Nemma’s Diary

Ive had a letter this morning from my doctors.

(Firstly it was addressed to Jack, Not us…..)

The Department of Health has recommended your child (a two and a half year old with a child! good god what is the world coming to??) receives a HIB?MENC vaccination, this is being offered to all children. It is important for your child’s ongoing health protection to take advantage of this offer (didn’t realise the NHS did special deals, maybe I can get some money off parking vouchers or something???)

Do not hesitate to contact us if you require further information.

Please will you make an appointment with the practice nurse at your earliest convenience.

Yours sincerely,

Blah blah and blah… 

Basically, the letters saying that Ive forgotten to make an appointment for Jack to have his meningitis injections.

Now let me tell you whats actually happened!

I had Jack immunised against MENC when this injection first came out. I’ve seen the effect that meningitis has on children (If they survive it) and agree completely with this injection. So the second point I’m going to make is that he’s not sue the initial injection, as this letter suggests, but a booster.

In September I received a similar letter asking me to make an appointment for both boys to go along and have the initial injection again. I rang up and informed them that they had already had the injection only to be told they needed a booster.

Fair enough, I made an appointment (And also pointed out that Luke hadn’t had any of his 12 month injection either! Something I had had to do with Jack too) I had to wait a couple of weeks for the appointment.

I got there 15 minutes early and sat in the waiting room patiently, Eventually (Late) I heard the boys names being called and went into the nurses room.

The Nurse then told me that it was a mistake, that Jack didn’t need the injection after all. I should have guessed by the way she informed me of this that she wasn’t 100% sure if this was correct. She said that he would receive his booster as part of his pre school checkup. She also then told me that Luke wouldn’t be having his MENC and 12 month boosters injections in one go and that I would need to come back in another two weeks to get the boosters done.

Gritting my teeth over the fact that the nurse and receptionist clearly didn’t read from the same book, We had Luke’s injections. Jack, who I had spent all morning preparing and explaining injections to, was confused as to why he wasn’t having any.

So this morning, I rang the doctors to ask why I was now getting letters basically insinuating that I hadn’t bothered to organise Jacks injections, when I had previously booked him in months ago and was told that he didn’t need them! Surprise surprise they had to ring me back. An hour later, the practice nurse rang me back and said she understood there had been some confusion and miscommunication (Erm, not on my part love!) and that apparently, guideline’s had changed again and now it seems Jack DID need the injection!!!!

As you can imagine, I don’t believe this for a minute. I think they have messed up and are blaming the easiest possible target, Guidelines. I’m in two minds to check that the guidelines have changed so many times in such a short period of time.

It also makes me wonder how many other children are wandering round because these people don’t know who needs injections and who doesn’t!

So all in all, the list of cock-ups is this:

They cant address a letter properly, IE sending it to Jack, instead of the parents of.

They don’t bother to write to people and tell them that 12 month boosters are needed (apparently both times they cant understand why its not been flagged up, once is possibly a mistake, but twice in the same family is unacceptable!)

The Nurse and the receptionist don’t read from the same guidelines as to who needs what so the receptionist sends out letters that may or may not be needed. Even when the nurse is informing you a mistake has been made and your times been wasted, she doesn’t fill you with confidence as she uses words like ” we don’t THINK jack needs them etc etc)

Healdswood surgery, What a farce!!!!!!!!!!

Edit:

Since writing this ive been in touch with NHS direct who have told me that there havent been any changes to guidlines at all!

Needless to say I’m in the process of speaking to the immunisations co-ordinator at the trust to check that bpoth of them are up to date with injections and to complain about the lack of care/knowledge that the surgery seems to have. Im lucky that Jacks not caught meningitis in the mean time really.