Urgent care centre behaviour

[LameyJoliver]

I had to go to our local utterly yesterday for a minor injury - didn't want to but the go insisted!

I have to say that, despite waiting about 3 hours, I was treated brilliantly by everyone I saw.

Unfortunately, the way some people treated the staff was shocking. The place was rammed, and a nurse asked if it was possible for families who'd come with patients who didn't need carers to leave. Blimey! The ranting from mum dad, nan, grandad, uncle, aunt, and fourth cousins who were with adults who were perfectly capable of sitting alone for a while was embarrassing. Actual patients were sitting on the floor to accommodate the family days out.

Genuine carers were polite and apologetic and obviously stayed, but really? Do you need your extended relations for a long wait in a crowded room?

Madness.

Urgent care Centre, not utterly!

All hospital and medical services need a health police service attached to them to stop all the antisocial and aggressive behaviour.

I've been taking my 86yo widowed mum to a lot of hospital appointments recently. The number of patients that have 3 or 4 people with them is ridiculous.
I remember when my DCs were small and the inevitable trips to A&E - again groups if 4-5 people for each child. I can understand both parents in some cases, but not if that means bringing 3 other kids and a granny or too as well.

I agree - it should be one carer per adult.

It’s horrible sitting there with huge family groups all being loud and annoying when you don’t feel well.

It was awful. I was trying to imagine bring my husband, adult kids, and the grandkids with me!! Really odd behaviour for a Saturday!

'Nans got to go to a and e! Meet you all there?' 😄

I work in a hospital and I have always ALWAYS wondered about this.

Is it considered a day out for the whole family? Does the patient actually want a posse around them? Are the relatives competing for closeness? Are these the same families who attend the supermarket en masse?

I've never felt able to ask.

Lol. I did a post a while back about families that go to the supermarket en masse and the majority of replies said I was unreasonable lol.

But it's the same principle.

I've worked in UTC and done some shifts in a
a&E - people definitely, 100% view it as a family day out. It would be comical if it didn't mean actual patients were losing out. The abuse I've had for asking people to vacate wheelchairs for patients who need them is frankly astonishing.

Yes they were the type of family who goes to the supermarket en masse.

I had to attend the Acute Medical Unit a few weeks ago for IV antibiotics, it was so over run people were sitting attached to drips in the waiting room.
One patient came in with three other adults and 4 children. They kicked off when staff asked them to wait outside the ward. Another patient came in with her Husband and a toddler, the toddler was running around, rolling round the floor and chasing a blown up surgical glove that the Husband gave them.

That's just....I dunno!!! Mad

I'm glad (well not glad, reassured maybe!) that's its not just our hospital. I felt so sorry for the poor nurse going round asking who was the patient.

I've been in hospital for a few days after an operation, I've got three quite young children and it's no place for them (post surgical ward and some people are quite poorly and need peace and quiet) so my husband has visited for a couple of hours every day and that's it.

The guy across from me had about six people in until 10pm last night, music on and takeaway food everywhere etc. He's actually had a much more serious operation than me and needs his rest but it's been like a party over there every night! He's a grown up and it's just not necessary.

YANBU

There was this exact thread just a week or 2 ago, having the same experience as you did.

Something needs to be done about it.
I honestly couldn’t cope working in an NHS hospital and I don’t know how the staff do it.

My last experience was sitting on the floor with my DD for hours because most of the other children had both sets of parents and siblings and/or both sets of grandparents.
One child had at least 8 extra people with her.
The siblings are bored and are a pain.
The adults are rude to staff.
It would have been better for everyone if they cared for the siblings at home or took them out and swapped over every hour.

I’ve also lost count of how many drug addicts have been violent and aggressive towards staff.

I’m fortunate I’ve only needed to go a handful of times over the years.

I do think a big part of the problem is not being able to get a GP appointment and I think there needs to be more walk in centres/GP appointments for people who don’t need emergency treatment.

You are describing A&E to a tee. Never understood why it was an extended family spectator sport (complete with picnic).

There should be a rule where a max of 2 people (or 1) should be allow to accompany them.

No siblings should be in there, unless they are a single parent.

Yeah same here. Obviously one adult with a child for example and other children you'd assume they had to bring them, but when its several adults and children it's strange. Of course not for us to judge as could be complex reasons, but I did used to direct people to the cafe when the waiting room was becoming dangerous and stiflingly full up.

I felt a total fraud as my inury wasn't really visible and I didn't think I needed to be there - I did it turned out but I was wondering if people thought I was there for no reason!
I can't imagine what actual a and e was like - people were being sent from there with bleeding heads and clearly broken bones.
Can't people see that clogging up chairs with mum and dad and brother Bob is extremely unhelpful?

Sometimes it's logistics, e.g. I went with my DGM in the ambulance and my DM
packed a bag and followed on behind in the car (we knew DGM would be admitted). That way we weren't holding the ambulance up, DGM had somebody with her, and DM could drive me home afterwards.

But yes, turning up en masse is odd. None of us wanted to be there!

Sometimes it's about abuse and control. The partner won't look after the other children at home because he's convinced that leaving Mum to deal with the kid having their head superglued or her wrist x-rayed will mean that she'll inevitably try to pick up a porter or security guard, talk to a man whilst waiting for a bus - or tell a nurse/doctor about what he's really like at home.

That is a very good point. Frightening too.

Totally agree. I remember my weekly visits to the fracture clinic - regularly having to stand.

Used to get this at my OOH dental clinic. Was always a nightmare, they would all traipse into the surgery and crowd us in then give their opinion on what was causing the problems and so on. Utterly bizarre.

Reminds me of years ago when I was being diagnosed with dyspraxia, the only hospital for assessment was 30 miles away, three buses, and my mum didn’t drive. Dad long left and younger sister severely autistic. My gran drove … but she also had my great gran at home with her, who had dementia and couldn’t stay alone.

Ludicrously, we all went together. I remember my granny who must have been mid 60s or so, my sister age 9, and great granny late 80s all in the waiting room … my granny trying to get them to play eye spy. To this day I have no idea if great granny was just hamming it up but it was comedy gold.