Piss take waiting in A&E for an very very long time,

[SubwayAllTheWay]

I had a very sore neck, couldnt move it and was getting shooting pains every 5 mins. As I was near the hospital, I went in at 11am today. I was seen at 3pm. So i had to wait for nearly four hours with shooting pains to the point I had to leave the A&E reception to shout out my pain.

AIBU that this time takes the mick? I know ambulances have priority but If it takes that long, I would have phoned for an ambulance because then atleast i would get seen early.

It took the piss because there were people who seemed to be happy, able to walk but a sore wrist and they got seen after an hour of being there.

I didnt go to the doctors as i was in so much pain i thought i might faint and A&E seemed better idea as they could do a scan and find out the cause.

I'm wondering whether the OP spoke to the reception desk at any point to ask why the wait was so long.

I also think its very naive to suggest that the answer to any problem Is to start charging people at the point they need the care.

It's what they do in most of Europe. Low cost government run insurance schemes, small cost at point of access, most of it reclaimable. It's normal. No need to scare monger. Most European countries have ways of protecting the most vulnerable, it's very do able.

It's not naive, unless you think virutally the whole of Europe except Spain is naive. It's the answer to a lot of problems and could well be the answer to this one.

Any cost at point of access will put people off seeking care.

Well we want to put some people off don't we? The paper cut ambulance caller = haven't you yourself said the op shouldn't have gone to a and e? Or have we changed our minds about that?

And the whole of Europe has perfect health care systems do they? No waits no nothing? I must be mistaken about people I know struggling to access needed care then.

No system is perfect and charging people won't suddenly make the nhs perfect simply change the problems

But you won't only put time waters off, you will make genuinely sick people not seek help, or wait until it is to late because they can't afford even a small charge at point of contact.

I've never waited in casualty in one particular European country, not a private hospital, for longer than 20 mins? Regular insurance scheme. No system is perfect. You're right about that. Some systems are better than others though. They aren't all equally dysfunctional.

"you will make genuinely sick people not seek help, or wait until it is to late because they can't afford even a small charge at point of contact. "

actually I think it will help genuinely sick people because the system won't be clogged up with timewasters

I woke up on Easter Monday in 2010, after a week of a slightly raised temperature of 38 degrees c, and not feeling well - fluish- and taking 2 paracetamol 2- 3 times a day, to try to reduce it, unfortunately,didn't work. Very soon I felt a peculiar sensation in my tongue, and noticed it was thickened and swollen on one side, and rapidly happening to the other side and moving backwards towards my throat. Had taken paracetamol for years when rarely I needed to. Looked at the instruction leaflet, and the allergic reaction was a dangerous one which could be life threatening. I rang the NHS Direct as was by then terrified, and as they could hear that I could not talk properly as tongue too big now to fit in mouth . An ambulance was luckily there very quickly and I was given an intravenous shot of Antihistamine. Rushed to the nearest A&E, took about 30 mins, and rushed into a bed, where I was pumped full of intravenous steroids. Had other tests as well. It took 4 hours before my tongue, thank goodness, began to deflate. It did swell back to my throat but no further, so did not suffocate or choke to death.

That was an emergency and I was treated immediately. But being Easter Monday it was extremely quiet, I was told.

4 hours is utterly standard for a busy a&e, for something where the triage staff don't think you're in serious danger (as opposed to pain or discomfort). I once waited 4 hours with agonising lower pelvic pain that turned out to be an ovarian cyst that had got enormous and twisted the Fallopian tube, cutting off the blood supply to my right ovary, and I was throwing up from the pain. I asked later whether they weren't worried that it was an ectopic pregnancy (which can be genuinely life-threatening) but they'd triaged me as not having the right symptoms as I wasn't bleeding. So although it was a horrible experience for me at the time, they knew what they were doing, although there wasn't a person among them who relished the idea of someone in severe internal pain waiting for hours; they were all just trying their best.

Re the ambulance - it's been said before but that in no way gets you in any quicker. A friend who is an a&e doctor has had patients who kick up a huge fuss in reception about waiting, then go down the road and call an ambulance. He puts them right back into their appropriate triage waiting order. .

You should not have taken medication at home, if you thought you were having a Stroke o.p.

I went to public hospital in Spain - 14 weeks pregnant with violent tummy pains - waited 3 hours in agony and then went to a private gynecologist who diagnosed food poisoning

Felt better the next day but still tender so got a second opinion from a local gp - sent to private hospital where I waited 3 hours until they finally diagnosed appendicitis - operated on 1 hour later when it had burst

at both hospitals we where delayed from having treatment until we could evidence our travel insurance - they had to speak to our insurance direct

no system is perfect - sorry!

(also had similar experiences when living in Germany)

Can anyone explain - these patients who want to call an ambulance rather than wait - surely unless they lie to the operator the ambulance won't come anyway? Ambulances get triaged too and there aren't hundreds driving around looking for something to do.

I recently was sent by my gp to a and e. The lady in the cubicle next door had...jet lag.

Wtf? Who goes to a and e with jet lag?

Op meal pain u.at like is awful have had it myself (but went chiropractic not hospital) . However they cannot prioritize people who have kids with them. Otherwise the old woman who lives in a shoe would be seen first every time!

Tbh it couldn't have been that bad if you declined a scan and just took pain killers. Find a good chiropractic for next time.

Meal pain? Sorry, neck pain

Yabu. My dh had a suspected stroke last night, he went to a and e and was seen immediately! They obviously correctly identified you as NOT having a stroke when you checked in.

Trapped nerves are very painful, I get about one per year, would never go to a and e or even the gp, what do you expect them to do, dig it out?!

It's not beyond normality to make a mistake - to think you're in serious trouble when in fact you're not. I've done it myself when I was young - thought I needed to see a Dr, didn't know the appropriate thing to do, so wandered up to the A&E as I thought they might have someone out-of-hours to see.
It was very embarrassing, and I learned from it but I was only young - late teens I think. If people don't know what is the right thing to do, or they panic, then I wouldn't castigate them.
But then to get actually ANGRY about it - and having to wait, when it was clear there wasn't a massive probem - is totally unreasonable.
If I was the OP I'd be going home with my tail between my legs, ashamed of having caused any trouble. Not blasting out about how awful the system is.
In short you are allowed to be mistaken I think but you have to accept that gracefully or you just look like an entitled twunt.

He is fine, thanks for asking :) symptoms of a stroke but not one. Hospital were great.

Yes Tunip they lie or are economical with the truth. They say they have abnormal breathing or some chest pain. We get there and they're obviously not short of breath nor to they have chest pain. Infuriating as the call still takes time, we have to do all the checks and fill in the paper work. If they didn't lie they might get directed to an alternative care pathway or they might still get an ambulance but it would not be a red response which would be safer for everyone.
Some people panic and make a mistake but some just know the system.

I hate long waits in the ER, but it is what one must expect. I assume the triage nurse asked you some questions and took your blood pressure, and if she thought you showed signs of a stroke, or meningitis you would have been seen quickly.
I do hope you will feel better, neck pain is pretty bad. Cold packs help my neck, give that a try.

Boffin. That's how the one near me is set up. You go in and are directed to the relevant area.