Last minute carers?

[namechqnge]

Rather than trying to organise last minute childcare, is it possible to organise a last minute carer just to sit with me in casualty? I can’t walk at the moment (come on suddenly), so just someone who could go from the drop off point (not that close to casualty entrance but only a couple of minutes walk if can walk from closest drop
off point) to main hospital to get me a wheelchair. I’d need them to push me into casualty and push me when I’m called and take me back to waiting room etc, push me to the toilet if needed (won’t need help on toilet). Waiting time is 11.5 hours at moment. I can manage a few steps and can manoeuvre myself in and out of wheelchair. Most of the time they won’t need to do anything. Will I need to have two in case one wants a break? I (perhaps naively) thought hospitals would be used to dealing with this scenario. Hope this makes sense - in lots of pain and a bit emotional.

Is the need to use a wheelchair due to an accident?

I found an excellent carer on carers.com early last year. Might be worth ringing around.

If you can get a taxi to hospital the porters could probably wheel you to A&E.

Wouldn’t you better speaking to 111 and letting them triaged you, that way they may say attend an urgent care or minor injuries for imaging or give you an OOH GP appointment instead of going to A&E, I appreciate you say it’s “come on suddenly” but if it was a true emergency I don’t think you’d be mulling over how you’re going to get to the toilet or looking up current wait times.

Sorry, it came on on Wednesday night. There’s been no accident etc. I was sent to another hospital with a casualty dept from the walk in centre yesterday with a letter. They did an x-ray and wanted blood tests and an investigation done but can only do pre-booked bloods there. I can’t walk from the drop off point to the casualty entrance to wait for a porter (tried that last night in taxi). Came back again with husband after he did school drop off this morning and he got a wheelchair and wheeled me in. I didn’t know health care workers won’t wheel you through. He was with me all day yesterday so was able to do it. He left to do school pick up. When I wasn’t wheeled back through when he left yesterday, I thought it was a misunderstanding and that healthcare worker hadn’t clocked the wheelchair or heard me say I can’t walk. Today’s experience in casualty makes me think it must be policy.

There is a (lovely) man in entrance to first hospital who was guiding those needing assistance. I was able to wave him over to wheel me to the doors to go through yesterday.

I’ll check out carers.com, thanks. I’ll also make sure I have pain relief with me to take a bit of the edge off.

There may be volunteers during the day to assist.