10 hours of a&e

[OnceuponaRainbow18]

I took my elderly neighbour to a&e last night as they were short of breathe and had chest pains. It took 5 hours before she was seen once, and ibuprofen and paracetamol was given. This whole time I was sitting on the floor, nothing for another 2 hours when a nurse came over to her and gave her 2 paracetamol and 1 ibuprofen- two hours since her last dose… she would have happily taken the pills but I told the nurse she’d had her last pills 1 hour and 45 min ago, they looked at her notes and said ah ok she can have them in 30 min then- I thought it should be 4 hours!

another 2 hours of sitting on the floor , 12 ambulances waiting, 159 people waiting in the waiting room to get triaged. Absolute hell really. I rushed there from work, so no charger, no drinks, no food, no money to buy any of this!

not really sure why I am posting but it’s scary how many people need medical attention. She finally got a comfy chair 10 hours after we arrived.

I can almost guarantee that 159 people did not need to be at A&E.

This is all a result of the drs not seeing patients.

Its a joke.

A&e is full of people who don't need to be there but probably rung up at 8 only to be told there were no appointments free.

Yup, it’s really really busy.

Did she get triaged fairly quickly? What was the problem? With the benefit of hindsight (and a horrible 10 hour wait) was it worth going in? Did 111 send you (although with chest pain and DIB I suspect they’d have sent an ambulance)?

I had the opposite experience - DH with urine retention and fever post-op was triaged and seen immediately, treated and out within 45 mins. Couldn’t praise them highly enough.

Did they triage? Was she referred from 111? I agree the amount of people in A&E is horrendous but I'm not sure all need to be there.

Absolutely! Was there a sign up saying this number?

Was she admitted in the end @OnceuponaRainbow18?

The drug error needs reporting. And yes, it's four hours between doses.

The drug error needs reporting. And yes, it's four hours between doses

Is ibuprofen even recommended with breathing problems. I'm.sure I.was advised to avoid it when dd1 had asthma?

A lot of people can't take ibuprofen, I'm surprised they're routinely giving it.

Is ibuprofen even recommended with breathing problems. I'm.sure I.was advised to avoid it when dd1 had asthma?

I don’t have asthma or any other chest condition, but I feel like I can’t breathe if I take ibuprofen. DD is the same.

I was 13 hours in A and E last week. Sitting on a plastic chair when I was waiting to be admitted for pneumonia. Was sent there by GP at 10.30. Triaged after 2 hours. After 6 hours had bloods taken and had a cannula put in. At 1.00 am finally taken through onto a trolley. Not seen by a doctor until 6.00 am the next morning when I was put on a drip and started on intravenous antibiotics. 30 hours til I got a bed in a ward.

At our hospital if you don't need to be there they send you to medoc in the same building , if it needs more investigation and wait and see , which will be your neighbour ,its minors which can vary depending what tests she needed , and majors for more acute incidents . A&E is the place for breathing difficulties and chest pain , even if it doesn't turn out to be serious , but it is awful at the moment .

I was at A&E a couple of month ago via GP referral. Luckily I was seen within less than 2 hours. I was truly shocked at what I saw and had so much sympathy for the staff.

Someone came in with a sore toe. Asked how long it had been like that, “18 months”. Have you seen your GP? “No”. Triage nurse looked, asked some questions and said probably gout. He was told to go. Child with a seriously minor cut lip (he was being fed/eating crisps no trouble) the mum demanded be seen by doctor. Lots of aggression about wait times and stopping staff with a patient to interrupt and complain. Elderly patient with possible dementia being violent to the paramedic dropping them off. Police in there restraining someone very very drunk.

I’m not a doctor and you can’t ‘see’ all ailments but given what people were saying on the phone, many of them were not A&E cases, although I suppose the trouble is some can’t see a GP so go there.

Staff I saw could literally not have been nicer. Felt so bad for them.

Busy, yes. 159 people being triaged? Unlikely. I hope your neighbour is ok.

Busy, yes. 159 people being triaged? Unlikely. I hope your neighbour is ok.

My friend called an ambulance for her husband and waited 8hrs, followed by a 9hr wait in a&e. He was then admitted and is still there 8 days later so his condition wasn't something and nothing. It's life-threatening.

My friend called an ambulance for her husband and waited 8hrs, followed by a 9hr wait in a&e. He was then admitted and is still there 8 days later so his condition wasn't something and nothing. It's life-threatening.

My friend called an ambulance for her husband and waited 8hrs, followed by a 9hr wait in a&e. He was then admitted and is still there 8 days later so his condition wasn't something and nothing. It's life-threatening.

My friend called an ambulance for her husband and waited 8hrs, followed by a 9hr wait in a&e. He was then admitted and is still there 8 days later so his condition wasn't something and nothing. It's life-threatening.

I was in A&E last week as one of my DC had fallen and hurt their head badly, we were prioritised and seen very quickly due to this but the time we were in the waiting room you'd hear people going to the desk to book in with the most ridiculous reasons, one with an infected toe nail, one with a bite that had gone swollen and red and not gone down after taking one antihistamine. That was just the two I heard. We left 7 hours later and both were still in waiting room! Previous posters are right, people can't get GP appointments so they're treating A&E as such.

I was in A&E last week as one of my DC had fallen and hurt their head badly, we were prioritised and seen very quickly due to this but the time we were in the waiting room you'd hear people going to the desk to book in with the most ridiculous reasons, one with an infected toe nail, one with a bite that had gone swollen and red and not gone down after taking one antihistamine. That was just the two I heard. We left 7 hours later and both were still in waiting room! Previous posters are right, people can't get GP appointments so they're treating A&E as such.

I was in A&E last week as one of my DC had fallen and hurt their head badly, we were prioritised and seen very quickly due to this but the time we were in the waiting room you'd hear people going to the desk to book in with the most ridiculous reasons, one with an infected toe nail, one with a bite that had gone swollen and red and not gone down after taking one antihistamine. That was just the two I heard. We left 7 hours later and both were still in waiting room! Previous posters are right, people can't get GP appointments so they're treating A&E as such.

I was in a and e in Scotland last month and it was busy but people were getting seen.

Me and another woman were both moved to minor injuries (although I had a broken shoulder and she was being pushed in a wheelchair suspected broken legs, yes both!, which I don't think are minor.) It was lots calmer there and we were both seen, x rayed and casted within five hours and seen by orthopaedics who organised my, and I assume her, ongoing care. I was allowed home that night with an appointment to go in two days later and lots of pain killers. I think she was admitted.

Minor injuries seemed so much better.