I FELT compelled to write this letter to give support and encouragement to mothers who seem to face a brick wall when phoning for appointments to their doctors or to get a doctor to make a home call when needed and get past the “gargoyles” on some receptions to get to make an appointment.

My grandson, who is three, contracted chicken pox, he was very poorly and “spotty” with a particularly nasty spot near his spine that was infected. The infection was so bad that he was in agony and could not walk or sit and could only lay down on his tummy. My daughter phoned her GP several times and had to wait for an appointment. She explained that my grandson was unable to walk and in severe pain and could not sit down. She asked for a home visit and was told that home visits were not made for chicken pox, even though she had explained how bad he was. She was fobbed off a couple of times. She made a few visits straight to hospital. She eventually saw her doctor after being told to bring my grandson in to the surgery and was told by the receptionist that it would be acceptable to transport my grandson lying on his tummy on the back seat of the car!

He was given antibiotics and my daughter sent away being told that if he got any worse to bring him back. Thank goodness for my daughter’s persistence, concern and upset at his condition she took him to hospital that night. He was admitted after four hours and staff, horrified duly administered stronger antibiotics and then a drip. He has been in hospital for nearly a week now having to undergo a scan and is going to have the infection drained from his back.

My point is that mothers really do know best and I hope other mothers will be as persistent as my daughter was in getting treatment for my grandson. I hate to think what could have happened to him without the prompt care he is now receiving in the GWH - what is wrong with our GP services and why when we are paying for this service through contributions is the service so poor and uncaring. Mums - persist you know your child the best!

DEBORAH WILLIAMS

Maxey Close

Shaw

Swindon