What has been the longest you have waited in A&E?

[Dreamingofnarrowboatlife]

I have been with my elderly mum in A&E since 1pm this afternoon.

We have been left in a corridor and little progress appears to have been made, it's very frustrating.

Mum had been running a temperature since Thursday, I called the GP surgery yesterday and because mum is in advanced Alzheimer's and housebound they decided to assess her over the phone and diagnosed a UTI, prescribed antibiotics and that was that.

She still had a high temperature this morning and was quite lethargic so I called 111 for advice, they said mum needed an ambulance. Paramedics came and thought mum's knee looked swollen and suspected a blood clot.

Blood clot dismissed at a&e assessment and they said they suspected arthritic sepsis. Mum had an x-ray hours ago and then an aspiration of the fluid in her knee. Orthopaedics then transferred her back to medical assessment and since 7pm we've been waiting and waiting. I've asked the only nurse who seems to be on this corridor and he appears to know very little and there seems to be no one else to ask, I've not seen a doctor in this corridor for hours, I've walked into the main area and no one seems to be able to help.

Mum's been in a&e a few times but this has definitely been the longest wait so far, coming up for 12 hours. Mum's slept the whole time but it's going to be a long night for my dad and I.

Just popped back home as I forgot my phone!

Mum is still in the corridor, that's now 26 hours. They have now replaced her trolly for a more comfortable bed so that is something.

I asked the nurse for an update on mum's progress, she couldn't help but pointed to the ward nurse and said to ask him. I called him over but he says he's off to a meeting so couldn't help me atm - ffs. I'm just going round in circles.

Going back in a min and hoping it will not be such a long wait.

A&E is not designed for long stays and a corridor is certainly not an appropriate place for a non verbal, vulnerable elderly adult. My mum has been placed at the very end of a corridor with open doors behind her which lead directly to the main entrance with all kinds of people coming and going, night and day.

Due to my mum's vulnerability she ideally needs someone with her 24/7 and although my father and I have been with her for as many hours as we can we can't be there all the time. I would not have left or expected young children or adults with learning difficulties to be left like this for so long but it seems that it's ok for an elderly woman with advanced dementia to according to the NHS.

And she IS still waiting, she is waiting for a bed on a ward with staff on that ward on hand to keep her safe, lower noise levels and reduced lighting at night. If you have any understanding or experience with dementia you will understand why I am so anxious that my mother receives this kind of care to reduce her distress and to keep her dementia from exacerbating, especially after 24 hours 'waiting' in a drafty, unsafe corridor.

My MIL was left on a trolley in an A&|E corridor for 48 hours, with no "care" at all. We had to look after her, feed and water her, take her to the toilet etc. Her "care" was utterly abysmal. They took her for an x-ray on the first day, but "lost" the results, so they had to take her again on the second day. A&E was like a warzone with fights and drunks. We took it in turns to look after her 24/7 and my niece was sexually assaulted by a drunk in the middle of the night whilst sitting with her!

Oh Jesus. That’s absolutely awful, your poor MIL and my god, your poor neice.

Horrific. Why is it like this in a first world country!?

Adjacent to that; some of those that do acknowledge old age seem to imagine it with few of the many health problems that can arise.

As an old person myself I do everything in my power to stay healthy (exercise, eating well etc) to avoid going into hospital and ending up like some of the poor old souls I've read about on this thread. I'm absolutely terrified and would have no one to advocate for me.

20 hours the other week with pancreatitis. I was given some anti sickness and pain relief during that time though. I’ve also got degenerative disc disease and my back was actually hurting more than my pancreas by the time I’d sat on a hard plastic chair that long.

Bloody hell, that is truly dreadful.

A friend’s son has joined the police. He spends most of his time effectively doing social work. Also, if anyone is arrested who is drunk or on drugs, or claims illness, the protocol is for two officers to wait with them at A&E because the police force does not want the risk of having them in the cells. Once they have been given the all clear by A&E - usually after 12hrs or so - they can go into custody.

Ditto here too. After seeing the way my FIL, MIL and mother suffered at the hands of the NHS over the past 20 years, I've also decided to do my utmost to keep myself healthy and have lost a shed load of weight, given up junk food, walk 10k steps per day, etc. I'll do absolutely everything in my power to avoid getting ill and avoid having accidents. The NHS just isn't there for patients any more. And I agree as I'll have no one to advocate for me either. We've had to advocate for FIL, MIL and Mother to get even the basic level of third world care and shudder to think how much more they'd have suffered if we hadn't been able to intervene. I really don't think people understand how bad it's become unless they've suffered the same way.

4 days I was in a and e but I was receiving treatment. They had no beds so had to do it all in a and e

I agree.

Mum is now in a frailty ward. I've actually had to step out to have a little weep in the loo.

Seeing all these very frail and poorly older people struggling so much is simply heartbreaking.

Straight away (anaphylactic reaction) given IVs and sent back to waiting room when it settled. They said they would send a GP referral for allergy clinic and did I want to wait and see a dr but I declined so was in and out.

longest with my partner when he broke his hip. 3 hours without assessment/painkillers. They wanted to give paracetamol and send home. I told the a&e dr his leg was shortened and rotated and was a clear neck of femur fracture (I’m ex a&e staff). She reluctantly agreed to xray and sheepishly returned to put an anaesthetic block in. Ortho turned up shortly after and was transferred out to a trauma hospital an hour later.

I worked in a&e about 20 years ago and it was the same then. This is sadly not a new thing. It used to break my heart that we couldn’t do or give more. Wishing your mum well soon.

12 hours in A&E with a 5 week old with bronchiolitis. Admitted for 5 days, on oxygen and tube fed.

My son . 47 and has 2 previous mini strokes . Was sent from GP for extreme high blood pressure 220/140 . Normal is around 130 /70 . Sat for 24 hours was eventually admitted, given 1 dose of diazepam then refused the second dose because "he looked OK " . Discharged that evening . I've not had the same experience, been v well looked after for m y Cancer.

In November my 81 years old Dad, who has Dementia and cancer waited 34 hours. 5 hours in an 4 different ambulances outside A&E, then 29 hours on a trolly in a corridor, right by the ambulance entrance.

It was an absolute disgrace

Recently visited someone in hospital amd there was a dead lady on a trolley in the corridor when I arrived. I obviously told them but she was still there a few hours later when I was leaving.

That is horrific. Did they cover her at least?

No, I dont think anyone had been able to get round to checking. They did go when I went back. Its not the staff fault I know, they cant cope but its not ok

Took to A and E and told I have possible appendicitis. Didn’t see a doctor as no one free . After spring in the waiting room for 8 hours. Lying on the floor ) I was took into the department and all corridors were full. I was put in a little room and then left over night. Had nothing with me. No meds or anything. In the morning I was seen by another nurse who said they would get a doc to see me to send me home. I haven’t even seen a doc yet. Two hours later a doc came in and said he suspected appendicitis!!! But there were no beds and he said prob best to go home and see how pain goes and come back tomorrow if still bad. I said I am going nowhere until you have at least scanned me as I was in agony with a temp. Three hours later I was doubled up and staggered back into A and E in the hope I would be seen. Last thing I remember as I passed out. Woke up having had my appendix out. Was lucky to be alive as it burst. All together I waited for 27 hours.

Your poor son, that sounds dreadful. I have to say that most cancer services do appear to be well run, my mum has breast cancer and I can not fault that department at all (same hospital that we were in this weekend).

That is a disgrace, your poor dad.

The same thing recently happened to my friend's auntie, the family came to find her in A&E and she laid on a trolley deceased and no one knew. The family are devastated.