woke up and planned to come to a&e & that I hadn't had food or drink for around 7 hours..my daughter  had been hungry as well as another child in the waiting room so I shared what I had in the baby bag between the two girls.. I was starting to feel ill.. I explained that there didn't seem to be anywhere to grab a drink and snack.

I also said that I had no reception on my phone and had to sort out after school arrangements for my other children she said oh you can use the phone at the desk while I discuss your daughter with someone else...

I went out to the desk to ask if I could use the phone and they looked at me as though I was speaking foreign. Didn't help at all I was panicking about the other kids going home to an empty house.

I made the decisions to put my duaghter's coat on and leave the department go outside use my phone then go back in.

I was then told that they were referring her to Crosshouse hospital. And that I should have been given that information by my gp she asked his name and and told me it has been 5 years since they have had children in the department.

My daughter was irritable by this point and I said god shes had enough and I think the wee soul is bored and I was told there's a difference between a severely ill child and a bored child!

I asked if she was so severely ill why hadn't she been observed and checked before she was which was now 5 hours after the incident.

I was told to make my way to Crosshouse with a note and assured her sleeping in the car was ok. And that she was going to the right place where there was actually paediatric care as there was none in Ayr.

I was so angry leaving if I had have been given this information by my gp or the receptionist I would have made the decision to travel to Crosshouse much earlier in the day.

On arrival to Crosshouse the triage nurse was confused why I was there as observations are most important in the first 6 hours it was now nearing that point.

He got us sent to the childrens unit where thankfully she was thoroughly checked over, we were made to feel welcome, the lady showed me a phone I could use at anytime.

She said yous must be starving and got both of us food and juice.

Put the tv on for my daughter...

Very quickly a doctor assessed her and told us since it had been 8 hours since the incident, my daughter was fine and showing all the right signs of being ok & since I was an experienced mum they were happy to to let us home with plenty of information on how to look after her for the next day and what to look out for.

Thankfully she has been fine and everything was ok. A very very traumatic experience though.

I cant speak any higher of the staff at crosshouse they were amazing.

But when the incident happened I do feel I could have been advised better by my gp and by the reception & staff at ayr a&e.

As I'm sure not all of these accidents have happy endings.

Thanks for taking the time to read this I look forward to a reply to hopefully make sure this does not happen to someone else.