When would you go to A and E about something or even the GP?

[julieca]

I admit I am surprised on MN what people will go to the GP with or go to A and E with. It's not a criticism as I suspect I am the other way and only go if I clearly need medical help.
I have for example visited the nurse, only for her to call an ambulance for me. So I find it really hard to judge when I should go to the GP, and when I should go to A and E.
I have rung 111 after nagging from my partner and went to A and E or out of hours when they have told me to do. But I think 111 tend to overreact so avoid doing this unless I am majorly nagged.
So when would you advise someone to go to a GP and when to go to A and E? By the way I have no issue getting GP appointments.

For myself I’ve only been once in the last twenty years that wasn’t pregnancy related and that’s because I needed stitches. For my children I am much less relaxed and if I had an inkling of concern and couldn’t get a gp appointment I would take them (and have twice).

There is a huge range of illnesses and injuries out there which would treatment. If your not sure you can use 111 online for people over the age of 5.

Last time I went to A and E was after I was electrocuted and GP when I need antibiotics for mastitis. I find it much harder to make the decision for the kids because I don’t know how ill they feel.

I'd go to A&E with an emergency. I have only been once that was when I needed stitches. I am lucky that I am married to a GP though so he can make the decisions on what's appropriate for what malady!

I really don't know either. I think "don't use A+E unless absolutely necessary" is overemphasised in the UK though. It suits politicians to make us blame each other for the collapse of the NHS rather than underfunding.
For example, the other night I had a medical emergency, and I had decided not to bother the emergency services with it as it might have just sorted itself out on its own. Luckily for me my Spanish flatmates (am living in Spain atm) disagreed, called an ambulance, and I was rushed to hospital. In the UK I likely would have been told to just go to the GP next week, which would have been very dangerous.

That’s quite a hard question because there’s obviously a huge range of things that might require either.
I find 111 useful and actually despite what’s often said, I don’t find that they overreact. But we do have a good out of hours clinic here and 111 have booked me appointments there when I developed mastitis over a weekend. And when DD was ill they arranged for a Dr to call me back, and she prescribed something over the phone. They did once send an ambulance for DD but she was a very young baby at the time so I think there’s always additional caution with that.

If I’m not sure, I tend to just look online. I know it’s not perfect of course, but the NHS website is fairly good. For a given symptom or illness it often spells out what to do at home, at what point to see a GP, and at what point (if any) you’d need A&E.

I do think some people completely lack common sense. I had a housemate once who spent Saturday night throwing up, was ok Sunday, didn’t feel great but was ok and kept food down, Monday she called the GP for an urgent appointment
Unsurprisingly the GP basically said, it sounds like a stomach bug you’ve now recovered from, please go away.

The last time I went to a A and E was when I broke my arm as a teenager.

I am on long term medication so I am required to review with a GP once a year. I have also had appointments to tweak the medication.

I also have to request an appointment to get my hayfever medication re issued.

Other than that I literally cannot remember a time I needed a doctors appointment.

@bicyclesaredeathtraps I think it is a dangerous message for people like us. But when I see what people on MN say to go to A and E with, I understand it.

@SickAndTiredAgain Thanks. I have felt stupid when 111 have made me an out of hours appointment, I go and am sure it is nothing, and they confirm that.
Maybe it is just hard to judge? So once when I was in hospital every nurse I saw told me off for not having sought treatment for a burn I had got when cooking. So when I did a nasty burn to myself a few years later, I went to A and E who dressed my burn but gave me the impression I was a time-waster. I don't really know how to judge these things?

I qualified in First Aid. So when I see people on here telling those with significant blood loss, chest pain, deep burns, possible fractures or symptoms of other medical emergencies, I feel so bloody annoyed that a random is so confident in their psychic abilities, they believe they know better than anybody else.

Other than the minor things like removing splinters or suchlike where I wouldn't be allowed to deal with it myself legally as a first aider, but would happily do it for DP, I follow the same principle of 'this is a GP/Minor injuries/A&E/999 job' and feel no guilt, just relief if an actual expert says its fine. Because it's outside my expertise to decide its OK.

@Hodgehog I am older than you I suspect. So I don't go a lot. Once or twice a year to the GPs? But things happen like bad thrush, chest infections, burns, shingles, etc. I am quite accident-prone and I suspect if younger I would have been diagnosed with dyspraxia.

I've gone to A & E three times as an adult, once following a car accident, once whilst pregnant because I was in so much pain with sciatica I didn't know what to do with myself, and then when I had had surgery and ended up with a wound infection that erupted.

A & E, for me, is basically when something is broken or I'm dragged there.

GP - only when I'm really unwell and/or worried, and after having spoken to my friend who is a nurse. If she says go, I go.

Maybe it is just hard to judge? So once when I was in hospital every nurse I saw told me off for not having sought treatment for a burn I had got when cooking. So when I did a nasty burn to myself a few years later, I went to A and E who dressed my burn but gave me the impression I was a time-waster. I don't really know how to judge these things?

It is hard to judge. When I was at uni I injured myself and it wasn’t getting better but it also wasn’t awful. I booked an appointment with the nurse at the GP surgery because I basically wanted someone to confirm that the self care things I was doing were correct. She examined me and then had me wait so one of the GPs could examine me. The GP sent me straight to A&E, who then made me feel like a time waster. I spent the whole time saying “I was sent here, I really wouldn’t have come otherwise”

I went to A&E a couple of weeks ago when part of our old ceiling came down on top of me. Triage nurse supremely unimpressed that I was there and packed me off telling me to take pain killers.

Only other time I have been is when my legs have way when I got out of bed one morning. Again it was nothing to worry about but DH wanted me to be checked out.

GO or Minor Injuries for anything else.

I go to A&E when I'm struggling to breathe when I'm resting - I have asthma and copd.

I go to GP when my body is doing, or not doing, something odd. For example, I got up one morning with tingling in my little finger and a shoulder blade ache on the same side. Turns out I had lung cancer and the tumour was pressing on my spine. Now, I listen to what my body says

Pharmacy for at home treatment of symptoms.

GP for anything that I think needs investigation or treatment like antibiotics.

A&E when I know it's beyond GP for example I have attended for suspected broken hand after an accident and an eye injury (hospital has eye emergency department). If I had chest pains, severe burns, suspected stroke etc I would go straight to A&E or phone 999.

I think I would only phone 111 if I needed an out of hours GP.

Where I live it's between £40 and £50 to go to the GP (no NHS). I think I've been half a dozen or so times in 18 years, mostly for kidney infections. Basically I'd have to be doubled up in pain / crying.

My Mum on the other hand is at her NHS GP on the regular with the kinds of symptoms that would certainly not justify me going to a Dr

A&E I'd go to if it were an accident or an emergency (ie; uncontrolled bleeding, broken bone, severe unexplained pain, breathing difficulties etc).

GP — hate that I have attended quite a lot for ongoing medical problems.

I’ve attended A&E quite a lot. A couple of times 111/member of the public has decided I should go to hospital- they hear my medical history and panic when I am quite calm (light nose bleed and epileptic fit).

Mostly absolutely needed - broken hip and serious broken ankle.
Also bad nosebleeds. I can imagine others judging thinking I shouldn’t be there (ive had a couple of staff behave like I’m wasting their time)

Before you judge someone (even if it’s just quietly fuming and so only affecting your own mood) remember you may not know the full story. I have a condition that causes serious nosebleeds. I will already have been bleeding an hour or more before I arrive- walk in centre say to go to A&E and there isn’t minor injuries where I live.

@Medicaltextbook I went to A&E with nosebleeds a couple of times as a kid, during one of which I was within about 15 minutes of a transfusion. If people haven't had or know somebody who has very severe nosebleeds I don't think they understand. Losing pints and pints of blood is definitely an emergency!

A&E is only for emergencies or accidents. There is a mad number of people who go for things that are not these which is why there is a need for the reminders - it is not supposed to be a short cut to doctors when getting a GP appointment is harder. Yes there is chronic and disgusting underfunding of the NHS (presumably with the intent for us to move to a private system now) but there is also complete mismatch of expectation between what the NHS is for, and can provide, and what the public want. People always go to A&E with mad things, and people always go to the GPs with mad things, things which if they were footing the bill there and then they just wouldnt bother (or be able to afford to).

A & E for broken bones, heart attacks or something that needs urgent surgical intervention.

Anything else is for the GP.

Practice nurse for health checks.

@scully29 see I don't think that is true. People who can afford it would go to GP as much and would expect a longer appointment than 4 minutes. Other people like me would probably never go.

I have been to A and E with a broken bone, suspected broken rib sent by GP, eye casualty with shingles, burn that I think was unnecessary, suspected heart attack - wasnt but kept in for tests, car accident - was unconscious, breathing issues - admitted, and a bad fall down the stairs. It seems quite a lot when written down like that. But only the burn and the fall down the stairs didn't need any real treatment.

I've been to A&E once via 111, but I had called them because I wasn't sure if it was a GP or A&E issue. I've had a couple situations that were borderline and I usually opt for the GP first. But I hate going to the GP. So I put it off as long as I possibly can.

I go to A&E about 2 or 3 times a year. I get pleurisy due to Lupus and have to go if my breathing becomes faster or the pain intensifies in case its a clot.
My Dad was putting off going to the GP with constipation around April/May time, it was actually bowel cancer and he died 2 weeks ago.

I don't know if it's easy or hard to get GP appts here because it's years since I tried to get one. I'm grateful we have an MIU 15 minutes drive away -- I last went there when DS broke his arm 18m ago.

I'm also grateful I don't have any important health issues.

I think last appt (GP) was in 2017, about shoulder pain I'd had by then for 4 years (GP sent me for xray which said not arthritis). The shoulder pain makes my insomnia worse.

Some things I recently had but didn't seek/need treatment for (got better by selves):

bruised rib
funny skin growths (seborrhic keratosis)
possible UTI
knee problem
shoulder pain -- day time.

(current) mild ear infection