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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

to be cross with the hospital?

46 replies

BenandNiamhsMum · 22/08/2010 23:17

OK - I know that A&E is very busy and stressful as many of my family work in the NHS.
I also know that if it was really serious he would have been treated by now and I should be greatfull he's not too bad. BUT...
My DS fell off a swing at the park this evening when we were walking the dog. He banged his head and it started bleeding. This stopped as soon as we got him home but the cut was quite deep so my DH took him to the hospital. This was about 6.45pm. DH has just called to say they are still waiting. DS has been seen by the nurse but thats it.
He is only 7 and should have been in bed hours ago. DH says that nobody has been called though from the waiting area for the last 2 hours. He also said that there is a woman there with her son who has been there the same amount of time and his hand is bleeding.
OK whinge over, time to be positive again- at least he's not badly hurt.

OP posts:
BenandNiamhsMum · 23/08/2010 07:59

Claig I agree- My DH said that there were some young people in the waiting area with a bad cut to one of their legs. He had cut it on glass. They were taking photos to put on facebook so he can't have been in too much pain and he decided to give up after a message saying it should be a three hour wait that evening. (This was after 3.5 hours for my DH and DS) When I was told I was concerned- what if there was glass left in the cut? He could end up with an infection and end up needing much more treatment.

OP posts:
LauraNorder · 23/08/2010 08:02

Some of you have had some terrible experiences Sad but most of them sound like they are due to short staffing issues.

I have been out of nursing for 7 years now (to have my children) and I am approaching the time I would like to return. I've looked in the return to practice course I would have to do in order to get my registration back and it's unworkable for me - I can't believe how difficult (not to mention expensive) it is. Now I'm not expecting to walk back on the wards without some work but they don't make it very enticing. Sad

Sorry rambling and off the point a little Blush

traceybath · 23/08/2010 08:05

Glad your DS is ok.

The most frustrating thing on my last visit to a&e were the receptionists to be honest.

Blatantly avoiding eye contact so as to make me wait and then seriously typing in all the details with 2 fingers. Surely being able to type fairly quickly is a pre-requisite in that type of job?

Nurses and Drs were fine though and we were seen fairly quickly as it was about DD who was about 8 months at the time.

addictedisgettingexcited · 23/08/2010 08:06

i agree laura. Most of the problems are due to lack of staff, which is sad.

Thats horrible that you want to return but cant surley there must be a grant or something out there to help people back in?

claig · 23/08/2010 08:08

I can believe how difficult it is, this is how everything seems to be nowadays when you strip away the spin. It is madness. It is similar to them encouraging people to spend years studying to be midwives and then telling them that there are no jobs at the end of it, as was recently highlighted in our local papers. Then they say there is a shortage of staff, and they recruit staff from overseas and deprive those countries of trained staff. Will it ever change? Will somebody ever sort it out?

ifancyashandy · 23/08/2010 08:12

Sorry about your son and hope he's ok.

But I have to say that I had to go to A&E a few months back, when I started to feel very very unwell following a routine op two days earlier.

Was 'walking wounded' but they say me within 45 mins and I was moved out of A&E and into Acute Admissions withing the prescribed 4 hours.

I've been in and out of hospital 5 times this year and have nothing but admiration and praise for the NHS.

I could see there were massive financial issues and I had to fight to get one particular treatment but the staff were/are absolutely the crowning glory of the NHS.

(Are you reading this, 'Call Me Dave'?)

AT1137 · 23/08/2010 08:24

I agree with huddspur, I think YABU, the staff in A&E treat in order of priority. Your son's bedtime is of no interest to them and nor should it be.

lisad123isgoingcrazy · 23/08/2010 08:54

I think we are spoilt here then, our GP saves back 80% of appointments for the day so you can ring at 8am and get an appointment. Childrens A&E is seperate from adults too which is quicker.
I have spent many a few hours in A&E but when very poorly have been seen very quickly. Also been in Car crash and rush straight in, very scarcy but they need a lot of staff in an emerency, but if they had lots of staff but no majors, they would be overstaffed.

BuntyPenfold · 23/08/2010 12:39

My friend's wife spent over 8 hours in A & E screaming with pain.
She later died - he is suing.

lisad123isgoingcrazy · 23/08/2010 14:12

what happened Bunty? poor friend

BuntyPenfold · 23/08/2010 14:27

She had cancer (that had spread to her spine but she didn't yet know that) ,went to her GP in agony - he sent her to A & E, where she waited through 3 shift changes for pain relief. She was in too much pain to lie down and spent 8 hours on her hands and knees screaming and begging for help. They said there was no oncologist available and then left her.

Her husband is terribly traumatised. His complaints at the time were met by threats to eject him from the hospital building so he stopped as he needed to stay with his wife.

I can't say a lot more as he is suing them.

ilovesprouts · 23/08/2010 14:32

once took my dd to a&e and she breached the waiting time of four hours

mumbar · 23/08/2010 14:49

we are also lucky here as have seperate childrens a &e within a & e. When ds cracked his head open we were in out cleaned and glued within 25 minutes Smile On a saturday evening.

I appreciate this probably is not the norm.

OP YABU especially after hearing stories of people screaming and still being left.

ILoveDonaldDraper · 24/08/2010 13:51

YABU - they have to treat patients in A&E on a triage basis rather than first come first served - this means that unless you are very seriously ill or injured people will inevitably come in after you who are more urgently in need of care, and therefore get seen before you causing you to have to wait longer.

In any event - its not the hospital's fault. They were probably doing the best they could with insufficient staff/resources. Direct your anger at the politicians who don't fund the NHS properly, or the many people who clog up the NHS system with self inflicted illnesses, e.g. those in A&E who have fallen down drunk and hurt themselves, and are then abusive to the staff.

WurzelBoot · 24/08/2010 14:09

the doc said had we have come in by ambulance i would have been seen stright away and they wouldnt have needed to do half the treatment they did! He went on to say they assume people who walk in arent really that ill as they would have called an ambulance if they were!

Can I just say that this is not the case at the three hospitals I of and if it's the case here it speaks of a very badly managed A&E. All patients being admitted should be triaged regardless of how they get to the hospital.

The fact of the matter is that if an ambulance is necessary, then it generally means that the patient is extremely ill and needs treatment immediately. This does not equate to ambulances automatically having priority. The drunks who call for an ambulance pick up from the office party are (or should be) made to wait like everyone else.

It's a real problem that ambulances are called out by patients who think that if they use them they'll get priority treatment taking the services away from people who actually require ambulances.

I'm quite cross that a doctor who should know better told you that.

Coming back to the original post; I can understand your frustration and why it annoyed you, but it is what it is. I do find it difficult to criticise the NHS, not because I'm pals with a doctor, but because they saved my daughters life last year, and didn't present me for a bill for doing so. I have, however, seen several instances of poorly run services, just as I've seen poorly run shops, schools, whatever. I personally think they're generally doing the best that they can.

I'm glad your son is fine.

coraltoes · 24/08/2010 14:45

I think you were unlucky with the amount of emergencies they must have been dealing with. It also sounds like some communication to manage your expectations re: th wait would have helped, and I hate how silent hospital receptions are when they are the front line to concerned patients!

However...I once took DH in with a broken foot, and whilst we were waiting (he was in manageable pain) a child was rushed in covered in burns head to toe, screaming for his life. We waited 3 hours that day before DH was treated, and I could see how many people were being used to look ater this child. I couldn't begrudge a single minute of the wait. It was harrowing. I have many friends who are surgeons, consultants etc. Many did stints in A&E in their training and they have opened my eyes to what really goes on, the average A&E patient sees very very little as so much comes through the ambulance bays: serious domestic abuse, car accidents, crime victims, overdoses, suicide attempts, severe sports injuries, complications from long term illnesses...I know it is hard to think of this when it is us sitting in the waiting room with our own complaints, but we're lucky on the whole compared to many they treat.

I am glad your DS is home and ok!

NomDePlume · 24/08/2010 14:59

The 4 hour targets for A&E anymore are being abolished in April 2011 because fast care does not necessarily equal high quality care.

NomDePlume · 24/08/2010 15:00

sorry for the random 'anymore' in there!

addictedisgettingexcited · 24/08/2010 15:39

wurzel, i should have said that this was the only hospital i've come accross this attitude (i was a very accident prone child and still am an accident prone adult Blush) and in general the hospital was very porley managed and run (medical notes going missing, no folow up appointments booked after sugery, no communication between hospital and docs, vital fertility information not given to patients)

But over all my expearience of nhs hospitals have been good. They are just understaffed and need more support

bumpsoon · 24/08/2010 16:11

i remember taking dd to A&E after she ingested some washing liquid after squirting herself in the face with one ,didnt want to go but DH had rung and they said bring her in pronto . Waited 4 and half hours ,dd fell asleep and i told the receptionist we were going home as i felt that if the washing liquid was going to have any really negative effect it would be a bit late now to do anything about it , she huffed and puffed a bit ,but said fair enough as the wait is another 3 hours due to arrival of major trauma . I work in the hospital ,so understand about what goes on behind the scenes and it is rarely a case of poor management / ineptitude that causes long waits.

wife1 · 24/08/2010 18:12

Fact of the matter is A and E is for life and limb threatening injuries. The majority of people that visit A and E could and should use an alternative. If you have an NHS walk-in centre/Minor Injuries Unit/Out of hours GP centre, this is usually the best place to start. You are normally seen quickly by a Doctor and they will refer you to A and E. Check out the NHS website to find out what is in your area or call NHS direct-fab nurses who will be v helpful.

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