Positive NHS A&E

[Hosum]

I have friends/family like most of us who work in public service frontline roles so it seems right to call it out when there is a positive experience.

Dd3 - had a 39/40 temp for the last 3 days complaining of pain.

We rang the GP at 8.40 this morning (missing the 8am queue I normally try to get in for an appointment!) she had an in person appointment at 9.40. With then a referral to A&E.

We drove up to Princess Alexandra in Harlow - obs nurse seen straight away, triage nurse within 25 mins, ENT doctor 30 mins later, A&E consultant 20 mins after that with confirmation on a urine test/stomach exam and then a nurse talked us through the antibiotics and aftercare.

It wasn't quiet! They had loads going on.

Suspected issue from the GP quinsy - actual severe tonsillitis with a warning to keep an eye.

I have separately sents thanks to all involved but thought worth just highlighting both gratitude and that where it performs well - it really does make a difference.

We’ve been to A&E (and once had paramedics called out) several times in the past few years and honestly, I cannot fault them.

Dd broke her arm and we were just in x-ray within 30 minutes of arriving and she was going into theatre for an operation within 12 hours. We received excellent care.

Dh had a motorbike accident (on our farm) and had a bad concussion. Paramedic was here literally within 5 minutes of ringing.

Our GP is a bit rubbish but hospital/emergency care we’ve received has always been excellent, much better by leaps and bounds than the expensive (!!) private health care I’ve received in my country of origin, where we aren’t as fortunate to have national healthcare.

when my toddler DS broke his leg during the first lockdown, children’s A&E were amazing. They were so patient with the fact that DS needed accommodations made as a result of profound SEN, and even though they didn’t carry walking boot casts small enough for him, went out of their way to source one from elsewhere so he didn’t have to have a plaster cast which he just wouldn’t have coped with. The HCA basically pulled the stores apart looking for some orthopaedic samples they’d been sent specially to find this tiny boot, and went to his car to get his own child’s welly socks for us to use with it until we got home and could get our own. They were so kind!

(I did wash the socks and take them back!)