AIBU to think this is not on

Hm999 that may well have been the nearest available paramedic

Epipens should be a given where so many children and adults suffer allergies . They're about £50 but definitely worth having. Easy to administer and could save someone's life. There are different strengths for children and adults.

I would add that if you ring 999 in an emergency your phone will pick up what ever the best signal is, even if not your network (and your phone is showing no signal), so hopefully most areas covered by this

Surely they should have rung 999 first? I feel that all new parents should know basic CPR for children and infants as the techniques are different for babies and toddlers than for older children and adults

Having been in an emergency situation with my GS in an isolated place with very difficult communications- no phone signal etc. I would say ring the emergency services every time. The operators are trained to discuss symptoms and to talk you through what to do. My DS was sent to a nearby village to get the defibrillator just in case it was needed (it wasn't), we were told what to do and all the time an ambulance was on its way. You were lucky the neighbour came, but the emergency service would have given you the same advice and possibly more quickly. We have an incredible service which saves lives.

I'm sure the first question that's asked when you phone for an ambulance is "Is the casualty breathing?"
Then you'll be given step by step instructions on how to deal with it.

My husband suffered a horrific nosebleed and staggered into the Health Centre for help. The nurses went into a total meltdown. They were not used to dealing with blood!

I always think the worst so would have bypassed the doctors and gone straight to the emergency services. When I phone my surgery for either an apt or repeat prescription I first hear a message that tells me to dial emergency if I am experiencing any of the following etc etc.

Nearest paramedic is 20 miles away? That's awful.

GPs/ Surgeries are not the places for situations such as this. They are not trained in an appropriate way and, more importantly, know nothing about the child and could easily have done more harm than good in their inexperienced efforts.
It's a bit like expecting a nurse to step in and administer first aid at an incident - most are trained for situations where equipment is available - not the open field.

Always 999 .Basic first course at the minimal. Sorry about the scare pleased its all settled now.

Febrile seizures are very frightening though usually benign. The GP surgery should not have wasted time explaining about not being registered but simply told her to ring 999.

No one is thinking straight in a situation like this, especially the first time it happens. Everyone needs to learn baby resuscitation just in case.

Thank you all for your wise words. My niece does have first aid skills but I think she was so distraught she couldn’t think straight. The lovely neighbour did exactly the right thing and got his temperature down. Now she knows that it was a febrile convulsion she will be better prepared. It was just so frightening for her as it was the first one.

Living in a rural area we are a long way from hospitals and paremedics, hence the delay. Your comments have made me think I should take a first aid course too.

Always lots of lovely common sense available on grans net!

The surgery should have been able to ask the right sort of questions very quickly and then say to ring 999. Anyway glad it all worked out well - it must have been very frightening.

A friend of mine accompanied her dh to their surgery and the GP decided her dh needed to go to hospital asap. He told them to go home and ring an ambulance as it would be quicker! Apparently if the surgery rang they wouldn't be prioritised because the ambulance service would assume there were medics there to look after the patient!!

Totally mad.

I'm glad that this did not turn out to be something too serious. Febrile convulsions are very, very common in babies and toddlers when they get a high temperature - mine had several - so it is worth reading up on paediatric first aid and knowing what to do in an emergency.

Always ring 999 for this type of emergency as this is the way to ensure emergency help. GP's are not equipped to deal with it so it will just delay things to call a GP who will then have to call an ambulance anyway - whereas an ambulance has the necessary drugs and equipment on board to monitor heart rates and support breathing etc and usually can get a direct line to a specialist doctor for additional assistance

When my 11 month old son collapsed unconscious in my arms, I was terrified. I rang the surgery but thank goodness they didn't answer. I ran with him into the street (my husband was at work with the car) and a neighbour rushed us in her car into the local A and E 20 mins away. As we turned into the car park he had a respiratory arrest. Running down the corridors with a blue baby, his life was saved by a nurse going off duty who grabbed him and ran back to Resuscitation with him. The team got him going again. If I had waited for the GP surgery to answer, and then to try to explain to a receptionist what the problem was, he would not be here now.

In later years I worked in GP practice management. The advice staff were given by the GPs was always to advise patients to ring 999 in an emergency. GPs are not there for emergencies, I would implore anyone in that situation to dial 999, or if you can get anyone to take you, head straight to A and E.

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If our area is anything to go by, chances are the babies actual GP might’ve said they couldn’t see him until a week next Thursday so my advice would always be 999 or A&E .

My 2 oldest DGD’s suffered from febrile convulsions which are the scariest things when you haven’t seen them before.

I’m so glad he’s okay now Cambia but be prepared for it possibly happening again if/when he has a high temperature or a virus .

In my experience Izabella is right, a collapse in a GP surgery triggers a 999 call. Having said that I can understand the impulse to call the nearest medical centre, I did the same many years ago when Mr C collapsed. Fortunately I had straightforward advice and help. I’m relieved all is well. We all learn from experience but I hope your niece doesn’t have that experience again.

Totally agree that the GP surgery is not the relevant point of access for emergency care. But at least the OP now knows this (plus anyone else reading this thread) and the infant is well.

Ambulance control have paramedics and sometimes doctors on duty who will always talk you through an emergency. They do calmly and with great experience.

If someone collapses in he surgery the first thing they themselves will do is dial 999.

Total sympathise with you and panic can really take over but in answer to your question the GPs surgery couldn’t send someone out to you they are not an emergency service you have to ring 999 in an emergency and even if they come from further the phone taker will talk you through what to do
Please don’t blame the surgery

Get the first aid training and this situation could be avoided in future. If the temperature had been brought down before it got to this stage there probably would have been no emergency.

Lynne what I am saying is that when a baby stops breathing every one is frantic to get medical help, any medical help as soon as possible. In those circumstances it is not surprising that some people do not initially ring exactly the right number for help at the first attempt.

I have nothing but sympathy and understanding for a frantic parent or grand parent in that situation. I am sure this will not be the first such call a surgery has had and their staff should be trained to respond quickly to tell the person on the phone to ring 999, but in a situation like this where 'emergency' help has such a distance to come,( and this is probably normal for the area), and the child is not breathing, I would expect a doctor to be willing to at least come to the phone and offer some immediate advice and help.

A GP surgery also does not have drugs on site whereas the 999 teams have a limited supply.

Sorry but a GP surgery may deal with an emergency if it happens in their own building but they are not an emergency service and you should, as others have said, dial 999.