I get that a&e is busy, but was not expecting to be spoken to so rudely

I'm not agreeing that the HVP acted correctly. But I am saying I can forgive them for it 😊

And the reason I can do this is that if I was ill and someone was telling me it wasn't too bad, I'd be telling them how bad it is - and maybe that's what this person needed to do too.

The nurse is a professional, and nobody knows what kind of day she's just had, what came in just 5 minutes before and absolutely nobody acts correctly 100% of the time.

It's not a nice experience for OP to have felt they should leave, but this is where it would have all worked out differently with a simple:

"I understand that going to my GP would have made more sense if it was just a little earache but I can I please highlight the following? I believe there to be a foreign body in my ear and my jaw hurts. I'm worried there's infection."

I did something similar at Christmas. "I understand you think I should be in urgent care but actually this has happened before and I fear it could turn to sepsis." And it's a good job I did speak up. I wasn't upset with the person for thinking otherwise. You just move on from it.

I'm not agreeing that the HVP acted correctly. But I am saying I can forgive them for it 😊

And the reason I can do this is that if I was ill and someone was telling me it wasn't too bad, I'd be telling them how bad it is - and maybe that's what this person needed to do too.

The nurse is a professional, and nobody knows what kind of day she's just had, what came in just 5 minutes before and absolutely nobody acts correctly 100% of the time.

It's not a nice experience for OP to have felt they should leave, but this is where it would have all worked out differently with a simple:

"I understand that going to my GP would have made more sense if it was just a little earache but I can I please highlight the following? I believe there to be a foreign body in my ear and my jaw hurts. I'm worried there's infection."

I did something similar at Christmas. "I understand you think I should be in urgent care but actually this has happened before and I fear it could turn to sepsis." And it's a good job I did speak up. I wasn't upset with the person for thinking otherwise. You just move on from it.

SHE WAS IN MINOR INJURIES

(have you cashed the cheque yet)

The nurse shouldn't have spoken to OP the way that they did, but let's just think about what else may have come through the doors that evening for the nurse to rant in the way she did.
If someone comes in complaining of earache when you've just dealt with a trauma you may rant a little.

No, you may not. It is unprofessional, unhelpful and means you are in the wrong job.

Thanks all. I have a pretty stressful job and manage to be polite to people much worse than me almost every day of the week!

Not and accident or an emergency. You should have phoned 111 and taken advice from them. Probably have been sent to a walk in centre.

🤣🤣
im nearly deaf already!
it was the end of my hearing aid that was in my ear
🤣

🤣🤣
im nearly deaf already!
it was the end of my hearing aid that was in my ear
🤣

That's strange as in many areas it's Blanket no

You were lucky they didn't cause ear damage or deafness

You definitely didn't need to go to a and e

At a push a walk in especially if it has been in there a while

People take the mick at a and e going for absolutely nothing cases like this, and you often see entire families there like it's a jolly day out

All of this just says to me:

Nurse needs to hold her tongue until she has heard full information. Full information will likely be longer than one opening sentence.

Then she can make a judgement....

In the name of this thread it literally is mentions A and E. I had read further down that the OP had mentioned minor injuries but went along with A and E because that's what it mentions. I can't change that.

My post was somewhat reflective of what I felt OP should consider doing now she was home. In truth, I wouldn't have left. I would have apologised for any misunderstanding of where I should and shouldn't have been, ensured the reasons for me being there had been fully understood and asked where else I should have been.

This would have highlighted a few different things:

I had turned up after already seeking advice

I had been told by X amount of people that I should be here

The situation is worthy of assessment and not to be dismissed.

OP, doesn't mention if they had reiterated or made it clear how bad the situation was to the nurse.

The nurse shouldn't have spoken to OP the way that they did, but let's just think about what else may have come through the doors that evening for the nurse to rant in the way she did.

If someone comes in complaining of earache when you've just dealt with a trauma you may rant a little.

If that person then made it clear that they were actually very much in pain, had saught alternatives and still arrived here: there may have been a reassesment.

I'm not excusing her behaviour, but saying... let's think about the other person's perspective for a second.

There are also people who would go to A and E instead of a routine GP appointment- maybe the nurse felt this particular patient should have known to access the GP service (again, patient would have then explained the history of this).

Either way, it seems OP is sorted now 😊

That's strange as in many areas it's Blanket no

You were lucky they didn't cause ear damage or deafness

I don't disagree. But I wouldn't have just left either. I'd have explained my reasons for being there.
I can see why OP might not have felt they could but I think a simple "I've been to my GP. They told me to come here. The pain is in my jaw and I'm worried about infection" would have changed this.

Glad OP is now sorted 😊

All of this just says to me:

Nurse needs to hold her tongue until she has heard full information. Full information will likely be longer than one opening sentence.

Then she can make a judgement....

Yes, I know what happens in A and E and probably could do that job. I have been a hospital consultant for over 20 years. In my early years as a junior, I was doing 56 hour shifts, a large part of it spent in A&E. It was pretty damn stressful but I never let myself be rude to patients. No regrets.

In the name of this thread it literally is mentions A and E. I had read further down that the OP had mentioned minor injuries but went along with A and E because that's what it mentions. I can't change that.

My post was somewhat reflective of what I felt OP should consider doing now she was home. In truth, I wouldn't have left. I would have apologised for any misunderstanding of where I should and shouldn't have been, ensured the reasons for me being there had been fully understood and asked where else I should have been.

This would have highlighted a few different things:

I had turned up after already seeking advice

I had been told by X amount of people that I should be here

The situation is worthy of assessment and not to be dismissed.

OP, doesn't mention if they had reiterated or made it clear how bad the situation was to the nurse.

The nurse shouldn't have spoken to OP the way that they did, but let's just think about what else may have come through the doors that evening for the nurse to rant in the way she did.

If someone comes in complaining of earache when you've just dealt with a trauma you may rant a little.

If that person then made it clear that they were actually very much in pain, had saught alternatives and still arrived here: there may have been a reassesment.

I'm not excusing her behaviour, but saying... let's think about the other person's perspective for a second.

There are also people who would go to A and E instead of a routine GP appointment- maybe the nurse felt this particular patient should have known to access the GP service (again, patient would have then explained the history of this).

Either way, it seems OP is sorted now 😊

Firstly OP wasn’t in A&E. The triage nurse was minor injuries and the only reason she was ‘stressed’ was because there was a long waiting list. OP also said that she didn’t let her finish what she was saying about having a simple earache and only discovering the foreign body the previous day. Had she not interrupted she would possibly have had a different opinion based on actual fact, not supposition - isn’t fact what’s needed when taking a medical history ?

Secondly, her own GP directed her back to A&E the following morning - as many posters with medical experience have said here, most GP’s are not set up for this sort of thing and will refer to whatever other services they have available in their area. In OP’s case A&E, so entirely appropriate that that’s where she should have gone in the first place, as she was subsequently sent through to minor injuries.

We know the NHS is on it’s knees and we know staff are overworked, but there is absolutely no excuse for an HCP to be so rude and dismissive of a patient that they leave without treatment. Yes, the decision to leave was on OP but it’s hardly surprising having been treated so badly just for having the temerity to ask for help. And now it appears that the condition is much worse, so treatment is likely to take longer and cost more. Looking at what else can be done now, I’d suggest that the route for appropriate care be made much clearer and more easily and quickly accessible for those who need it, instead of blaming the patient for a system that is clearly broken.

Recently, if they’ve got the correct tools then they can do it

Recently? Or years ago?

Because ED is for major incidents where you are likely to die or unlikely to repair without fairly immediate specialist attention.

Broken bones, severe head injury, needing stitches, urgent x-ray required to establish if someone is broken, heart attack etc.

People nip of to A&E with all sorts. My friend is a resident Dr and she's looking for a different job as she's so sick of treating people that don't need to be there.

I was in a couple of months ago post seizure with my son. New seizure activity. We waited absolutely ages because of the time waters. There was a child who was constipated secondary to poor diet. Parents had a GP appt for the next day but decided a night out to A& E was more convenient, a 6 year old child with tonsillitis, a teenager who "didn't feel well" and Mum had brought her knitting and a KFC with her, a kid with a supposed sore ankle who was bombing around happy as a clam whilst her Mum excitedly phoned everyone in the phone book to tell them she was on hospital.

Meanwhile there was a toddler who arrived with partial thickness burns and a 5 ISH year old with severe concussion. They really did need seeing quickly and that's where the staff want the attention to be. This is why the staff are very irritated.

Yes, I know what happens in A and E and probably could do that job. I have been a hospital consultant for over 20 years. In my early years as a junior, I was doing 56 hour shifts, a large part of it spent in A&E. It was pretty damn stressful but I never let myself be rude to patients. No regrets.