Biggleswade mum claims medical surgery showed 'no compassion' for poorly son

A Biggleswade mum has switched doctor's surgeries as she claims Ivel Medical Centre had "no compassion" for her poorly one-year-old son.

Worried parent, Charlotte Swinson, was desperate to book a next-day appointment for her little boy who had a nasty rash, but claims the surgery "refused to help".

She and her family were on holiday in Corfu at the time of calling the medical centre (Thursday, October 13) and hoped to book a slot to attend after their flight landed in the UK on the Friday. However, she claims she was refused both a phone and face-to-face appointment.

Charlotte told the Chronicle: "At this point, I was crying down the phone to them - something I have never done before - and begged them for support; it had been a very stressful holiday with, amongst other things, my husband being taken to hospital. They knew all this and yet they refused to help. I have never known such heartlessness and lack of compassion."

During the holiday, her son had developed a "hacking cough" while his eczema had really flared up, "resulting in a whole-body rash".

Charlotte added: "Since we were travelling home the next day, I rang on the Thursday asking them to book my son an appointment that we could attend after we landed. They refused, saying that I would have to ring the next day at 8am.

"I explained that of course this wouldn't be possible, because we'd be travelling all day. Still, they refused to book a medical appointment in advance and instead said that after a whole day of travelling, we would need to queue up at a walk-in centre instead."

Charlotte claims that she pleaded with the surgery to try and book an advance a face-to-face appointment, (which she says you could do pre-pandemic) but was still told no.

She claimed: "I feel the whole system needs an overhaul - so many people complain that they are unable to book appointments easily, and on a separate occasion, it took me 450 times to get through to them [on the telephone]!"

Charlotte has now changed surgeries following the incident.

The Chronicle contacted Ivel Medical Centre for a statement but did not receive a response before going to press.