So disgusted with A&E about my son.

[Paranoidandroidmarvin]

My son has a undiagnosed chronic painful condition.

Got to the point today that he was in so much agony. He could walk and Everytime he tried his legs went from underneath him. The doctors at the surgery have given him no painkillers for this condition.

So I took him to A&E. hoping that they would help him with the pain.

Nope. He sat there for over six hours. And they refused to help him as it was a pre condition. He crawled out of that hospital to the door.
When I got there I had to get him a wheel chair as he could walk.

They let a 17 year old unable to walk. Walk out of that hospital with no treatment and on his own as I had to wait in the car.

@purplesequins

but if a&e can't do anything why would they not admit to the appropriate ward?

Because hospitals don’t have spare beds to admit people who don’t need to be.

The OP only gave exceptionally sketchy details so really it’s hard to make any sort of judgement on what should or shouldn’t have happened

@BoredZelda

I think lots of people expect far too little of the NHS. The child was in so much pain that he couldn't walk, that is an emergency and sending home someone in the state is appalling.

I think people expect far too much of A&E, like they can cure all ills no matter what. If they literally couldn’t help him, what else where they supposed to do other than re-direct them back to the people who could help?

But why can't they help him? Trained medical professionals in, I presume, a hospital are unable to help someone that is in so much pain they cannot walk? I honestly don't understand what you are trying to say? They are in a hospital with many trained medical professionals, they have access to many diagnostic equipments, they have access to many medicines but none of these things can help someone who is in pain?

I am not in the UK but whenever I or any family member have been to a&e we have never been sent home and told to make a gp appointment. If whatever the problem is can't be fixed right there and then we have been admitted then had the approrpiate tests to diagnose the issue, then been treated, then been discharged. I can think of one relative that has on going pain issues and she regularly goes to a&e, she is treated each time even if it is just meds to make her comfortable. You are saying though that in the UK they can't even make a 17 year old boy comfortable nevermind actually treat him and that's fine because what are they supposed to do?

@BoredZelda

Leaving a 17 year old in pain to the point they can't walk is being at fault

Not if there is nothing they can do to help. They will have looked at his notes and his medications and discussed it. Or, are you suggesting that doctors who took an oath to help just refused? I know it’s fashionable on here to think A&E is run by fuckwits who don’t care, but that really isn’t the case.

like they know something clever that other people don’t know.

Conversely, people like to act like they know more than the actual trained professionals who looked at the case notes.

Pretty sure no one has to be at fault for there to be anger. I find it remarkably easy to he angry at people who haven't actually done anything wrong.

Thanks just bizzare. Why would you be angry at someone who hasn’t done anything wrong? Be angry about a situation, but to direct it at someone who isn’t at fault? And post on a forum slagging them off? That’s not on.

They can give pain relief. It's a fucking hospital.

Hi OP,

I haven't read all the replies but from the little detail you gave about your sons condition, have doctors ever considered Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome? It's a genetic hypermobility condition with several subtypes. My husband has this and wasn't diagnosed for over 10 years. He was in agony and couldn't walk, his knees buckling etc. He receives medication and exercises every day to offset the pain.

If you haven't already this may be worthwhile suggesting to doctors. You'd have to see a rheumatologist for this. It's quite rare so many doctors either don't know this condition or don't think of it. It generally remains undiagnosed for many many years.

Good luck!

Conversely, people like to act like they know more than the actual trained professionals who looked at the case notes.

That comment would be super relevant to something I’m sure. Unfortunately not to my comment which related to people referring to when it’s appropriate for A&E to be used. People on the internet that do not know what the professionals with access to the case notes would say. So if you remove the ‘conversely’ you would have a very salient point that is in agreement with my comment.

Bottom line - child in very bad pain at a time when GPS are unavailable - go to A&E.

I genuinely don't think the OP has given us enough information for us to make a judgment. Maybe I'm naive but I do think the team at A&E would have their reasons for saying there was nothing they could do. We have a tiny bit of the story here.

@cheesegloriouscheeseyum

I genuinely don't think the OP has given us enough information for us to make a judgment. Maybe I'm naive but I do think the team at A&E would have their reasons for saying there was nothing they could do. We have a tiny bit of the story here.

Totally agree.

@JennieTheZebra

In the NICE guidelines, there’s a distinction between chronic “primary” pain (pain without a known cause, but also includes conditions like fibromyalgia) and chronic “secondary” pain (pain that is caused by a known pain condition, such as RA). The new guidelines from April 2021 tell doctors not to prescribe any strong painkillers for people with chronic primary pain, even if the patient is in agony, as there’s no evidence that it really helps and can lead to dependence. This probably explains the discrepancy between some people’s experience of painkillers in A&E and the experience of the OP-an old pain with no clear diagnosis and no red flags will mean no painkillers.

You explains that so much better than I managed to so thank you.

but if a&e can't do anything why would they not admit to the appropriate ward?

And, what do you think would happen on the ward?

A&E, and indeed the hospital system in general, is not the correct pathway for the diagnosis and management of a chronic condition. It’s not a way to subvert the correct pathway which is via the primary provider (typically involving a referral process to relevant specialties). If this was the case you would have a line around the block trying to circumvent the correct process, which in fact is pretty much the reality ending with complaints when people are directed accordingly. Instead of complaints being directed at A&E they need to be directed to the primary provider (GP) if the diagnostic and treatment process for chronic conditions is not being adequately actioned.

Problem is- from my reading of the op the condition is undiagnosed. I’m therefore not certain how it’s definitely chronic which would suggest a treatment plan etc is in place

But it’s a chronic undiagnosed condition according to OP. Very different to an immediate emergency, unless it is an immediate emergency which would have been ascertained before sending him away to proceed through the correct pathway.

Half of Mumsnet seems to believe that even if your head is hanging on by a thread it's unseemly to go to A&E because we must protect the NHS by never attempting to use it. Sudden loss of ability to walk is surely an emergency??

I also think if you’re getting no response or help from the GP (and let’s face it, there are some areas of the UK now where it’s nearly impossible) then you start trying other options. I mean quite frankly, as a parent with a child in a lot of pain, that is having no joy from the GP and it’s a weekend (or even not) then honestly, fuck ‘pathways’. You’d try anything to get help.