I have been sent to a&e twice for myself and twice for dd in the last couple of months. Each time I have contacted a gp or 111 (asking for an out of hours gp appointment) first, and then been sent to a&e. Each time I have left a&e feeling that it was completely unnecessary to go to a&e and that we had wasted their time and resources.
For example, Friday I had a severe head ache come on. It was worse Saturday morning, Saturday evening I was exhausted and slurring my words slightly, yesterday morning it was excruciating so I called 111 to see if I could see a doctor as I don't usually suffer with migraines and I couldn't stop the pain with normal painkillers.
111 wanted to call me an ambulance, but I refused. I asked for a doctors appointment and was told that I couldn't have one and that I had to report to a&e within the hour to be seen.
I obviously did, as I needed help from someone. I spent most of the day in a&e, ended up having a ct scan, blood tests and painkillers and was moved to an assessment ward.
I was on the assessment ward for two hours before seeing the doctors who told me it was just a severe migraine and there was really no need for me to be there at all. I was sent away with aspirin and triptans and made to feel very silly. I never wantEd to go to a&e!
The last time I was sent to a&e was because the gp decided I had appendicitis even though the pain was no where near the appendix and was following on from food poisoning. I had gastritis. Again, it could have easily been dealt with by the gp, but I got sent to a&e.
I hate feeling like I'm wasting their time, there may well have been people who desperately needed their help and were delayed because of me. I have followed the steps that you are supposed to each time, but end up being an a&e time waster. I have more examples, but this is long enough, sorry!
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To wonder if this is part of the reason a&e is massively overstretched.
68 replies
flanjabelle · 21/03/2016 07:37
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