The mum of a toddler who says she was denied a face-to-face GP appointment for months later rushed him to hospital for life-saving treatment.
Carmel Cartwright says she tried to book a slot for a doctor to see her chronically-ill son Quinton-Lee when he became unwell at the start of September.
But she claims GPs denied her a face-to-face appointment, instead conducting a telephone appointment and prescribing antibiotics.
She claims last Monday she had to rush her lad to A&E where doctors diagnosed the toddler with bronchiolitis.
Ms Cartwright said she thought her little boy was "going to die" from the lower respiratory tract infection.
Consultants at Calderdale Royal Hospital in Halifax, West Yorkshire, treated the youngster with seven nebulisers and more than 40 puffs on an inhaler, she said.
After his diagnosis, the mum-of-three was shocked to think without her intervention her son may not have survived.
She said: "I thought he was going to die, I had to prepare myself.
“I am not a paranoid parent, I am a good mum, and it is my motherly instinct.
“I told them that there was something not right with him.”
“All they kept doing was giving him antibiotics because they didn’t know what was wrong with him. They wouldn’t see him.”
Ms Cartwright has filed a complaint about the care her son received at Low Moor Medical Centre in Bradford.
The surgery responded by saying it still offers face-to-face appointments, but has received the complaint and will investigate to provide better care to patients.
“On the Monday, I knew something was not right,” Ms Cartwright said.
“I rang the doctors, and they said there is no doctor to see him.
She added: “If I had not brought him in [to the hospital] when I did, I think he would have been in intensive care and could’ve been fighting for his life.”
Ms Cartwright said the doctors at Calderdale Royal - where the youngster was diagnosed and treated - "were absolutely amazing".
But the mum, who is expecting her fourth child, said she has completely lost trust in her GP surgery in Bradford.
She said: "I am currently pregnant, and I will be having my little girl in Calderdale [hospital] because I refuse to go to Bradford.”
“I even want all Quinton’s appointments to go to Halifax because I don’t want Bradford to be involved in his care anymore."
A statement from Low Moor Medical Centre registered manager Charles Strachan read: “We are unable to comment on individual cases.
"We are, though, always disappointed when we hear about any negative experiences anyone may have had at our GP practice.
“We are looking into this to understand more about their experience so that we can continue to improve the care we provide based on people’s experiences and feedback.
“We can confirm that our GP practice has and continues to offer face to face appointments, alongside telephone appointments in order to keep both patients and staff safe during the pandemic.”
