Mother ‘told to leave Essex GP practice after baby cried’

A mother who took her young boy to the doctors after he broke out in a rash claims she was forced out the surgery because her ill son was crying too loudly.

Jenna Mckinney, 39, booked an emergency doctors appointment at the Church Langley Medical Practice in Essex after her son Junaid came down with a skin ailment.

As she waited to be seen, she was allegedly told to leave the waiting room by a doctor in front of the packed room after receiving complaints her two-year-old was making too much noise.

Ms Mckinney, who lives in Harlow, Essex, said: ‘My little boy had come up in a rash so I arranged an emergency appointment.

‘We got there on time and waited for his name to come up on the monitor.

‘But then this irate doctor came out and told me that he was making too much noise.

‘He did not ask me who I was there to see and it was in front of a full waiting room.’ 

She then cradled her child and moved away from the waiting area to try to limit the disturbance to other patients waiting.

It later came to fruition that Junaid was suffering from hand foot and mouth disease, a common infection that causes mouth ulcers and spots in your hands and feet.

Ms Mckinney said: ‘I did not know at the time what he had, but it could have been something more serious like meningitis.  

‘You should not send people away just because they are crying.’ Jenna has been registered as a patient at Church Langley for seven years, and up until now has not had a problem.

‘I don’t really have a problem with the surgery as a whole, it is just this one doctor who was so rude to us.’

Ms Mckinney has complained to NHS England and the local health authority regarding the incident.

The surgery was contacted for comment but is yet to respond.