To think the NHS is in meltdown?

[Notcontent]

Just had a horrendous experience. Had an accident at home in the evening - lots of blood (head wound). Went to my local A&E as there are no alternatives (no minor injuries walk in clinic or similar). Was told it would be 5 hour wait. Waited for nearly 6 hours only to be told it would be another few hours wait. About 30 people waiting and only two doctors on duty. Central London so very busy. The people doing the triage were referred to as nurses but I don’t think they were - the woman who saw me said she wasn’t qualified to provide an opinion on the severity of it or to put a dressing on. I had to leave without being attended to as I was close to fainting and the environment was terrible - not enough seats, drunk people lying on the floor, etc.

[SaxNitMinger]

Have you managed to get any treatment?

[TheQueef]

A+E at the weekend is a bear pit.

[AdamAntsCrackpotHistory]

So you presented with an obvious head injury and you weren't seen by a doctor, but by someone who felt they weren't able to clinically assist? Jesus. Get on the phone to PALS as soon as possible and keep a close eye on your symptoms and try and ensure someone is with you. If possible get an out of hours doctor appointment this morning. Good luck and hope you get better soon....

[Dimsumlosesum]

They obviously have to prioritise emergencies and didn't view you as an emergency. I remember back when I was younger in a&e waiting 7 hours to get seen to with similar. I wasn't dying, other people were, so they got prioritised.

[Collectingcpd]

Yes, it is, and with people like Adamants around are you surprised?
A 5-6 hour wait is pretty standard in my A&E,it’s longer at the weekend. No seats abailable is normal for pretty much every afternoon. There aren’t enough drs and there aren’t enough nurses and attendance figures have gone up year on year for over a decade. Attracting staff to work in A&E/train as A&E specialists is becoming increasingly difficult - would you want to work in that environment?
You should have been seen by a triage nurse, and if they weren’t nurses they won’t have been referred to as nurses.......we aren’t in the habit of making up names for unqualified people. It isn’t the triage nurses job to tell you how the doctor or ENP (emergency nurse practitioner) will manage your head wound; it’s their job to prioritise your clinical need. If you felt you were close to fainting you should have said. Did you leave with a large head wound that was still bleeding? If you did I’m not sure how you’ve helped yourself as you are going to have to go back or to another A&E and start all over again.
You can write to PALS if you like, but you’ll only be creating more work for an already over worked consultant to sit and write a reply about the busy A&E department that he/she can’t do anything about.

[Eslteacher06]

My dad in the final stages of cancer was left on a trolley in a corridor for hours because there was no space to assess after a fall after he broke his back. He was neutropenic and had been lying on a main road in the rain for an hour for an ambulance too. Apparently, you only got one if you were bleeding/unconscious/ not breathing. I was beside myself with stress as he could have died of he picked up an infection! (He did 2 months later).

A different hospital I had my baby in was in special measures and you could just feel the panic.

The NHS and the doctors/nurses are amazing but yes, it is completely overstretched.

[Collectingcpd]

Elsteacher I’m really sorry you and your dad had such a dreadful experience.

[WheelyCote]

Dont have anything useful to add otger than A+E are amazing for what tbey do. Its not a plavce id work for love or money.
Nhs is very stretched. Our service is increasingly stretched. Staff not being replaced, not signing off on resources that are needed to do the job whilst an ever increasing workload...im not even kidding or exagerating.
I pass A+E multiple times a day and my heart goes out to the people working there.

[kbPOW]

That is what we have all allowed to happen to the NHS.

[OneStepSideways]

I'm sorry you had such a bad experience. A&E gets very busy at weekends and emergencies have to take priority. Did they at least triage you and check your pulse/blood pressure etc?

If your vital signs and pupils are good and you're not confused or showing signs of needing a CT scan, there's not much they can do in A&E other than monitor you. Do you have an out of hours GP you can go to this morning? They can refer you for an urgent scan if you need one.

[ukgift2016]

The NHS went into red when the Tories came into power. Yet people keep voting them in.

[Collectingcpd]

onestep an OOH GP can not refer a patient for an urgent scan in A&E. They can tell a patient to go to A&E, but the patient will go into the same A&E queue as everyone else. The scan can only be requested by an A&E dr.

kbPOW, yes. Many people expect so much from the NHS and make so little effort to help themselves. And no-one is prepared to accept responsibility for anything....everyone wants someone to blame. It will be gone soon.

[YouAlreadyKnow]

If you were in a “Central London A&E” would you be able to make it to Guys Minor Injuries Unit today? Last time I was there I was seen, treated, referred onwards and out in under an hour. The place was empty, so I imagine that had a lot to do with it.

(Disclaimer: despite what many British people think, speed of care does not equal quality care!)

[Eslteacher06]

@collectingcpd thank you :)

@kpPow Do you mean this is what different governments and privatisation of services has done?

[Collectingcpd]

ukgift no one political party can save the NHS, it’s too huge a beast. It’s unrealustic to think that any country can continue to fund a healthcare system for free with an ever aging and getting fatter population and ever better science which can cure at exponential cost.

[BoobiesToTheRescue]

That's terrible.
I split my head open on a weekend which needed several stitches because you could see my skull.
I was in and out pretty quick.

I was going to say perhaps yours was a less severe wound, but the person who saw you said they weren't qualified to judge - so how would you know?

If it was my head and my wound [now you have left] I would give a good wash with saline and take a look and see if it needed stitches or could be helped with steristrips.

I would travel further for a minor injuries clinic if not. It might just need a spot of glue.

Hope you're ok.

[BoobiesToTheRescue]

Also err..... can we have a pic?

[MarieG10]

And meanwhile existing Consultants are now refusing to do any extra hours due to the pension wheeze the Treasury thought up to supertax supposedly "rich" people with pensions.....the result being that ordinary hospital consultants receive tax bills far in excess of the extra payment they receive so they now refuse to do it.

A friend of mine is in that position and she says all her consultant colleagues are. The answer is that they are free to do more private sector work. Completely mad!!

[kbPOW]

@Eslteacher06 yes I mean years of underfunding by the Tories. Labour put more funding into the NHS but also opened it up to privatisation. So yes, it has been brought to its knees. And the effects of Brexit will be (already are) devastating. All public services are on their knees.

[Boysey45]

Yes that's what its like, you can be waiting for hours and die on a trolley.
My friends Dad had a stroke and she was waiting over 12 hours with him in a corridor.

[Seafour]

I'm so sorry for all of you who have had dreadful experiences of A&E departments some of your stories are distressing to read.

I'm currently in hospital with complications following spinal surgery, I was admitted straight to a ward by my consultant, had surgery the following morning to drain a spinal abscess, 10 days in a critical care bed now briefly in a monitored bay (nurse always present) awaiting more surgery on Monday. I believe when you're very sick the NHS still comes through for us.
The flip side is that I know someone had their op cancelled for my emergency surgery and I feel awful about that, I've been there too and it's soul destroying to get that phone call.
A&E departments get the shitty end of the stick, full of people who could have been dealt with by a GP if only they could get an appointment, have MH illnesses but no support in the community, ditto drug and alcohol problems.
There are examples of really good solutions everywhere, like booze buses in Town & City centres to deal with/rehydrate/patch up the fall out from nights out. A&E departments with adjoining walk in centres to see less urgent cases etc but all operating in isolation, not being rolled out most likely due to budgets under strain.

[Oblomov19]

What a shame. What a mess. I can't accept that you weren't seen after 6 hours. Come on. That's just not good enough, is it? Not good.

[nespressowoo]

Go to a minor injuries unit

[elastamum]

I think it depends on where and when you are seen. The NHS is under terrible strain and has to prioritise. I was admitted through a very crowded A&E a few weeks ago with a complex fracture. I walked in holding my obviously smashed arm, was seen by the nurse and they came and got me with a wheelchair within 2 minutes. I was in a state and looked terrible, and my care was fantastic. Still off work a month later recovering from surgery, I have nothing but praise for my care.

[elastamum]

We live in the Midlands. Our local hospital is Derby. It is really good.