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Original poster

Gone to A&E with DS - 2 hours and not triaged yet

47 replies

Eggbump · 30/03/2026 21:22

At softplay and DS hit his head which went into a large egg shape straight away. Staff wouldn’t do ice pack as said given size could only say shoulder go to an and e. I’ve been over two hours waiting to be triaged in paediatric bit. Son seems ok now, no longer nauseous. Should I just go home?

OP posts:
Needmorelego · 30/03/2026 21:31

Ask them how long it will be until he is triaged.
Triage is done in order of arrival (unless rushed in by ambulance) so they should know where he is in the order to be seen.
Very unusual to have to wait that long for triage.
Hope he is ok 💐

ToKittyornottoKitty · 30/03/2026 21:35

I agree, ask his long it will take. Is his head still swollen? How old is he?

dizzydizzydizzy · 30/03/2026 21:38

Could they have forgotten another you? I went to A&E a few months ago. It was very busy. Tbe wait for triage was 45 mins, which I thought was bad.

Brewtiful · 30/03/2026 21:39

Honestly I wouldn't have taken him to a&e I would have gone home and applied a cold compress and monitored him.

As you're already there I would definitely ask how long triage will be, it's normally pretty quick so I would want to ensure you were still on the list.

Shakethedisease · 30/03/2026 21:40

Is it really really packed? How old is he? I'd be surprised and disappointed they haven't triaged a small child by now. Ask them for a time estimate.

Crystallllll · 30/03/2026 21:40

I’d go home and keep an eye on him.

newornotnew · 30/03/2026 21:41

Given you're there, I'd wait. If it warranted A&E two hours ago, it still warrants A&E.

Original poster
Eggbump · 30/03/2026 21:49

i don’t normally take them for a and e (I know places always say to do it if a head injury). It’s not that busy actually. Someone had gone to the desk at softplay when it happened and I came out to desk with son and they put first aid kit down and said it was too serious for them to deal with, which worried me a bit. Will ask next time someone comes out. Need to find a working vending machine for him too.

OP posts:
User8457363 · 30/03/2026 21:50

Sorry to say this but it's not an emergency. The red flags of head injury are falling from higher than their own standing height (so tripping and falling don't count), falling on the back of the head (not the forehead, top or side), hitting their head with high velocity (skiing, driving, biking, not running or walking), very little visible blood or swelling, losing consciousness, vomiting or seizures. Even those symptoms point to a mild concussion that most children will recover fully from within 24 hours.

Getting a goose egg would presumably mean front or side of the head which is usually less concerning. The more swelling or bleeding there is also means the injury is closer to the surface. A very visible injury is usually of least concern to doctors, even though it's most alarming to onloookers. The most dangerous head injuries are those which don't produce much bruising or bleeding because the impact has gone deep inside the brain. Those are almost impossible to sustain by an accident at soft play. It's usually seen in sporting or car accidents, or catastrophic injury such as falling out of a high window.

The other massive green flag is that if a child is conscious and talking with a very visible head bump, then it's almost certainly not life-threatening. The receptionists and doctors can see it already so that's why they're in no rush to triage. To be honest, you may have to be prepared to wait another few hours. Once the doctor comes, they will only take a look into his pupils and take blood pressure. They will not do any scans and it's very unlikely they will offer a bed for observation.

canuckup · 30/03/2026 21:55

Did you see what happened?

wracky · 30/03/2026 22:08

When DS had an egg shaped lump after being whacked by a cricket bat the first aider gave him one of those cold packs first, and then told us to go to A&E.

Given he has been nauseous my instinct is wait, and get some ice on it meanwhile if you can, but I'm not a medic.

Hopefully they will just do some neuro checks and send him home but I would rather get those checks done than just assume he's fine.

AuditAngel · 30/03/2026 22:09

Dd has epilepsy so suspected concussion requires A&E. Last week we were there 9 hours although triaged fairly quickly

newornotnew · 30/03/2026 22:11

User8457363 · 30/03/2026 21:50

Sorry to say this but it's not an emergency. The red flags of head injury are falling from higher than their own standing height (so tripping and falling don't count), falling on the back of the head (not the forehead, top or side), hitting their head with high velocity (skiing, driving, biking, not running or walking), very little visible blood or swelling, losing consciousness, vomiting or seizures. Even those symptoms point to a mild concussion that most children will recover fully from within 24 hours.

Getting a goose egg would presumably mean front or side of the head which is usually less concerning. The more swelling or bleeding there is also means the injury is closer to the surface. A very visible injury is usually of least concern to doctors, even though it's most alarming to onloookers. The most dangerous head injuries are those which don't produce much bruising or bleeding because the impact has gone deep inside the brain. Those are almost impossible to sustain by an accident at soft play. It's usually seen in sporting or car accidents, or catastrophic injury such as falling out of a high window.

The other massive green flag is that if a child is conscious and talking with a very visible head bump, then it's almost certainly not life-threatening. The receptionists and doctors can see it already so that's why they're in no rush to triage. To be honest, you may have to be prepared to wait another few hours. Once the doctor comes, they will only take a look into his pupils and take blood pressure. They will not do any scans and it's very unlikely they will offer a bed for observation.

Edited

NHS page says go to A&E if:

You or your child have had a head injury and:

  • have a bruise, swelling or cut that's larger than 5cm on their head
Franjipanl8r · 30/03/2026 22:11

Ask - surely they’ve forgotten you if you haven’t even been triaged after 2 hours. That’s bonkers.

Mischance · 30/03/2026 22:12

If he has been nauseous I would wait it out. It is unusual for children's A&E to take so long to triage.

Franjipanl8r · 30/03/2026 22:12

Always get a head injury checked out, it’s not worth the risk just going home.

CaffeinatedMum · 30/03/2026 22:13

Sorry another one saying it doesn’t sound like A and E was needed in the first place. But given you’re there, I’d ask how long it is to be seen. Bear in mind you haven’t even being triage though, I imagine you’d be in for a very long wait only for a doctor to say keep an eye on him at home and give you a concussion leaflet.

cauliflowercheeseplease · 30/03/2026 22:17

a head injury with such a sizeable bump definitely needs looking at, I’d have taken my child to be checked over. You don’t know what could’ve happened internally

TofuTuesday · 30/03/2026 22:20

The queue for triage is so stressful. I took ds last year and we waited so long while he deteriorated I was trying to catch someone. Eventually seen and then straight through to a bed and iv drip. I wonder if there are priorities rather than first come first seen for triage?

ThatLilacTiger · 30/03/2026 22:21

If it helps you calm down at all while you wait, a lump is usually a good sign as it means any swelling is happening outwards, rather than inwards where it could put pressure on the brain. I'd probably wait to be seen as well, given the nausea, but he'll probably be just fine.

Original poster
Eggbump · 30/03/2026 23:30

We were apparently assigned to a different part of the hospital. Bloody annoying. We were seen pretty quickly in the other part and have got home now.

OP posts:
Original poster
Eggbump · 30/03/2026 23:32

TofuTuesday · 30/03/2026 22:20

The queue for triage is so stressful. I took ds last year and we waited so long while he deteriorated I was trying to catch someone. Eventually seen and then straight through to a bed and iv drip. I wonder if there are priorities rather than first come first seen for triage?

That sounds frightening for you both.

OP posts:
MissCooCooMcgoo · 30/03/2026 23:38

TofuTuesday · 30/03/2026 22:20

The queue for triage is so stressful. I took ds last year and we waited so long while he deteriorated I was trying to catch someone. Eventually seen and then straight through to a bed and iv drip. I wonder if there are priorities rather than first come first seen for triage?

There absolutely is, depending on the symptoms the patient presents with.

ANightAtTheOpera · 30/03/2026 23:52

Hope you get seen soon. As you are there I would definitely wait it out to be checked over.

My son, when he was about 2 1/2, tripped going into the downstairs loo and head butted the toilet pan. It was a sickening smack and instantly he developed a cartoon like egg on his forehead. He was screaming, I went into absolute shock, phoned my husband and garbled a message to him that he needed to come home now and take us to hospital. In my own head I imagined my son as having a fractured skull, developing epilepsy etc. After some soothing my son was back up and toddling around again after a few minutes, by the time my husband came home about 15 minutes later, I was still pacing the floor like a gibbering wreck.

At the hospital, we were fortunate it was really quiet so we were seen within 1/2 hour. The doctor checked his eyes and that was it! He was sure he was absolutely fine and explained that because of the skull, when the blood vessels are burst due to impact, the bruise can only come outwards, makes sense I suppose.

if it happened again though if I was ever in charge of a toddler, I’m still sure I would react the same and take then to A&E so a professional can check. Better safe than sorry.

Sensiblesal · 30/03/2026 23:55

MissCooCooMcgoo · 30/03/2026 23:38

There absolutely is, depending on the symptoms the patient presents with.

Show quote history

yes there is though last time I went, I was told to by 111 & so triaged very quickly after I arrived.

the time before that I had been told to go to A&E by the drs surgery, they said ring ambulance but I didn’t want to fuss, after giving symptoms I wasn’t even triaged just taken through for tests despite the monitor saying 4hr wait.

Actually thinking about it, never sat and waited for hrs in A&E without being seen.

OP glad you have been seen & all OK must have been worrying without the miscommunication at the hosp