How long did your recent visit to A&E take?

[Magik01]

I’ve got a friend who went to A&E last night at 9pm, and walked out 9 hours after only having bloods done and no follow up.

it got me thinking, is this the norm for A&E on a normal Tuesday night or is our area just tragically understaffed and long wait times.

if you’ve recently visited A&E how long did you have to wait?

I have written to my MP after I dislocated my shoulder and spent over 10 hours in A and E with it out of place. I actually have a really high pain threshold (and only went to A and E as I have been bollocked for relocating it myself previously) but after 8 hours it was too much even for me and I fainted (into someone's pile of sick on the floor, so that was nice.) I had already spent some time on the floor as there were no chairs. When the doctor saw me they took me through to paediatrics to be dealt with asap (there were no children waiting, I wouldn't have queue jumped over little ones, even covered in sick and the doctor offered me a sandwich from his own lunch, which at 7pm he hadn't had time to eat. I'm relocating my shoulder myself next time!

Unsurprisingly I haven't had a reply from my MP.

Husband taken in by ambulance recently, on a Saturday morning. Ambulance arrived in 25 minutes. Another crew came out 20 minutes later to assist. Transported in within the hour. Had to wait outside for 45 minutes but then triaged, x-rayed and admitted within 3 hours (though not sent to appropriate ward for several more hours, where he was put in a side room on his own. We were very surprised!
it seems to vary wildly from trust to trust.

Last night, seen within the hour but redirected to specialist unit not open until the morning. Assessed and treated there within 2 hours and now home. Feeling very lucky.

My life was at risk, unfortunately. So I didn't feel like I had a choice. It wasn't a decision I took lightly. Of course I had tried friends and taxis but it was the middle of the night on a weeknight. Nothing and no one was available. And I was well aware that I could be left to die from my own experiences. It was very, very upsetting.

I have free parking at the hospital so that wasn't a problem.

There are patients dying at home, outside the hospital, in the waiting room etc and it's not because Joan from up the road has come in with a verucca.

9 hours

Hundreds of people call ambulances and attend ED for ridiculous, frivolous non emergencies. And those are a large part of the reason why people who are in dire need of care die, and wait.

Maybe there needs to be some joined up thinking from the NHS. I had a huge lump (that I now know was a Bartholins cyst) and it was getting more and more painful. I tried phoning my GP, all appointments were gone. This was 8am on Monday morning. I went to the local minor injuries and when I was triaged I was told I needed A&E. I went to A&E and was asked why I was there. When I said it was because minor injuries sent me the nurse rolled her eyes and said 'they're always sending their patients here'. I felt as if they thought I was there for a 'frivolous reason' but what else could I do?

Took my baby (10 months ) was worried about his chest and cough (sounded croup like). Arrived at 11pm and they said would be 4 hour wait. He saw the nurse within the hour. At 2:30am still waiting. We asked and they said it will be at least another 5 hours. We left in the end and called 111 the next morning.

Last time we went we had to go to the next town, we have a and e in home town but we were told by 111 it was too rammed. Then 12 hour wait on the most uncomfortable chair i have ever sat on.