To share ways to make A&E more bareable

Following on from that, meaning I was being seen urgently as possible as it was urgent. I was admitted to ICU after I was seen. I was being monitored by the nurses outside the triage room and kept having ECGs but there was no space, no beds.

Another issue is bed blocking. That affect trickles down to A&E for patients like me waiting 22 hours for a bed. I was seen after 9 hours but there was no room. I ended up being on a trolley in the hall opposite where the doctors sit in case I seized again. There were no beds anywhere. They tried to put me in a normal ward under the car of 'out reach' team (someone qualified may be able to explain more what that means) just to get me in a ward with a bed. There was none. 22 hours.

Yes I could stand up in between. If I took that advice and went home I would've died.

This is absolute bollocks.

I waited 9 hours in a plastic chair and I had 2 seizures in those 9 hours. during those 9 hours there were many many trauma pre alerts on the speaker (you hear them in my A&E) not patient details just 'adult trauma call 5 minutes'

Between the seizures I could stand up.

So yeah, that's bollocks.

Take one of those fold up camping stools so you can put your feet up on it.

Not who you asked but here are the current waiting times where I live

After my last experience, I would also grab a wash bag, clean undies and plenty of sanitary protection if needed. I didn't and after a.life threatening wait in A&E, I was in hospital over a week. First 4 days with no clean clothes, sanitary pads or shower gel. I managed to get some pads from staff, but they weren't able to give me anything else.

Always tell a doctor or nurse if you’re taking any of your own medicines whilst in A&E so it can be noted in case of any contraindications of what the medical staff may be giving you. they may well say to hold off until you have been seen by a doctor. But for important critical meds these can be written up on a prescription chart and then marked as self administered by the patient so we can keep track.

Theres tens of thousands of medications in the BNF it’s not feasible or a hospital pharmacy to stock every single form and type of medication. if a person can only take liquid medications and we only have tablet forms, a lot of tablets can’t safely be crushed and dissolved. we don’t stock every single type of insulin. Patients should be aware of their medications and know which ones are critically important and prepare accordingly. Obviously not in a blue light emergency situation or when you’ve come from outside the home, but if you’re preparing a bag to bring to A&E. Please bring your meds.

A good idea is to have a week's supply in a pill caddy. Record the tablet, dose and day in Contacts on your phone. Mine's called Medicines.

That did not happen. Because people could have possibly died due to it. Not all emergencies prevent you from standing and cause pain.

We are unfortunately very regular visitors to our local hospital and A and E. We've always kept a go bag since youngest was small. We have one with a few changes of clothes for him, wipes, wet bag, a change of clothes for me, portable charger, charging lead, several copies of an all about me document listing his needs and key information, a copy of latest consultant letters. Meds are kept in kitchen a quick to grab. I have a bag of toys that only come out for hospital appointments or visits including a stash of wrapped small party bags type toys so he can have something new regularly if having to wait for a long time, a light wight blanket to hide under, enough safe snacks to get through a couple of hours, water bottles and squirty squash and social stories about hospital/ waiting and communication board. Tablets have favourite films/programs downloaded as signal/WiFi very spoty. We also usually take one of his cushioned seat pads with us. I always have note book, colouring stuff and a few fidgets in my bag. He can be seriously ill and bouncing off the walls, in fact he seems to become more active when he pain.
When taken in by ambulance and no readily available care for oldest paramedics have made sure she has things to keep her comfortable too. She needs these everyday so easily accessible but in the past was prompted to get ear defenders, eye mask
Then we have two bags both with three days clothes that can be brought in if he is admitted and easily swapped for washing. I keep a box of safe foods in the kitchen which would get him through a few days and are organised for husband or parents to bring in. We are lucky to have a good support network and plans in place which makes things easier for us. My mum will bring in his favourite foods if he is well enough to eat after a couple of hours, keep us stocked in snacks and pop in to give me regular toilet breaks if a long wait. She keeps a stock of chocolates/biscuits for staff as we have always been so well cared for despite long waits.

in this situation you should he offered a space and assistance with a hoist but i’m aware this probably doesn’t happen often. at my work we have one “toileting cubicle” (for the patients being treated on the corridor) and half the time the trolley in there is taken to offload someone from an ambulance but i would always do my best to get another one in this situation.

I really wish our A and E dept would have changing facilities for severely disabled people. They obviously have regular toilets and a ‘disabled’ toilet but since our adult son is in a wheelchair, he has to be hoisted onto a bed/bench to change his pad. Our local hospital has a changing places facility but that is by the main entrance so I big trek across the site. You know full well he’ll be called the minute we leave the department.

Aside from the usual phone charger, snacks, water, jumper, as an a&e nurse one of the most important things you should take if you can is any regular medications you take, especially if they’re very important like insulin, parkinson’s meds etc. I’ve lost track of the amount of times people just expect A&E to stock and supply every single medication under the sun while they’re waiting and then it’s a 4 hour wait overnight to get their rare insulin or suspension form of medication from the on call pharmacist or (recently happened) transplant anti rejection meds! that they’ve missed doses of. There’s some really important meds and missed doses can have a real impact on people’s health. Oftentimes patients who are due a medication we don’t stock end up missing doses and the person accompanying them won’t go home to get it because they don’t want to lose their parking space. It’s incredibly frustrating.

It's a fair point but I would be making it clear they would be lying on the floor till a bed was found and I bet someone would magic something up or stop nagging. It's outrageous the way people are treated.

Agreed, at the neurology clinic I go to we have high backed well cushioned chairs but they are wipe clean and pinned to ground. Much easier to wait on

Tbh no I think that's an insane thing to do if you are losing consciousness.

Better to lie on the floor if needed - hence bringing pillows etc is a good plan

Really wondering where you live ?

I had pneumonia and was sent to a and e by my GP. Got there at 10.00am. Was found a trolley at about 2.00 am the next day. I had a cannula put in at about 3.00 pm and bloods taken so had no option but to wait although I was so poorly I was barely conscious at some points. My husband drove up and took turns to take my place in the waiting room for me so I could lay down in the car outside. I was finally given intravenous antibiotics and morphine next morning at about 9.00 am