AN ANGRY mum-of-two has hit out at a doctors’ surgery for not helping her toddler son who suffered burns after tipping a cup of tea over himself.

Desperate Sarah Doig, 40, rushed her two-year-old son Archie to Riverside Medical Practice after the accident at their Wallyford home last Tuesday morning.

Both mother and son were in tears when they arrived at the surgery at Musselburgh Primary Care Centre – only for her to be left “disgusted” at the lack of help she received there.

She said a receptionist told her to go straight to the Royal Hospital for Sick Children in Edinburgh – and claimed that no doctor or nurse would even come and look at her badly injured child.

The surgery stated this week that it had launched an internal investigation into the incident and was committed to providing the best standards of care for all of its patients.

Mrs Doig told the Courier: “I had made a cup of tea and was going to eat my cereal.

“Archie toddled over and, I don’t know, he may have tripped on something. I don’t know what he did but he fell into the table and moved the cup with his elbow, and pulled it over.

“I saw it happen and tried to drag him away.

“He screamed, I stripped him and ran up to the bath. His skin was all hanging off. I hosed him in the shower with cold water.

“I phoned my dad and he said to quickly go to the doctors’ surgery. They are the quickest place.

“Archie just had his nappy on and I wrapped a wet towel round his legs.”

She said he had been burned on his stomach, elbow and thigh.

Mrs Doig said she took Archie to the surgery, adding: “I was standing crying. I had been hysterical.

“Archie was crying, naked and wrapped in a towel.

“I said I needed someone to look at my son because he had burned himself with a cup of tea.”

But she said that, when she was told by a receptionist she could not get an appointment until 1.40pm – several hours later – she stressed she needed to see someone immediately.

“I put Archie on the desk because he was heavy and distressed,” she added.

Mrs Doig claimed the receptionist came back and told her that the duty doctor said she was to go straight to the Sick Kids’ Hospital.

She added: “I feel that it is just not human to not ask [if he was] OK and look at him because it was burns.

“I couldn’t believe that they would not come out and have a look at him, not even a nurse.

“It was first thing in the morning, at the back of 8am.

“I had to wait in traffic, all the way through Niddrie, to get to the hospital.

“You read about this happening. People go to the doctors’ surgery and they are not really bothered. You think that will not happen here because this is Musselburgh and it’s a community.

“I have just lost all faith in the surgery. I never had much faith in it anyway because I couldn’t get an appointment.

“It is a medical centre and is full of people who should have been able to help with first aid. A little bit of first aid would have gone a long way. I would have probably been better going to the chemist.

“I didn’t get any help at all – it’s ridiculous.”

Mrs Doig said that reception staff needed to be trained better in how to deal with emergencies at the front desk.

She said staff at the hospital helped as soon as she walked in.

Archie was wrapped in cling film and given morphine for the pain.

He was allowed out of hospital the same day but then went back the following day after developing an infection, before being released last Friday.

“I think it was due to toxic shock syndrome,” added Mrs Doig, who said her son was still on antibiotics.

The family are due to return to hospital today (Thursday) when Archie will have his bandages removed and they will receive an update on his condition.

Mrs Doig, who was brought up in Musselburgh, attending Campie Primary and Musselburgh Grammar Schools, is now planning to submit a written complaint to the medical practice.

A family member has already spoken to the practice manager about the matter and is awaiting feedback.

A spokesperson for Riverside Medical Practice said: “Riverside Medical Practice is committed to providing the best standards of care for all of our patients.

"While we never discuss individual cases, we were disappointed to hear of this incident and we will be contacting the child’s mother directly to discuss as part of our internal investigation.”

A spokesperson for NHS Lothian said: “If your child is sick or injured, you should seek help from your GP or your local minor injuries clinic.

“For East Lothian there is a minor injuries clinic in Edington Hospital [North Berwick].

“If you are unsure what to do, you should call NHS 24 on 111 for advice.

“If it is life-threatening, you should go to the emergency department or should phone 999 immediately.”

NHS Scotland says that there are four steps to follow when giving first aid to someone who has been burned: strip hot clothes and jewellery if possible; turn on a cold tap and run the burn under cool water for 10-20 minutes – never use ice – and keep the victim warm; organise medical assistance by contacting NHS 24 on 111, attending an accident and emergency unit or dialing 999; and finally protect burns with clingfilm or a clean cloth – no dressings, fluffy cloths, creams or lotions should be applied – and give the victim painkillers.