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

Yep cos people are in a and e dancing with sore toes

Sorry yes. Am agreeing with you.

Oh behave yourself.

Dancing 🙄

Since you have a phone signal, have you thought about playing Wordle or something?

I mean you're clearly very bored.

Dancing indeed.

Oh give over- she’s literally dancing -she is clearly not in a lot of pain

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

tbf that's much more likely due to bed blocking & lack of adequate social care. When ever I have been in for an emergency, it's full of old people.

Righto.

I would take a vid but clearly not allowed - she’s tapping both feel and bopping her hands on her knees and twisting around in her seat- so yeah- dancing

My brothers partner tried to get treated in A&E within the past week (maybe even are the couple you referred to in your list). The symptom she disclosed (and only symptom) was a headache. The background context is that she is a stroke survivor in her 30's and recognised the symptoms of having another stroke. Contacted her GP who said it was urgent and to go to A&E due to previous stroke. With a stroke it is imperative to get medical treatment within hours to avoid long-term damage. However because her only symptom was 'headache' she waited all day without being seen and without food. In the end she gave up and went home after 10 hours of waiting. The following day she contacted GP and was again told to go to A&E where again she explained the context of previous stroke and concens of another stroke. But again because the only symptom was 'headache' she was triaged very low priority waited all day without food and eventually after 10 hours waiting gave up and went home. She has been unable to get vital emergency treatment and GP wont see her as its an emergency situation. So please do not dismiss what you presume to be irrelevant / unimportant symptoms of people attending A&E for minor things like a headache....... you do not know the full background / medical history or why they are there. Most likely they have tried to get medical help elsewhere and been diverted to A&E

Sorry to hear that; no I admit the headache thing was probably unfair

I’m standing strong with the woman though 😂

All very well saying go to minor injuries but we don't even have one where i live

Well that's got nothing to do with her toe, has it?

So why are you sticking your nostrils into that one?

I could've done exactly what she's doing when I broke my ankle.

But it didn't make it any less broken.

In general I completely agree.

your examples don’t help.
2- my mum went last week to a&e on the advice of a doctor with a sore toe and was put on over antibiotics.

4- my friend once checked me in when I’d a headache, I could barely stand. A CT scan within half an hour found a mass on my brain. Usual maybe, but happened.

We don't have the NHS APP here in Wales. Didn't stop mumsnetters insisting that I should be using the APP 🙄

I know it’s annoying but the sore toes folk are on a different pathway to broken pelvises (and chest pains) and the triage system means that it (should) not make a difference to your mum’s care.

Ambulances don’t get called for the people that walk-in to A&E.

Sorry - I know it’s crap and stressful. Just trying to correct some of the incorrect rumours out there about A&E. Sending hugs.

Yes but the thing is- if her little toe is broken/ they don’t do anything anyway!

I’m in Wales and I have it…

Bloody Hell! It's a wonder you're still alive!

I really don’t think we can judge. Lots of times it’s minor stuff but often it’s not. My grandmother had a stroke and had been dismissed by GP as having a UTI family felt it was more took her to hospital and it was a stroke. My dd had a fever and was just not right, I was told it’s just a fever at triage but if I wanted to wait for dr it would be hours. Dd developed the meningitis rash in the waiting room became floppy and unresponsive and nearly fucking died it was terrifying to watch how fast she got sick. Her case was used in research because she had a strain of meningitis that has a high mortality rate seeing as most people are not sat in A&E for a fever with a difficult mother saying it’s not right when being told they needn’t have come to A&E.

we all know stories like this and having lived them it’s then hard to judge. Yes there are loads of time wasters but not everyone is and we cannot judge accurately from eavesdropping. Although I think a rant and killing time on Mumsnet is completely acceptable fwiw

Roughly where are you? Feel free to ignore if potentially out ing

We have 5 miles away but only open 8 till 4 Monday to fridays

It is an accident though! A&E is not only for emergencies, although obviously emergencies will be seen first. The GP can’t carry out X-Rays or suture or plaster casts, or at least mine won’t. If you suspect a break or similar injury A&E is a reasonable place to go if there isn’t a minor injuries unit open nearby, which in many places there won’t be.

This is what happens when health is free at the point of use. Everyone thinks they are entitled to use it whenever they want, for even the most minor complaint.

The whole system needs changing, it's totally unsustainable. Charge at point of use. Some sort of system to claim back for GENUINE A&E situations from insurance, exemptions for those who genuinely can't afford it etc etc. I bet the sore toe lady and the need my physio bloke would think twice if they were being asked for £100 when checking in.

Only 5 hours for a toe? My FIL went in for something serious and was left sitting for 2 days (not a joke). A lot of people were there who said they just came in because it was warm, a lot seemed very disturbed and from what I was forced to overhear (because it's none of my business and people deserve their privacy) they had severe mental health issues and they should have been able to get help elsewhere.
There were lots of police all the time, which I hadn't seen at the same AE in the past (it might be the norm now, I get that).
The nurse said everyone is forced to come because the GPs won't see anyone. When I was a kid, everyone would have seen their GP about a toe/headache. Maybe she shouldn't have said that, but she looked really fed up.
I hope your mum is ok.

It is hard to tell sometimes

i was walking up and down outside while vaping and playing candy crush - but it was the only way I could cope with the pain. I had cauda equina and needed emergency surgery

have also been in with diarrhoea - campylobacter and immunocompromised

Yes I completely agree with you