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Original poster

10 hours of a&e

104 replies

OnceuponaRainbow18 · 26/04/2022 08:14

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.

OP posts:
ChiswickFlo · 26/04/2022 12:03

SpidersareTapdancing · 26/04/2022 11:41

@theotherfossilsister it's called Minors because you aren't likely to die from it.

Would you rather be in majors or resus taking up a bed that needs to be used for a sepsis patient or a cardiac arrest?

It's minors because you don't need to see a dr, a advanced nurse practitioner could do it with a X-ray.

Majors for sepsis!?

Not where I live!

Mum had diverticular sepsis 3 weeks ago and spent 20 hours in a hard chair in triage before being admitted for a week

I had to beg staff for pain relief and she wasn't given fluids until she was on the ward....

Even very very ill people are being left in chairs for 20+ hours with little in the way of even basic care

lljkk · 26/04/2022 12:09

159 is very precise. Who told OP that?

I'm astounded OP was allowed to wait in A&E with her neighbour. Not allowed around here at all. Here, basically only children are allowed a (single) companion in A&E. OP is very good to wait so long with a neighbour, especially after full day of work. Hope she's catching up on sleep, since.

I was just saying to DH if any of us gets referred for hospital medical care then we best go private initially. Obvs. no help if truly need A&E.

forlornlorna1 · 26/04/2022 12:12

I'm very glad my hospital triages so well. I was in two weeks ago. Seen by triage within an hour, taken through to a cubicle in a and e, admitted to a ward an hour later.

At ours the Triage nurse decides if you need actual a and e, minor injuries, gp lead unit or to go home and contact your own gp the next day. Working very well.

Mrsjayy · 26/04/2022 12:16

Did they really give someone with breathing difficulties ibuprofen?

nokitchen · 26/04/2022 12:24

I had no pain relief for 22 hours. Not given anything to eat or drink and couldn't leave because I had a cannula in. When the doctor tried to take blood after 22 hours I was so dehydrated the only place blood could be taken was my feet. Barbaric

Original poster
OnceuponaRainbow18 · 26/04/2022 13:06

I was allowed to wait, in fact most people had someone with them. Lots of kids waiting with their parents as well, a prisoner with 2 guards.

I know the precise number because I heard the person on the checking in desk telling an angry person waiting!

OP posts:
ChloeHel · 26/04/2022 13:54

That is quite ridiculous…I think you should make a complaint about the medication issue. Firstly, Ibuprofen can cause bronchospasm so it’s not something that should be routinely given if a patient is SOB. Secondly, elderly patients should be taking reduced doses of ibuprofen, so coming back within 2 hours to administer more is a joke! If you weren’t with your neighbour they would have probably willingly taken it. Dangerous!

INeedNewShoes · 26/04/2022 13:55

I had a bad A&E experience recently. There seemed to be ONE triage nurse. The wait to be triaged was 2-3 hours. No medical help before that point.

The night I was there I was surrounded by others who definitely needed to be there. The state of some of the people waiting has made me realise that we have reached a scary point with A&E where even time critical emergencies are being popped into the waiting room along with the infected toe nails. It’s frightening.

Original poster
OnceuponaRainbow18 · 26/04/2022 14:06

@INeedNewShoes

I found it scary, the lady near us was screaming for hours, like what I would call Labour screaming, a young girl was throwing up for about 2 hours, they seemed to be treating kids there as well which surprised me as we have a children’s hospital about ten min drive away. A man was rushed through. And a young child.

it was defo ibuprofen as I’ve never seen a bright pink pill before so asked what it was

OP posts:
Doubletoilandtrouble · 26/04/2022 14:16

I was in A&E a few months ago (heart issues). One women was shouting and really cross because she thought that people repeatedly were seen before her. She had a bad tummy ache and she said that it had been there for quite a while. The fact that a man with a stroke was waiting or that repeat announcement about people with serious injuries (car crash, knife injury) and estimated ETA might need to be prioritised seemed completely lost to her.

After a few hours I think she was sent off to some out of hours GP as the waiting room was overflowing. Was very nice to get rid of her shouting….

Motherofcats007 · 26/04/2022 14:17

I was in A&E with sepsis whilst being pregnant (second trimester), I was there for 7 hours before I was given any drugs and admitted for a week… and I was told by the staff that it was quick. I just couldn’t believe it given how many sepsis posters there are around the hospital saying it needs immediate treatment… the medical system in the UK is just broken

Original poster
OnceuponaRainbow18 · 26/04/2022 14:25

@Motherofcats007

Gosh, that is scary! I am glad you recovered.

yes whilst I was waiting I googled how to diagnose a heart attack and it said getting an ecg scan within ten mins….. it took 8 hours!

I will call my neighbours daughter later today to see how she is

OP posts:
ResentfulLemon · 26/04/2022 14:28

You can't get in our local A&E unless it's a clear emergency that would ordinarily be brought in by ambulance or you've been triaged over the phone and given a time slot to present yourself and they're still bursting at the seams with ambulances unable to offload patients.

The Conservatives want to destroy the NHS so they can justify breaking it up for privatisation, they're doing a pretty good job.

ittakes2 · 26/04/2022 14:39

My husband went yesterday for a head injury - was diagnosed with concussion. He waited 6.5hrs to see a junior doctor. There was only this one junior doctor on staff which was why the wait was so long.

YellowMonday · 26/04/2022 14:51

It's the same here in Australia. I had a (push) bike accident 5 weeks ago and thanks to a careless driver ended up face first hitting the road.

Lost consciousness for a few minutes, blurred vision, and significant blood loss from a 8cm face lac down to the skull. Ambulance was called and took 30 minutes to arrive. Straight to hospital were we were ramped for 90 minutes, very uncomfortable in full spine precautions and no pain relief due to head injury.

Once in a bed in the ER, treatment was impeccable but the poor staff. So overwhelmed and stressed. Wasn't transferred to a ward until 3am, 9 hours after being admitted.

I was very lucky that a plastics team could operate the next morning, and drs agreed to let me go home the next night as I live 5 minutes from the hospital despite the concussion.

Silkierabbit · 26/04/2022 19:34

I am doing chemo for breast cancer atm and it is scary how the hospitals are at the moment, very short staffed. In last chemo session the nurses working 12 hour days where sometimes having to run between patients and then an emergency came in (which generally on chemo can be life threatening) and there was nowhere for them to go so staff were discussing putting them in the very crowded corridor or trying to rearrange the furniture in the chemo room to make space for an extra bed.

I had an operation booked for Monday and I asked could someone go through risks with me before hand and I was told no, they would not have time to do that and the operation and earliest anyone can talk to me is 5 May. In chemo one of the nurses was saying to the others what they were doing to me was dangerous but they just carried on. No idea if its dangerous or not but its worrying that there isn't anyone you can ask. The oncologist said some people in the high risk, definitely need chemo category of Prosigna are now not being given chemo 'as an experiment'. That was quite concerning as she said it went to a score of 60 and mine was 44 and I have a 8% more chance of being alive in 10 years if I do chemo. and it would be people higher risk than me being denied treatment. I have just had my chemo cancelled for 2 weeks. There just aren't the staff. Lots of the staff in the chemo unit are leaving and there are lots of inexperienced staff. A&E is much worse, went in there in October and all the people I know with cancer admitted to A&E have caught covid there and been made to wait ages even though we are supposed to be seen on chemo within the hour. I was in Wales recently on chemo and felt very ill, called ambulance and told an 8 hour wait for one. Its being deliberately run into the ground. The GP situation is not helping, my cancer took 4.5 months to be referred by them, which means I need chemo, but its far worse than just GPs though sorting out the GP issue would be a step forward.

SunshineCake · 26/04/2022 19:36

Before covid it wasn't great. My Dh presented at A&E with symptoms of a heart attack and said his sibling had recently had a heart attack. He waited 40+ minutes to be triaged and that was only because I asked twice and on the second time said he was looking and feeling much worse. Less than a minute of being triaged he was rushed off.

Sort out the GP surgeries and it will ease the pressure on A&E plus promoting the capabilities of pharmacists as I am sure they could give more guidance, which then frees up doctors, that some people might not know.

BonnyandPoppy · 26/04/2022 19:47

My 92 year old neighbour died yesterday at home. There were two ambulances here, one for over two hours. He was trying to get hold of her gp but couldn’t. He then phoned the police and we had two police cars here for another two hours before they released the body to the undertaker. She was diagnosed as being terminally ill with lung cancer and had palliative care nurses visiting her daily. Surely there was no need for that level of response!

Redglitter · 26/04/2022 19:50

The ambulance system is so broken here that ambulance service are now sending taxis to people to convey them to A&E. Its absolutely shocking. Most of the people we encounter at work who insist on an ambulance don't need it

Redglitter · 26/04/2022 19:56

BonnyandPoppy · 26/04/2022 19:47

My 92 year old neighbour died yesterday at home. There were two ambulances here, one for over two hours. He was trying to get hold of her gp but couldn’t. He then phoned the police and we had two police cars here for another two hours before they released the body to the undertaker. She was diagnosed as being terminally ill with lung cancer and had palliative care nurses visiting her daily. Surely there was no need for that level of response!

If they can't get a gp to authorise the death certificate then the deceased will likely have to go to the police mortuary.
I know when we deal with a death 2 cars attending isn't unusual. One to deal with it & usually a Sgt will go just to confirm everything is OK & nothing is untoward.

Ambulances usually leave as soon as Police arrive. Their job is basically done. 2 ambulances tied up for hours seems crazy

whenwillthemadnessend · 26/04/2022 19:59

Yep I was there today with my son by suspected fracture, we were there two hours but this was an urgent care unit not actual A&E and that was pretty busy, there was at least 30 people in front of u. lady in the waiting room with us told us that a few weeks ago she was at local A&E with her mother-in-law and they were 169 people in front of her absolute nightmare and a disgrace!

It took 30 minutes to just to register to be seen and I was listening to all the different people as it wasn't exactly confidential,We had to talk loudly to be heard over the Perspex screen. at least three of them could've been seen by GP so unless this GP problem is solved I don't see what the answer is.

MissyB1 · 26/04/2022 20:01

Yep this is the NHS after far too many years of Tory Government. They are systematically dismantling it. Then they can say “oh dear it’s broken let’s bin it”

if you want the NHS to improve (and actually survive) don’t vote Tory.

Jem57 · 26/04/2022 20:05

My hubby had an infected stye on his eyelid,went to pharmacy where pharmacist told him he needed an antibiotic as eye was closed over.Told him to go to doctors reception in same building for a prescription,she wouldn’t even consider asking the doctor and told us to go to A and E.Total joke,obviously we never went and he just suffered until it burst.

cptartapp · 26/04/2022 20:34

Whatwouldscullydo · 26/04/2022 08:19

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.

Doctors are seeing patients. But our clinics are rammed for weeks ahead, as they have been for months.
Chest pain and shortness of breath is an A&E job anyway. Not a GP.
A prime example of why such misconceptions lead to such a lengthy wait in general practice. Inappropriate presentation.
And no staff of course.

Whatwouldscullydo · 26/04/2022 20:49

You haven't met my drs. In between messages saying they are closed in the morning/afternoon for training, they are closed for staff sickness , and on 1 or 2 occasions " we are busy with the vaccine programme don't call us unless you are dying " there are multiple posts a week on next door app, over no one answering the phone, no appointments available, reaching end of an 18 long phone queue only to be hung up on, no one calling back, and that econsult has been ditched but nothings taken its place.

Its been designated one of the worst in the area