Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

What on earth is wrong with some people that they think they need to go to A&E over this???

48 replies

MemooMerrilyOnHigh · 03/12/2010 13:10

Just been reading our local paper. There is an article interviewing staff from the local A&E department about the stupid reasons people attend.

One woman took her child because he had stepped in dog poo and she wanted staff to clean his shoe!!! Shock

Another woman turned up asking staff to remove her false nails, and a man went one evening because he was locked out of his house

What is wrong with some people!?

OP posts:
Pompoko · 03/12/2010 13:17

Some people think the world revolves around them

There was someone who rang 999 because there was a depressed looking pigeon at his window

JamieLeeCurtis · 03/12/2010 13:18

Some people are mentally ill, very old or very lonely, I imagine

5GoldenFimbos · 03/12/2010 13:21

My dd fell over on the ice yesterday and has hurt her arm/wrist. I don't think she has broken anything and really don't want to take her to a & e. Its not that long ago since we were there when she hurt her wrist (again!) playing badminton. Whilst we were there some drunken looney came into reception asking how he could get a job there!

lal123 · 03/12/2010 13:21

Our lead GP once told a nice story about an urgent out of hours call he got. When he arrived he found an old lady who was "aff her legs" - but the call wasn't about that. She wanted him to take her dog out for a walk....

pottonista · 03/12/2010 13:21
TheCrackFox · 03/12/2010 13:27

What JamieLeeCurtis said.

AlpinePony · 03/12/2010 13:34

Some people suffer from a serious condition - it's called "being as thick as fucking mince".

JamieLeeCurtis · 03/12/2010 13:40

well that too, Alpine.... but I do think it's really easy to read these headlines and not see what sometimes lies behind these stories.

Original poster
MemooMerrilyOnHigh · 03/12/2010 13:42

Its a good point JLC, some probably are, though I suspect that most are "as thick as fucking mince"! I'm loving that Alpine

OP posts:
curlymama · 03/12/2010 13:42

Sometime people think they really are that important, sometimes they are selfish and sometimes people are just thick as shit.

Original poster
MemooMerrilyOnHigh · 03/12/2010 13:43

I think though that if these people were mentally ill the staff wouldn't have talked about these examples to the newspaper.

OP posts:
AlpinePony · 03/12/2010 13:47

Conversely, a friend's mum works for the local 999 service. She got a phone call a couple of weekends ago from a little old lady who said she was sorry for calling but she was a little worried because her cellar had completely flooded and the water was now just 4" from her bedroom - but she didn't want to put anyone out. :(

Original poster
MemooMerrilyOnHigh · 03/12/2010 13:49

Poor little old lady, how scary!

OP posts:
Original poster
MemooMerrilyOnHigh · 03/12/2010 13:56

Some of those on 'you tube' are amazing pottonista

OP posts:
GiddyPickle · 03/12/2010 14:05

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Portofino · 03/12/2010 14:09

They are maybe related to this muppet Shock!

Original poster
MemooMerrilyOnHigh · 03/12/2010 14:15

Mad woman!

OP posts:
Original poster
MemooMerrilyOnHigh · 03/12/2010 14:15

oh I mean the woman on your link Porto, not you!!!

OP posts:
PerpetuallyAnnoyedByHeadlice · 03/12/2010 14:17

porto, exactly what i was going to say!

Malificence · 03/12/2010 14:33

I don't want to start foreigner bashing but DH has 27 nationalities at his workplace and if any of the middle eastern ones so much as scratch a finger they start screaming for an ambulance - seriously. He absolutely refuses to play ball with them but he knows that when they leave shift, there could be 10+ Iraqis / Iranians / Turkish / or whoever , going to Derby A+E because they go en masse . Angry

nocake · 03/12/2010 14:48

Why on earth would you choose to go to A&E unless there was something seriously wrong with you? They're horrible places. The only time I made it there without help (not in an ambulance) I had to wait for several hours in a miserable waiting room. If I hadn't been very worried about my ankle I would have left.

ivykaty44 · 03/12/2010 14:55

broken arm dd2, two broken wrists dear dad, broken collar bone dd1, broken armdd1, broken legdd2, broken bone which they operated on dd2, burnt palm of hand dear dad

thats why i go to a&e and only on two occasions have we had an ambulence- the otherr times i have driven as it is cheaper for the nhs

happycamel · 03/12/2010 15:28

LOL at Malifence. I think it must be novelty of a decent and free health service.

One of my staff is Indian, been here 3 years. She wound her midwives (and me) up no end calling in work hours asking all sorts of questions. Now she takes half a day off most weeks to rush DD to A&E. I know she really does- she brings me the paperwork to prove it! It says things like "DD hit bottom when falling over" - DD is 1 year old and learning to walk; they do that!

She urged me to go to A&E cos my skin got really spotty when I got pregnant! I explained that I wouldn't even be bothering my MW about it. She says - "but it's free so you should get them to do everything for you". No I said - sooner or later I have to pay for it through my taxes.

LLKH · 03/12/2010 16:25

nocake I agree. Why would you want to go to A&E? It's not exactly pleasant, is it?

The few times I've been are when I had a horrible combination of impetigo and cellulitis and something else (I looked so awful I had to give them an ID to show them what I really looked like), when I cut a bit of my forefinger off in a handblender (Don't ask), and when what I thought was appendicitis turned out to be an untreated UTI (had a rubbish GP at the time). All three times the staff was wonderful, but the environment wasn't.

I have never been so appreciative of the NHS and couldn't help but compare it to how worried I would have felt back in the States. Each of those would have resulted in a massive bill that my insurance probably wouldn't cover.

Still, I must admit I am amused by the stories of what people think A&E should deal with.

QueenGigantaurofMnet · 03/12/2010 16:28

I firmly believe that anyone who calls 999 without good reason should be sent the bill.

I think that way people may be less inclined to view it as a free bit of transport or company.

Of course there will be some who are genuinly worried without reason (yes i am thinking PFB) but they are genuine in their fears.

but in the cases like those outlined in teh OP...they should get a bill