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Original poster

Needing an ambulance/urgent medical care would terrify me just now - NHS on its knees

91 replies

pastypirate · 04/01/2022 11:01

Anyone else? We don't have complex medical needs in the family but anything just now needing medical care really frightens me due to wait times and ambulances never coming and so on. Not a complaint nhs workers doing their best in terrible circumstances,

Is it as bad as it seems?

OP posts:

EnrouteNOTonroute · 04/01/2022 11:03

If you were desperately unwell then you’d still be seen promptly
It’s if it weren’t life or death where it’d be a loooong wait probably

BlackeyedSusan · 04/01/2022 11:05

I think so. being extra careful with allergens and taking less risks. there was a thread on here about not getting an ambulance for chest pains.

TheFairyCaravan · 04/01/2022 11:08

Yes it is as bas as it seems.

DS2 and DDIL are nurses. They were here for a few days over Christmas, the emails they were getting from work about staff shortages etc were frightening. I feel terribly sorry for everyone working in the NHS right now, they’re just treading water. I really don’t want to get ill.

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Original poster

pastypirate · 04/01/2022 11:08

@BlackeyedSusan

I think so. being extra careful with allergens and taking less risks. there was a thread on here about not getting an ambulance for chest pains.

That's how I feel. Dm fell down a tiny pot hole in a nat trust car park in about '18 and broke her ankle. I'm worried something line this will happen again or a fall at home. I can't imagine what the wait times are for that kind of injury now

OP posts:

Pasithea · 04/01/2022 11:09

I have a severe chronic illness. I was referred to hospital 4 times May gp over Christmas. No beds sent home every time.

BeMoreGoldfish · 04/01/2022 11:12

Yes it’s desperate. Two close family members are A&E nurses and have never seen it so bad .

girlmom21 · 04/01/2022 11:15

I think it depends where you are. My SIL is an A&E doctor and they're doing fine.

Thatldo · 04/01/2022 11:17

Feel exactly the same as OP.Britain urgently needs a complete new health system,the current one is sadly kaputt.I belief,if I would get cancer now, I would not survive it.I think,most people just have not realised how desparately bad the situation is.there will be far far more early deaths unrelated to Covid then actual Covid deaths,but no statistic will ever show this.

WeeFae · 04/01/2022 11:20

I was ill a few days ago due to my chemo/cancer, but I was seen straight away (had a friend drive me though) and was admitted for a couple of days. It wasn't life-threatening, just unpleasant side effects, but I think I was extremely lucky to get seen and looked after.

Lupinspotato · 04/01/2022 11:21

Yes, I have a relative with complex needs and it took 10 minutes to just connect to 999. Once the ambulance arrived they were blue lighted to hospital and they easily could have died at home. The NHS staff have been brilliant though.

JackieCollinshasnoauthority · 04/01/2022 11:21

It is quite bad but there are steps individuals can take to minimise the impact on them personally. Learn first aid, make yourself aware of the best places to seek medical attention for various issues (pharmacy, minor injury unit, a&e is rarely needed). We've signed up to beneden which can reduce waiting times for certain issues - it's only £23 a month for two so not extortionate.

In the longer term, write to your MP.

ChequerBoard · 04/01/2022 11:22

@EnrouteNOTonroute

If you were desperately unwell then you’d still be seen promptly It’s if it weren’t life or death where it’d be a loooong wait probably

That's very optimistic given the 9 hour ambulance waits outside A&E that are being reported today.

AlternativePerspective · 04/01/2022 11:24

It depends where you are.

I was in a&e just before Christmas. Ambulance came out within 20 minutes and I was taken to King’s in London because of the nature of my cardiac issues.

The dr said that although she didn’t want to jinx it by saying they were quiet, they most definitely were not overrun.

autismandgin · 04/01/2022 11:24

My best friend is an A&E consultant and she says it’s actually fine where we are. Busy but fine.

Another friend is a nurse 300 miles away and she also says it’s fine. She was expecting her annual leave to be cancelled this month but it hasn’t.

So the NHS being on their knees or toes or whatever is definitely dependant on the area

AlternativePerspective · 04/01/2022 11:26

It’s also worth remembering that we have these conversations this time every year due to flu/norrovirus. I went into a&e in September 2019 so way before the pandemic, ambulance took about 50 minutes to arrive and I had a 9 hour wait in a&e.

lljkk · 04/01/2022 11:27

Terrible for ppl with "routine" problems. I know someone who has been waiting almost 2 yrs for postponed ankle replacement. He won't ever get it done, I predict, was elderly already, and increasingly higher surgical risk.

WeeFae · 04/01/2022 11:28

That's very optimistic given the 9 hour ambulance waits outside A&E that are being reported today.

Depends where you are, the ward I was on a few days ago overlooks the A&E department, and ambulances were dropping off & leaving pretty much within minutes. No queues or backlogs that I could observe.

Justkeeppedaling · 04/01/2022 11:28

According to the BBC NHS app thingy, wait times for ambulances, A&E etc aren't very different from pre-covid - South West.

MortifiedPie · 04/01/2022 11:28

Going to private companies is exactly what the NHS want people to do so they can slash funding and privatise.

We have three trusts near us - the shit one predictably is not coping and had many staff isolating (seemingly only the ones who were working) and over half of them have not actually tested positive it transpires.

Attended a week prior to Christmas and was turned away without being examined.

Two others are busy but fine. One that DP works in quite far away is fine.

colouringindoors · 04/01/2022 11:29

Yes it is that bad. I speak from a lot of experience caring for disabled unstable ds and supporting elderly frail neighbours.

I find it really scary.

Kitkatchunkyplease · 04/01/2022 11:30

@EnrouteNOTonroute

If you were desperately unwell then you’d still be seen promptly It’s if it weren’t life or death where it’d be a loooong wait probably

Honestly , you can't rely on this. We waited three hours for an ambulance for my mum who died days later. When we rang 999 we didn't even get an answer-we were on hold straight away and then told no ambulances. A neighbour was doing CPR on her husband and no ambulance came.

Kitkat151 · 04/01/2022 11:31

@WeeFae

Of course you were seen quickly and rightly so as would all chemo patients, regardless of the Covid situation...they are a priority....chemo side effects always have the potential to Be life threatening. Hope rest of your treatment goes well

AlternativePerspective · 04/01/2022 11:31

Also, the media are loving this. If one hospital has issues the media will report it as the nhs is overrun.

There is a slightly higher absence compared to previous years but it’s only around 7% vs 5% according to what I was reading this morning.

Kitkat151 · 04/01/2022 11:32

@Kitkatchunkyplease. Sorry for your loss 💐...
Was this in the last few weeks since omicron outbreak?

Kitkatchunkyplease · 04/01/2022 11:34

[quote Kitkat151]@Kitkatchunkyplease. Sorry for your loss 💐...
Was this in the last few weeks since omicron outbreak?[/quote]
No, my mum was last few months,still delta, paramedics said many were off isolating and the neighbour was in December.

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