ON Tuesday I rang my GP Surgery to make an appointment for my nine year old son, who last week had fallen, grazed his knee and the wound looked to have become infected.

My GP's surgery opens at 8am by 8.10am when I finally got through there was no appointments available for that day. I asked to see a practice nurses who works within the surgery. I then asked my mum to try later in case there had been any cancellations. Later in the afternoon there were still no appointments available.

After getting home from work I then took my son to the pharmacist at the out of hours surgery to seek their opinion. She too thought it was infected and needed either antibiotic cream or oral medication. She advised I ring my GP to get an appointment.

As I left the pharmacy at 5:55pm I telephoned the surgery, explaining what I had done and what the pharmacy advised. The receptionist spoke to the duty doctor and the response was that if I thought the wound was infected I should take him to A&E. The GP surgery closed at 6:30pm. No offer for me to take him so they could confirm an infection.

Just after 6:30pm I telephoned the emergency out of hours doctors for an appointment, apologising for my telephone call, but explaining that my own GP had refused to see my son. Three returned telephone calls later and an appointment was made for 8pm that evening. The GP was lovely and said that it is common practice for children under the age of 12 to be seen the same day of contacting the surgery.

I think it is ridiculous that my own GP surgery refused to see my son and advise I go to A&E with an infected grazed knee. The appointment at the out of hours doctors took less than five minutes, the wound was looked at and antibiotic cream prescribed. I'm sure that the NHS could save money and time if appointments were carried out more effectively.

Nicola Morris-Oliver

Bolton