angry mummy!!

I took Jess for her 2 month injections today. I was really stressed about it
anyway, as I didn't fancy seeing my lovely baby in pain.

I got there at 8.40... my friend came with me, and her car broke down on the
way, so her mum had to come and pick her up... so we all went to to the
surgery.

My appt was at 8.40... at 9am we got called in. I saw the doctor, who after
15 minutes of looking at her, he said I had a good, big sized baby. He asked
me about contraception, I told him I wanted the coil, and he said I'd have
to discuss that with the female doctor. (So why did the "baby co-ordinator"
book me in with a man doctor????). And then he said - GET THIS - he couldn't
do the injections as he'd never done baby jabs, they weren't his area, and
he'd have to fit me in with a nurse! (Again, why did they make the appt with
him?!). So he spoke to the nurse and told me she'd see me in a couple of
minutes, could I please wait in the waiting room. OK, I said, fair enough.

*Twenty* minutes later, some stroppy cow came out and told me, with no word
of apology that they didn't have the Meningitis C vaccination, and they were
waiting for it, it was on its way from the next village (But it was a
PRE-BOOKED APPT!!). Ok, I said, but I've been here for an hour, I really
can't wait much longer. No, she said, it'll only be a few more minutes.

*FIFTEEN* minutes later we got called in. The stroppy cow turned out to be
the nurse I was seeing. Not impressed at her manner, and still having had a
word of apology, I started undressing the baby. The nurse was telling me
what vaccs the baby was getting today, and she said what they were,
including the one for Whooping Cough. I explained that I'd queeried the WC
one as I heard there was some contra-indication with the WC vacc and
epilepsy, and as I have narcolepsy and Jess is being tested for it, plus I
used to be epi, I'd asked my HV about it, but hadn't received an answer. As
this nurse was giving the vacc, I would have assumed she'd have known about
it. She then started being rude, asking why *I* hadn't researched it further
(like it's my responsibility!) and that she'd have to ring the immunisation
company "as and when she could fit it in" and that I'd have to come back
another time, to which I walked out of her room, having had enough by that
point.

Ugh, apart from the divs booking me in with a completely inappropriate
doctor, none of these things would have been so bad on their own, but I was
astounded at their total lack of organisation. After an hour and a half of
this, and still not getting her jabs done, I went to the practice manager
and made a formal complaint... I told her, even if all that had happened, I
wouldn't have minded, but it wasn't even me that made the appointment! It
was sent through to me, by this "baby co-ordinator", who will hopefully have
had a good shouting at this morning. I have also said that under no
circumstances is Jess having her jabs from that stroppy cow of a nurse.

Am I being an angry mummy, or have I really been messed about? Ughhhh )

Lucy x

Am I being an angry mummy, or have I really been messed about? Ughhhh )


Nope, that would have p-ssed me off too! lol, and get used to being an angry
mummy from time to time - it comes in handy later on. You're your daughter's
advocate, and I wouldn't let my daughter have shots from someone with a bad
attitude either, as they're more likely to be rough and uncaring and not
give any follow-up support afterwards if necessary. JMHO, but I usually
prefer nurses over doctors for vaccinations or taking blood, as it's
something they do all the time and they have more practice, in general. But
not one with a nasty attitude, that's for sure!


--
Amy
Mum to Carlos born sleeping 20/11/02,
& Ana born screaming 30/06/04
http://www.freewebs.com/carlos2002/
http://www.babiesonline.com/babies/a/ana%5Fj%5F2004/
My blog: http://spaces.msn.com/members/querer-hijo-querer-hija/

Am I being an angry mummy, or have I really been messed about? Ughhhh )

no I think most of your anger is justified and the way you were handled
stinks?

I presume when you made the appointment you booked if for Jessie and said it
was for her jabs? (and if you did, the doc was out of order and off topic to
ask you about contraception, that's a normal think for a postnatal check,
which I presume this wasn't) oh, I see it was a letter you were sent, which
is even crapper, sending you an appointment for jabs and for it not being
with someone who was actually going to administer them

However, if you are going to be doing any different for the jabs, then it's
usually better to discuss that first with your own GP, then the info can be
entered on the system, that Jessie isn't receiving certain jabs, which may
mean they have to order stuff in specially as I think the whopping cough one
is mixed in with a couple of others. I think it is fair from the nurses
point of view to expect that when you get to the point of being in the room
ready to do the jabs, that your baby is receiving what is being prepared, by
turning up to the appointment you have accepted that your child receive the
list of vaccinations given on the letter (and if there isn't a list on the
letter, there should be!) and that if you have any concerns that you talk it
over with doctor/health visitor in advance, if necessary, delaying the
appointment.

Our system seems to work fairly well, I'm not sure how wide the area is that
uses the same system, we get an automated letter saying an appointment has
been made and the system automatically hands out appointment times that ae
during baby clinic, which is the one thing that annoys me, as when you get
to baby clinic, it's actually first come first served, since having number 2
I always ring to book an appointment at a different time, as I find baby
clinic just too difficult with 2 children and limited mobility, but at least
it's there and if I forget to make an appointment at least I know that if I
go on Monday at 2pm I can get whatever vaccine is due.

Is this baby coordinator just your surgery or a wider area, whatever it is,
it sounds fairly inefficient. Our receptionists never even have to look it
up if you ask to make a vaccinations appointment, they just say, can you
come to baby clinic, I say no and they make the appointment, but they have a
good system for other stuff, they have a file they keep there so that when
you ask, I need an appointment for x, what to make and who with etc. so when
I had a coil inserted, they looked it up and found they needed to make a
double length appointment in the nurses room, but with a nurse and a doctor,
and when I asked for a coil check the looked up and found that that was
nothing special and I just needed a regular appointment with someone who was
clear to do coil checks.

Cheers

Anne

Cheers

Anne

Mum of Two wrote:
Am I being an angry mummy, or have I really been messed about? Ughhhh )


Nope, that would have p-ssed me off too! lol, and get used to being an angry
mummy from time to time - it comes in handy later on. You're your daughter's
advocate, and I wouldn't let my daughter have shots from someone with a bad
attitude either, as they're more likely to be rough and uncaring and not
give any follow-up support afterwards if necessary. JMHO, but I usually
prefer nurses over doctors for vaccinations or taking blood, as it's
something they do all the time and they have more practice, in general. But
not one with a nasty attitude, that's for sure!

Ditto what Amy said. I have become far more bullish when it comes to my
baby's health than my own, particularly after the crap advice on bf'ing
and so called bugs (actually an egg intollerance) from supposed
experts. Most I have come across have been good but if you have an
issue that may be contentious it is useful go armed with the latest
research in hard copy. For some reason receptionists seem to be the
most stubborn and most ignorant. I had to speak to 4 different people
to get ds referred to hosptial for observation for his MMR jabs, but it
was that or no jabs. Thankfully the ped that did it was great. Find a
good nurse and you'll be ok.

You go Lucy!

Jeni

lucy-lu wrote:
I took Jess for her 2 month injections today. I was really stressed about it
anyway, as I didn't fancy seeing my lovely baby in pain.

I got there at 8.40... my friend came with me, and her car broke down on the
way, so her mum had to come and pick her up... so we all went to to the
surgery.

My appt was at 8.40... at 9am we got called in. I saw the doctor, who after
15 minutes of looking at her, he said I had a good, big sized baby. He asked
me about contraception, I told him I wanted the coil, and he said I'd have
to discuss that with the female doctor. (So why did the "baby co-ordinator"
book me in with a man doctor????). And then he said - GET THIS - he couldn't
do the injections as he'd never done baby jabs, they weren't his area, and
he'd have to fit me in with a nurse! (Again, why did they make the appt with
him?!). So he spoke to the nurse and told me she'd see me in a couple of
minutes, could I please wait in the waiting room. OK, I said, fair enough.

*Twenty* minutes later, some stroppy cow came out and told me, with no word
of apology that they didn't have the Meningitis C vaccination, and they were
waiting for it, it was on its way from the next village (But it was a
PRE-BOOKED APPT!!). Ok, I said, but I've been here for an hour, I really
can't wait much longer. No, she said, it'll only be a few more minutes.

*FIFTEEN* minutes later we got called in. The stroppy cow turned out to be
the nurse I was seeing. Not impressed at her manner, and still having had a
word of apology, I started undressing the baby. The nurse was telling me
what vaccs the baby was getting today, and she said what they were,
including the one for Whooping Cough. I explained that I'd queeried the WC
one as I heard there was some contra-indication with the WC vacc and
epilepsy, and as I have narcolepsy and Jess is being tested for it, plus I
used to be epi, I'd asked my HV about it, but hadn't received an answer. As
this nurse was giving the vacc, I would have assumed she'd have known about
it. She then started being rude, asking why *I* hadn't researched it further
(like it's my responsibility!) and that she'd have to ring the immunisation
company "as and when she could fit it in" and that I'd have to come back
another time, to which I walked out of her room, having had enough by that
point.

Ugh, apart from the divs booking me in with a completely inappropriate
doctor, none of these things would have been so bad on their own, but I was
astounded at their total lack of organisation. After an hour and a half of
this, and still not getting her jabs done, I went to the practice manager
and made a formal complaint... I told her, even if all that had happened, I
wouldn't have minded, but it wasn't even me that made the appointment! It
was sent through to me, by this "baby co-ordinator", who will hopefully have
had a good shouting at this morning. I have also said that under no
circumstances is Jess having her jabs from that stroppy cow of a nurse.

Am I being an angry mummy, or have I really been messed about? Ughhhh )

Lucy x

I think you have every reason to be angry! One of the most important
things I've learned since the birth of my first child eight months ago
is not to let these 'medical professionals' treat you like you are
nobody! They may have gone to school for this but YOU are paying them
so therefore they work for you and being in a strop isn't acceptible...
they also did not go to school for YOUR baby so YOU are the expert
there. .. nor is being ill prepared for the appointment! You want to
bet if you were late, they'd be fast enough to charge you or cancel
your appointment altogether. Good for you for making the complaint!
These people are not gods!