So I’m currently sitting in A & E and it’s been eye opening

[Stressedout150]

I’m sitting with my mother who is in here for chest pains. The wait to be triaged is 2 hours and 5 hours overall to be seen.

Here’s a few things I’ve noticed:

1. it’s sitting on the floor room only, and i happen to be sitting next to check in. So here’s what I’ve seen so far.

2. a lady coming in checking in for pain in her toe

3. a lady who was told it’s a 5 hour wait, and after been told that/ was then asked if the wait still applied to NHS staff- as she works for a hospital. She was told yes of course. The cheek of it

4. a chap who checked in his girlfriend due to a headache.

it goes on and on/ I’ve never seen anything like the cheek of some people and also the ridiculous shit people are here for. And even when told it’s a 5 hour waits, they seem quite happy to wait 5 hours for their toe to be assessed.

What the fuck is going on

I asked AI for a breakdown of attendees to A and E by age. I haven’t checked these figures, but they should provide a flavour. From AI:

“The percentages of A&E attendees in England by age group, based on total A&E attendees:

• 0–5 years: 15%
• 6–15 years: 10%
• 16–29 years: 15%
• 30–34 years: 7%
• 35–49 years: 15%
• 50–64 years: 15%
• 65–79 years: 12%
• 80+ years: 11%

These percentages are estimates based on combining the NHS Digital data and ONS attendance rate insights, adjusted to sum to 100% as requested. For the most precise data, refer to the Hospital Accident & Emergency Activity 2022-23 report or the ONS Inequalities in A&E Attendance study.”

Wtf. You’re a horrible little snob aren’t you.

Whenever at A&E I have found myself alone at the triage desk. No-one listening in. Or does everyone shout these days?

Lucky you.

My local A&E has one queue and two desks. You have to stand there and tell them why you're there, in front of the whole queue.

My dad's is similar except the queue/desk is right in the middle of the waiting room, so an even larger audience.

NHS lady obviously still not got over the pan-banging glory days of five years ago.

It's interesting that very few people think to go to a private A&E, which means a much shorter wait and more individual attention (obviously this is not for things like heart attacks and strokes), yet what it costs to be seen there (in London at any rate, I don't know about other places) is pretty similar to the cost of being seen in the HSE A&E here in Ireland, where plenty of people do of course go. It's a cultural thing I guess.

Same here. It’s horrible.

If we went to a European model, it wouldn’t be like this. Can’t wait until we do

Asking to be seen earlier because you work for the NHS is cheeky, the rest not necessarily.

A headache can be serious, i know of a person who had a horrible headache, it was a stroke.

Your condition must not be that serious when you are posting on Mumsnet whilst waiting to be seen. I cannot imagine starting a thread on Mumsnnet if I was in excruciating pain.

@DreamyRedNewt That's very snide. Just read the OP, she is waiting with her mother, whose condition may well be serious.

We have the same. I submitted a request first thing on Friday morning, but they rang in the afternoon when my phone was switched off because I was representing someone at a tribunal. I rang them back yesterday, got an appointment later that afternoon. I had to go back for a blood test this morning, and was referred for an urgent appt at the hospital in case I have giant cell arteritis.

I'd only been back indoors 20 minutes when the hospital rang, and I've got a hospital appointment first thing tomorrow for a scan and possible biopsy.

Of course, the pain is much improved now and I'm worried I'll be wasting their time, but over all I think that's bloody good service. And it would have been even better had I been able to answer my phone on Friday.

Honestly the whole day was a shit show that time with my arm. With my finger I just couldn’t believe I had to go to A&E so the person with the toe in the OP may have been told to go there, even though it seems stupid. It was also in the height of Covid so I really don’t think they would have sent me if not (walk in centre sent me up)

It makes so much sense to me to charge initially (£10? £20?) for an A&E visit, upon arrival.

Then to refund that amount IF the attending physician concurs that the visit was warranted. That should put off the timewasters, but reassure those who might struggle to pay as they will get the money back once their case is wrapped up.

It could all be done (paid and refunded) via the NHS app - or simply cash for those who prefer, later refunded via a cheque in the post for those who wouldn't manage an app/online - and it could even be a 'topped up' balance on the app: people could make sure they have that £10 on their app to use in an emergency if needed.

Similarly, fining those who persistently miss GP appointments could follow...

Go on, flame me!

You really have no idea how poor some people are do you . . .

Exactly.

Or how often some people have to visit A and E because they have life long disabilities. My son for one, having uncontrolled epilepsy so regular seizures that don’t respond to emergency medication at home, despite taking 4 anti convulsives.

But those visits would be refunded.

Soooo, perhaps an 'allowance' for each person once they're 18. Say three A&E visits' worth (£30, for the sake of argument), credited to their NHS app.

And if they spaff that with time-wasting visits (so not worried first time parents, but those who turn up wanting a plaster, or a non-infected whitlow lanced perhaps), then that's on them, no?

I think this would cost a fortune to implement and folk would constantly be arguing the toss of whether it was justified. Someone else told me to attend, 111, GP, child injured at school or club. I think probably a system of co -pays should be introduced £40 or whatever to attend Gp, £50 for A&E, nightly contribution for hospital stays. Set payment bands toward treatment.

Exemptions for disabled people, children and pregnant women. Everyone else pays. Free clinics that you wait however long for. An understanding that healthcare will be less than it was. People taking responsibility for their own health.

I do think some form of care coordinator for older patients would be good. NHS spending per person rises sharply for those who are elderly, my own experience with family members is that they can be on deaths doorstep with cancer and still be getting called in for a multitude of other appointments just to keep an eye on things that there isn’t any treatment plan for.

Any money that can be made / saved ploughed into preventative health care. Getting ahead of health issues rather than waiting for it to turn into an emergency.

Some people cannot take responsibility for their own health and they love the dramatics of being able to tell someone they had to attend A&E and how ridiculous the wait was.

Eek, I'm glad you said that they'd be an exemption for children in your system since my son was in hospital for 10 months until January this year and I couldn't imagine trying to pay for 10 months of hospital stays as well as the other financial hardships having a child in hospital long term causes.

Have had similar experiences in a&e, it can be baffling.

Although rather mortifyingly during covid I found myself having to attend a&e due to an infected in grown toe nail. I was so embarrassed to have to go to a&e for that but I was in a different hospital with my baby (for her) and therefore no GP, so the advice was that I would have to go to hospital. Not even 111. Thankfully I was seen quickly and it did need treatment, they were querying if the infection had spread but I still felt terrible going there!

OP - hope your Mum is doing okay. I saw you haven't posted since early morning and I hope she is getting treatment needed.

My 'local' A&E has a small entrance corridor which doubles as the reception where you have to tell the first nurse what is wrong. People are going in and out all the time, the toilet is in this area, and there are a couple of chairs for people waiting. It's busy and anyone in the area, which is about 5ft wide by 15ft long, is going to overhear because you have to speak quite loud to be heard through the screen, and over the noise of doors opening and closing, and people talking.

This hospital btw has been generally unfit for purpose for a long time. The previous government agreed funding for a new hospital to be built (which is desperately needed), then pushed it back, and the current government have pushed it back even further to the late 2030s.

Wow, why is it so hard to find GP’s?

What you don't seem to understand is people don't have that money in the first place. How does someone in receipt of a total of £9 per week pay?

. . . and what of people who have disabilities needing emergency medical intervention once or twice a month or in your discriminatory system are they excluded?

Perhaps the NHS should start charging for emergency room treatment? It can be refunded if someone's life is in danger. No charge for children.

Try to never send elderly friends and relatives to emergency, unless they have fallen and broken something. Wait and see the GP, who will know how serious it is. People so often think the hospital can squeeze another few years out of someone, but you have to think if those few years are worth it if they never leave the hospital.

Sending elderly people into residential care is not always a good thing. Chintz prisons in all but name. If the residents do not get at least one hour a day one-on-one care, then it is cheaper to pay a home help for an hour a day. Sitting in a lounge with thirty others being watched by one attendant is not the best way to end your life.