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Original poster

a&e bad experience

329 replies

cucumberpeach · 21/01/2026 23:57

Just having a little moan as feeling a bit sorry for myself. I know people go through worse things.

I woke up with agonising abdominal pain which worsened all day, vomiting and everything and not keeping anything down. DM called the GP for me and they sent for an ambulance which took several hours to come (not complaining, it's not their fault, obvs there will have been more serious cases to attend to).

Eventually they came and I've now been in the hospital for hours in agony. They didn't give me pain relief, had to beg for it several times. It helped but then wore off and they ignored my polite requests for more. They actually shouted at me when I tried to lie on the floor as it brought relief. They told off a kind lady who went to ask if I could be seen as I was in a lot of pain for misleading them as they thought she was asking for her own mother and asking on behalf of someone else is apparently 'against the rules'.

After asking at the desk four times over the course of an hour they gave me a codeine pill but I'm dreading it wearing off.

Just a bad experience and still haven't seen the dr. Upside is seeing how kind the patients are to eachother, we're all sticking up for eachother! One women was stroking my hair as I lay on the floor in pain.

I realise nurses and medics have a really hard job btw. Just quite miserable at this point.

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Original poster
cucumberpeach · 21/01/2026 23:59

Oh and relatives aren't allowed to sit with patients so DM has been sent to another room. Could understand if it was crowded but it's not

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Megirlan123 · 22/01/2026 00:03

Oh no. I hope you are ok!! If it’s appendicitis or similar you must be in absolute agony. I really hope they see you soon x

Original poster
cucumberpeach · 22/01/2026 00:07

Megirlan123 · 22/01/2026 00:03

Oh no. I hope you are ok!! If it’s appendicitis or similar you must be in absolute agony. I really hope they see you soon x

Thank you, I don't think it is appendicitis or kidney stones as I wouldn't say it was quite that painful - I'd imagine the paracetamol drip wouldn't have made a dent in that pain if it was that? It's very odd - pain in the lower abdomen towards the groin and feeling ill. Hopefully I'll be seen soon

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TeaRoseTallulah · 22/01/2026 00:09

Hope you're seen soon, wonder if it's a twisted ovary,sounds rotten whatever it is. Hope you have some answers soon .

Pistachiocake · 22/01/2026 00:11

That is awful. Sometimes people have to ask for other patients because they can't ask for themselves. Yes, in an ideal world you wouldn't need to, because the staff would be looking after you, but that world is not what a lot of us experience. I totally get why they don't like a whole family clogging up AE, but they used to let you have one person in ours if needed (as in for someone unable to get themselves to the toilet/walk or stand properly like you). Is it normal AE you're in, because when I was sent by the GP for something similar, I had to go to urgent surgical assessment, so the rules were different?

I know it's a tough job, but being rude to you won't make it any easier for them, so you've every right to be upset. Hope you're ok.

crumpetswithcheeze · 22/01/2026 00:24

The NHS is an embarrassment. I hope you get sorted soon.

Original poster
cucumberpeach · 22/01/2026 00:30

Thank you for the kind replies X

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Original poster
cucumberpeach · 22/01/2026 00:34

Pistachiocake · 22/01/2026 00:11

That is awful. Sometimes people have to ask for other patients because they can't ask for themselves. Yes, in an ideal world you wouldn't need to, because the staff would be looking after you, but that world is not what a lot of us experience. I totally get why they don't like a whole family clogging up AE, but they used to let you have one person in ours if needed (as in for someone unable to get themselves to the toilet/walk or stand properly like you). Is it normal AE you're in, because when I was sent by the GP for something similar, I had to go to urgent surgical assessment, so the rules were different?

I know it's a tough job, but being rude to you won't make it any easier for them, so you've every right to be upset. Hope you're ok.

Yes, a bit of kindness goes a long way. Ie, 'we're sorry but it's against the rules to lie on the floor' - fine. Not standinh over someone barking that 'it is unacceptable to lie on the floor'. Embarassed to say I got tearful, unusual for me. DM worked in the NHS for decades and said she'd never seen her staff behave like that.

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ReadingSoManyThreads · 22/01/2026 00:34

A paracetamol drip would help with appendicitis pain, it did for me anyway. But obviously not making a diagnosis haha!

Hope you get seen & diagnosed soon!

Original poster
cucumberpeach · 22/01/2026 00:35

Trying to focus on the positives - seeing very ill people on death's door a reminder how lucky I am to have my health usually

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KittyWilkinson · 22/01/2026 00:38

I'm so sorry. I really hope that you are seen as soon as possible. It's inhumane seeing some of the treatment in A and E. I've had a shitty week advocating for someone who is really unwell. It's frustrating as hell seeing someone in distress and not being able to do more than constantly fight their corner.
Willing you through this.Flowers

Original poster
cucumberpeach · 22/01/2026 00:39

ReadingSoManyThreads · 22/01/2026 00:34

A paracetamol drip would help with appendicitis pain, it did for me anyway. But obviously not making a diagnosis haha!

Hope you get seen & diagnosed soon!

Thank you ❤️

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Original poster
cucumberpeach · 22/01/2026 00:42

KittyWilkinson · 22/01/2026 00:38

I'm so sorry. I really hope that you are seen as soon as possible. It's inhumane seeing some of the treatment in A and E. I've had a shitty week advocating for someone who is really unwell. It's frustrating as hell seeing someone in distress and not being able to do more than constantly fight their corner.
Willing you through this.Flowers

Thank you ❤

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Original poster
cucumberpeach · 22/01/2026 00:49

I'm at a major hospital in Liverpool, assume it's a normal a&e

Funnily enough I went to a different a&e in Liverpool once after fainting and they were fine with me lying on the floor, even brought me a blanket

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KittyWilkinson · 22/01/2026 00:55

I live outside of Liverpool but that's where I've been having my shitty week with two hospitals. One neuro and the other next to it. I won't ask you which one you are at, but I can have a good guess.
It's crap. I'm sorry.

ittakes2 · 22/01/2026 01:00

is the pain on the left or right side? I was in A&E on mon for abdomninal pain - paracetamol didn't touch it ended up on morphine .... inflammed gallbladder due to gallstones. Had an ultrasound and then CT scan and after 21hrs on a chair left with antibiotics, painkillers and a letter so I could get my gallbladder seen to privately. Was told if I needed an emergeny OP I would continue to be sitting on that A&E chair for another 4 days as first available op was friday. Now on 1yr NHS waitlist.
Just keep bugging them for painkillers - once a dr includes it on your notes then nurses can give. I think they thought I was over exaggerating the pain but then when CT scan came back realised I was not and were very apologetic at 20hrs and got me out of A&E by 21hrs.

Original poster
cucumberpeach · 22/01/2026 01:01

KittyWilkinson · 22/01/2026 00:55

I live outside of Liverpool but that's where I've been having my shitty week with two hospitals. One neuro and the other next to it. I won't ask you which one you are at, but I can have a good guess.
It's crap. I'm sorry.

Flowers
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Original poster
cucumberpeach · 22/01/2026 01:02

ittakes2 · 22/01/2026 01:00

is the pain on the left or right side? I was in A&E on mon for abdomninal pain - paracetamol didn't touch it ended up on morphine .... inflammed gallbladder due to gallstones. Had an ultrasound and then CT scan and after 21hrs on a chair left with antibiotics, painkillers and a letter so I could get my gallbladder seen to privately. Was told if I needed an emergeny OP I would continue to be sitting on that A&E chair for another 4 days as first available op was friday. Now on 1yr NHS waitlist.
Just keep bugging them for painkillers - once a dr includes it on your notes then nurses can give. I think they thought I was over exaggerating the pain but then when CT scan came back realised I was not and were very apologetic at 20hrs and got me out of A&E by 21hrs.

Jesus christ that is awful. Hope you are ok now

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Original poster
cucumberpeach · 22/01/2026 01:02

Oh the pain is on the left side

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ittakes2 · 22/01/2026 01:04

sorry I should clarify you can keep asking for stronger pain killers - you have a right to ask. Got my morphine after about 9hrs and it was amazing! ask for GP to write up you can have more than one dose incase you are there for a while.

ittakes2 · 22/01/2026 01:10

Gall bladder tends to be more centre/right side but can in theory include left side. you do have vomitting with it. did pain come on after a meal?

I ended up commendering three unused chairs and used them to semi-lie down. I also threatened to lie on the floor and asked nurse for blankets - she gave me two but made me promise not to lie on the floor and found them helpful to soften the chairs.

I also asked for anti nasea meds - which they ignored for about 12hrs. I was vomitting in the toilets for the comfort of the other patients waiting .... then decided to vomit once (into a bucket) in the waitroom ... and bam I had my anti nasua meds being shoved into my arm tube within 30 seconds.

I'm ok now thanks - just too afraid to eat much incase I trigger another episode!

ittakes2 · 22/01/2026 01:13

sorry just wanted to add that along with morphine, they gave me three meds to help with the pain all at the same time in the end - tramadol, paracetomol, and buscapan.

KittyWilkinson · 22/01/2026 01:14

Is your DM still about? She must be going crackers with worry.
I sat all night in one A and E last Halloween watching a slug make it's way across the floor. It managed to remain squish free in a crowded waiting room.

Original poster
cucumberpeach · 22/01/2026 01:19

KittyWilkinson · 22/01/2026 01:14

Is your DM still about? She must be going crackers with worry.
I sat all night in one A and E last Halloween watching a slug make it's way across the floor. It managed to remain squish free in a crowded waiting room.

She managed to sneak in here long enough to check on me! I don't think she's recovered from the ordeal of trying to find somewhere to park. She wants to write a 'strongly worded letter' about my treatment bless her but it's probably pointless

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Original poster
cucumberpeach · 22/01/2026 01:20

@KittyWilkinson And lol about the slug - it's whatever gets you through at times like this

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