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

Never heard of that in my life. And just spent time searching, nothing remotely like that here anywhere.

I take it you have seen their chart and know things such as bone issues that can cause big breaks from impact etc? Probably silly asking, nobody would judge without that information and full medical qualifications.

FFS. Why do all MNetters assume there is a minor injuries unit everywhere. We don’t have one less than at least an hour’s drive away.

It’s GP, or A&E here.

And we are now seeing people with chronic illness due to not being diagnosed during lockdown.

111 advised me to go to ED or minor injuries within 6 hours when I phoned them with a suspected broken toe. Minor injuries was closed and not due to reopen for another 10 hours. There wasn't an OOH GP registrar service at the hospital. I followed advice and went to ED and was seen in minors.

I now know that I could have just taped the toe to the one next to it myself, but I didn't know that at the time and was doing what 111 advised.

Then I would say 111 and an out of hours gp registrar at a hospital - it’s not an emergency

where do you find an out of hours gp at a hospital?

I missed that little gem! 🤣🤣

Sigh, this again.

Physio rehab- you don’t know what the physio is for or what the problem is. Could be orthopaedic, neurological, oncology. Headache- as people have said, could be bad. Toe- ok I’ll give you that one.

I have no doubt that some people go to A&E for spurious reasons. However, that is not the reason the wait is so long. Also, if you sit by check-in and eavesdrop/overhear then a lot of conditions which are serious present with quite generic symptoms. That is why triage exists. So someone who knows what they are doing can analyse the symptoms and come up with a plan.

I’ve been to A&E before with a symptom that was vaguely concerning but not considered life-threatening. I’m sure someone listening in on me checking in would have rolled their eyes. I was given an appointment to come back to outpatients the next day. Anyway so I went home and ended up having a big haemorrhage all over my bathroom floor and hallway and being blue-lighted back in. It would have been a lot more cost effective to have seen me in the first place. Also I would not have ruined my hall carpet.

I just feel like this comes up a lot and it feels a bit ‘oh if those silly people would stop going to A&E with every ache and pain, the NHS would work again. No need to increase funding or anything.’

I was in a&e 2 years ago with dd2 who had to have an ecg at triage then wait 2 hrs and go again for ecg then through to see doctor who sorted dd- so we had to sit and wait. Turns out she was allergic to her medicine the gp had given her - so medication changed swiftly and good to go

the two people next to us had back ache and a headache, they were both told to take paracetamol- a four hour wait for that, they’d have been better going to Sunday pharmacy surely

In Accident and Emergency it seems that 50% of the people are neither there for an accident or emergency.

its an it interesting topic to start this

it seems about 50 percent of people agree with me and 50 percent don’t.

It’s interesting hearing different opinions. But like others I do find it odd that on certain days and special football events it’s empty in places like this, but today after a bank holiday it’s rammed

I think the poster was pointing out how many people (thousands and thousands) did not attend A&E as soon as they had a minor ailment. Those numbers are unsustainable. Think of all those emergency cases that were seen so quickly

Sitting In a&e is horrible. You are stressed, tired worried and probably uncomfortable. It’s so easy to shart judging why others are there. It’s perfectly normal so be kind to yourself. Try and remember that you only hear a snapshot of why people are there

That does appear to be what I’m seeing

At an Urgent Treatment Centre.

https://www.england.nhs.uk/urgent-emergency-care/urgent-treatment-centres/

At my local hospital you can to A&E & then you will either be sent to urgent treatment eg burns, broken bones or the emergency dept.

Well the sore toe lady is currently eating a burger her husband got for her and has her headphones on and is bopping along to a lovely tune it seems. You have to laugh

There are a lot of time wasters but toe pain whilst probably not life threatening can be excruciating. I’ve had what turned out to be gout as well as a broken toe and no I didn’t go to A and E as I knew it would be a shitshow when I was in that much pain so I just spent my weekend in my bed crying in pain as OTC pain relief is completely insufficient and managed to speak to my surgery on the Monday

@TreesInTheBlowingBreeze which you access through my hospitals A&E area.

lol judging from her burger eating and dancing I don’t think she’s in excruciating pain 😂

You would’ve loved judging me, some a&e trips I’ve had over the years, I’ll put what I told triage and my diagnosis in brackets after:

1. 20 years old and really hungover but only had 4 pints last night (pulmonary embolism, week in hospital and medication for life)
2. 22 years old and had a nose bleed (gp sent to a&e to do bloods as history of blood clots)
3. 28 years old mouth hurts after wisdom tooth removal (admitted for 2 nights on IV antibiotics and steroids for infection)
4. 21 years old and gp sends me as it’s only been six months since pulmonary embolism and I have a cough he’s worried about (diagnosis common cold 🤣)

None near me either ( big northern city). There used to be a walk in clinic but that closed several years ago so here it's A&E or GP roulette.

Gosh.

Imagine eating and listening to music while you endure a long wait in A&E.

Awful woman.

I had to take my dad the other week, it was rammed and next to us were three work colleagues sat eating sandwiches while they waited for colleague number 4 to return for being treated. Why were they all there taking up valuable seats?!

I'm currently waiting 4 weeks for a GP appointment so I think it's easy to see why A&E gets clogged up.

Having needs A&E recently though they were very good with me and I was lucky to get through quickly (much to the annoyance of the repeat visitor sat next to me who was telling everyone she had been there yesterday and wasn't satisfied and had been there 6 hours today).

The thing that shocked me most though was the number of people with mental health issues being discharged with no where to go and screaming / coming back in begging to stay/ coming back in to check themselves in with a new complaint etc. That was eye opening and worrying.

And this is why my 81 year old MIL waited 4 hours for an ambulance recently with a broken pelvis.