Spent 5 hours yesterday at the hospital after being kept awake for 3 nights running by our 9 month old who has croup (minor breathing problems). Went to the after hours doctors who, after being seen by a very competent nurse who agreed that Lucy needed steroids but wasn't allowed to give them out for such a young baby.
She spent nearly 5 mins on the phone to the on call doctor who wanted to see Lucy so we were sent up to the Rainbow ward, the hospital's children's ward. They seem to "treat" their patients by keeping them waiting so long that they reach maturity and get transfered to an adult ward.
We were seen by a very young doctor (she looked about 20) who asked me every question at least twice, I started to get the impression she was a bit thick and she didn't really know what she was doing. She even wanted a urine sample. We spent over 4 hours in that consulting room, I had no where to put Lucy down and I could hear the nurses nagging her to make a decision about us. Eventually a senior consultant came in, looked at Lucy and after a minute prescribed the steroids for us to take home.
The steriods worked almost instantly and Lucy is much better.
Now that is how to drive in the snow, not at 10mph 1m from the person in front like the average UK person seems to.