Health Anxiety clogging up A&E

[Influencerofcrap]

Im really pleased that finally someone within the NHS has come out and said this.

Having been treated myself in A&E, in the corridor (outside triage) due to lack of cubicles, I was genuinely shocked at the amount of patients that attended who shouldn’t have been there. I’m not talking about those that were genuinely ill and couldn’t see the GP and had no other choice but the ones that were clearly anxious about their health and symptoms that didn’t warrant an A&E visit. They were all sent on their way but it still was time that was taken away from those patients that genuinely needed help. I wonder what the answer is to this, because something has to change.

Health anxiety not emergencies clogging-up A&E

Absolutely agree

How do you make a doctor prescribe IV antibiotics? Emergencies aren’t just strokes and heart attacks. There are plenty of infections that are very serious and require A&E.

100% and whilst step 1-3 are under resourced and underfunded I can’t describe how bad that gets at step 4 which is what the student n you describe needed. Step 4 is for severe and enduring and where crisis services sit and the waits just get worse.

i recall a couple of years ago there were less than 10 MH professionals covering the entire area with a population of over 70,000 😞

Amazed at people getting angry at other people visiting A+E on the advice and guidance of health care professionals such as GP (mine told me that I shouldnt try to make appointments with them for severe abdominal pain but to go to A+E), or 111 (every interaction Ive had with them they have sent an ambulance for me who have taken me to A+E) or consultants whose treatment management guidance is being followed

No you cant always stand outside of the GP surgery to wait for appointments as they are phone only and you cant get through

What did people with health anxiety do before the NHS? Was health anxiety so big an issue before the NHS?

I genuinely believe that a social insurance system like in other parts of the first world would help greatly. Where a small amount of money has to change hands and is then reclaimed. Obviously with safeguards for the economically vulnerable.

@xRobin again, a post full of presumptions.

The first time, I was practically passing out. It was a Saturday evening, I was vomiting, couldn't keep anything down, I had a blinding headache and a fever of 40°. 111 said they would be sending an ambulance, I said no and got a lift into a&e where I was then given antibiotics and fluids.

The second I had gone to bed around 5:30pm with a blinding headache and didn't like the light. My mum came up about three hours later and I was unresponsive so she called 999 because she was concerned I had meningitis. (Because of the sensitivity to light).

In both cases I was seen pretty much immediately and the doctors in A&E confirmed I/my mother had done the right thing, and I was incredibly apologetic.

I definitely am not a person who "cannot be bothered to get out of bed for my GP's opening hours". Outside of my sinus issues I rarely see my GP, or use the NHS at all.

You just sound incredibly judgmental and bitter about other people daring to access the healthcare they pay for.

I’m aware of that. If you’d read my earlier comment you’d have seen my 1 year old nephew died of Meningococcal Septicaemia after waiting in A&E for 16 hours for antibiotics because the staff were swamped with people like this poster who is a literal adult with a cold.

@xRobin I live in a rural area.

The boots pharmacy closes at 1pm on a Saturday and reopens on a Monday morning. The other pharmacies are Monday-Friday. My closest Asda pharmacy is 25 miles away.

You sound like you're giving yourself a heart attack, you need to calm down

I dont know about the person you're quoting but pharmacists wont touch me as I have a history of conditions, not for UTIs (history of kidney infections) not for sinus infections (chronic condition)

I'm so sorry.

@soupyspoon I'm exactly the same.

Pharmacy won't touch me because of my history of steroid nasal sprays making it worse. But I guess I should've just hoped my 40° fever broke and I didn't die, and got myself online to the GP at 8am on Monday.

This is an idiotic comment.

See, now that in itself is excessive isn’t it? I sound like I’m giving myself a heart attack.
Honestly some people on MN bewilder me.
Maybe if I sound like I’m giving myself a heart attack I should pop down to the local A&E.

I’m not sure where in the country people are waiting 2-3 hours in A&E. Last time I needed antibiotics I absolutely couldn’t get a GP appointment, so I phoned 111 and was directed to urgent care. It was Thursday lunchtime and the estimated wait time was 14 hours.

I have a card in my purse that gives the recommended dosage of antibiotics for an acute inflammatory episode - I have no lymph nodes in one arm due to the “health anxiety” that turned out to be breast cancer. I’d left it for a few days and hoped for the best because I couldn’t see or talk to a GP. But the pesky thing got worse. Damn those 32.missing lymph nodes.

I had no intention of bothering A&E with this infection that I have been repeatedly told by doctors could easily become sepsis, because after all, I didn’t have blood spurting or bones sticking out. Back to 111 and a GP called me the next day to prescribe the antibiotics as stated on the card in my purse.

I could have just not bothered the NHS and died of sepsis quietly in my bed. That would have brought down the waiting list.

So now you’re backtracking from saying all pharmacies were closed on the weekend so you had to go to A&E to now there was a pharmacy open until 13:00 but you still had to go to A&E?

@xRobin no. You're misunderstanding due to your hysterical state.

The pharmacy closed at 1pm on the Saturday.

I became very unwell (as in, couldn't manage it at home) at around 7pm. I started vomiting and paracetamol was no longer doing anything. My mum called 111 at around 10:30pm when I wasn't able to stand properly.

I think you need to take some time away from this thread.

Tbh I dont think its just the patients who are anxious.

Never been in a&e so many times in my life since having children. GP and 111 here will just not even see a child half the time and say straight to a&e.

I’m sorry but calling yourself incredibly unwell and deserving of being in A&E because you’ve got green snot, earache and a headache is absolutely behaving like a hypochondriac.

I do think they should try to improve the service you get from 111 - that might prevent a few people from turning up at A&E unnecessarily.

I phoned them once at about 3am when I had horrendous stomach pain from either food poisoning or a gastric bug, and the advice was, "Don't eat any hot or spicy food." As if I was about to order a curry at 3 o'clock in the morning.

cerisierblossom · Today 20:56

** I did self care at home. I did it for four days. It was a weekend. I called 111 and they directed me to A&E, because the pharmacies weren't open.
Should I have waited another two days just in case?

Despite my hysteria, I don’t think I’m misunderstanding your dire need for attention.
You practiced self-care for 4 days. That means you avoided the opportunity to visit the pharmacy on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and even Saturday morning to then suddenly need A&E on Saturday night?

You’ve been commenting on this thread for 5 hours hun, I think it might be you that needs time away from your phone and maybe pick up a self-help book.