Village Health Group East Leake
AM
Amber M. 11 months ago • From Google
Poor
I am very dissatisfied with the standard of care received at this practice, and this represents the second occasion on which we have experienced significant concerns. During an initial appointment, we were informed that our young child did not have a urinary tract infection. However, shortly after leaving, we received a call indicating that upon review of the test results, a urinary tract infection had been identified. Antibiotics were prescribed, but the child continued to experience fever and had only a small amount of medication remaining. At a subsequent appointment with a different clinician, the results were reviewed and we were told that there was no urinary tract infection present. A different course of antibiotics was prescribed due to uncertainty regarding the source of infection. We were advised that if fever persisted overnight, hospital assessment would be necessary. The fever did continue, and we attended for observations. During this visit, a clinician took the child's temperature but recorded a reading that seemed implausibly low. When I rechecked using the same thermometer, the reading was considerably higher. This raised concerns about the accuracy of basic clinical measurements. We were informed that further investigations such as x-rays and blood tests could be arranged but might take up to two weeks. Given that this was a very young child with a fever lasting ten days and an unidentified source of infection, we felt this timeframe was unacceptable and expressed our concerns about the risks associated with delayed investigation in young children. Following consultation with another clinician, we were referred to accident and emergency. A referral letter was provided, but it contained information that appeared incomplete or inaccurate, including observations that did not align with what we had reported or what we had observed. The letter documented clinical findings without apparent examination, and contradicted information we had provided about symptoms. When we questioned the clinical assessment, we were told that the practice staff were not paediatricians. We attended hospital, where our child was admitted to a ward. Investigations revealed chest infection, ear infection, and inflammation of the throat—findings that contradicted the assessment provided the previous day. This experience suggests that the care provided was inadequate and potentially unsafe for a young child, and a hospital admission may have been prevented with more thorough initial assessment.
Jon J.