” I have a 3 year old who came down with a temperature on Tuesday afternoon and then tummy pains and diarrhea on Wednesday morning. Took her to the doctors on Wednesday and the dr said she thinks it’s viral as she could see no indication of bacterial infection but she gave me a prescription for an antibiotic and said if she’s not better by Friday afternoon to give the antibiotic to her. She still has a temp hovering around 37.7- 38 and tummy pains and diarrhea this morning which is day 3. If it’s a tummy bug I would have thought it’s pointless giving her an antibiotic so I rang the doctors surgery this morning to ask could the doctor give me a ring for a quick chat about it but was told absolutely not, that the doctors will not ring patients and she is fully booked out today. I wouldn’t mind that she still has diarrhea as I think it’s probably normal for 3-7 days but I’m just concerned that she still has a temp even though it’s a low grade one. Wondering if Im right or wrong to hold off on antibiotic.”
The real issue here is that you and the GP weren’t on the same page when you left the surgery on Wednesday. Make sure that you are fully happy with everything before you walk out that door.
The GP/doctor shortage does mean that those quick calls back to the doctor don’t happen they way they should or used to. Which is a pity for both doctor and patient.
Get in the habit of asking: What should you expect? When to worry? What should you look out for? Any questions about the prescription? If you feel that your concern wasn’t given proper attention, say it (kindly!) in that moment. Any question about a referral: “What would a [specialist] do for [this condition]?” If you feel that the GP has got it wrong, let him/her know in the moment (kindly).
Notes from my real-life practice: Going over things again exasperates doctor and patient. It really does. But, when I get to the end of a consultation on a busy day, and patient is giving me that look that I’ve got it all wrong…usually a second thought is worth it. More often than I can count, patients unconsciously withhold or gloss over a critical symptom or worry that they just didn’t think was important until we go through things again. It can make a difference. Years of experience have led me to the habit of asking, quite simply: “Are you happy with that plan?” at the end or if there is just a lot going on with a patient “What is worrying you the most?” to make sure that concern is addressed. Flip side to that as a patient is to think ask themselves before leaving doctor: “Am I happy my concern was addressed? Am I clear on the plan?”
Are all my patients happy? No. I definitely try, but I don’t always get it right. And I can’t fix waiting lists. I can’t quickly fix problems arising from other long-term conditions, addiction problems, or lifestyle choices. And, too often, the answer I have to give just isn’t the answer the patient wanted.
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