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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

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

379 replies

SubwayAllTheWay · 24/10/2012 15:57

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.

OP posts:
Kormachameleon · 24/10/2012 16:11

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

sabbby82 · 24/10/2012 16:12

YAB soooo U you have no idea what major emergencies that could be life or death are being dealt with whilst you're waiting, as above this is neither an accident or emergency and most likely wouldn't get scanned anyways. Take some pain killers and go GP. Unreasonable expectations!!

treaclesoda · 24/10/2012 16:12

four hours is horrible for you to have to wait, especially when you are in pain, but as for taking the mick, no probably not, its pretty much the norm I'd say. I've known a couple of people have to wait 12 or more hours to be seen in our local A&E when they have been very busy. It was miserable for them but the reality was that the reason they weren't seen was because the staff were busy saving lives after car accidents etc. They can only work with the number of staff that they actually have. Its a pain, but thats how it goes.

DameMargotFountain · 24/10/2012 16:13

i'm sorry you have a trapped nerve, but by not waiting around for the scan, you have wasted your own time really

hope you get better soon

lucyellenmum · 24/10/2012 16:13

So hang on, you were in so much pain that you didnt go to your GP because you wanted a scan and then when you were offered one you decided that you didn't want it after all? Pfft Hmm

You remind me of my mother.

Salmotrutta · 24/10/2012 16:13

I have often suffered from severe neck pain after twisting muscles etc. Apparently it's a consequence of being tall and having a relatively long neck.

It once took me about an hour to crawl out of bed and get dressed after turning too quickly in bed.

It would never have occurred to me to go to A&E unless it was caused by trauma of some kind! Like a car accident or whatever.

Was it a trauma injury or straight-forward pulled muscles?

Kormachameleon · 24/10/2012 16:13

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

CailinDana · 24/10/2012 16:14

I've had a trapped nerve in my neck, in fact the vertebrae were twisted and stuck. I spent a night literally writhing and whimpering in pain. But there was no way I considered going to A and E. I went to the GP, and as it was Ireland, I paid 60 euros for the visit. She referred me for an x-ray, which was 150 euros, and I then had to visit a chiropractor for a few weeks, at 30 euros a visit. If you're not happy with your free treatment here, why not go to another country, like Ireland, where it isn't free? That might make you appreciate it a bit more perhaps.

Ephiny · 24/10/2012 16:14

"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."

I don't think it works like this. And you would be very unreasonable to call an ambulance when you didn't need one, to try to jump the queue at A&E. Seriously? Please don't ever do this.

TinyDancingHoofer · 24/10/2012 16:15

YABU.

Original poster
SubwayAllTheWay · 24/10/2012 16:15

Exit maybe as you have never experienced a trapped nerve, you dont know how how excrutiating it is. Shooting pains every 5 mins, i wouldnt wish that on my worst enemy.

I didnt know it was that, I thought i was having a stroke as the pain was down my arm.

OP posts:
GoSakuramachi · 24/10/2012 16:15

You shouldn't have been there. And you shouldn't have then wasted their time by walking out.

Your taxes aren't enough to pay for the services you get. It is free.

Paiviaso · 24/10/2012 16:16

YABU. You should have gone to your GP.

ExitPursuedByAaaaaarGhoul · 24/10/2012 16:17

Ermm - how do you know I have never had a trapped nerve? Big assumption there OP.

If it had been a stroke, the triage nurse would have dealt with you very quickly indeed.

ENormaSnob · 24/10/2012 16:17

Yabu

So you basically went to a&e for painkillers?

WelshMaenad · 24/10/2012 16:17

I suffered a flare up of sciatica last week and couldn't move for two DAYS.

Thank fuck I have an understanding of what 'accident and emergency' actually means, and went to my GP instead.

geegee888 · 24/10/2012 16:17

I don't think I've ever been seen quicker than 3 or 4 hours, despite falling from a horse/bike. Had very bad pneumonia and could hardly stand last year and was seen within an hour and a half, which was pretty good I thought. Though I was admitted to a ward afterwards. Since you weren't bleeding and don't mention an accident, YANBU. There are people there with life threatening conditions.

For a trapped nerve, I'd have made an emergency appointment at a private physio if I didn't want to wait in A&E. In fact its hardly an A&E matter at all.

Is this a troll? Surely no-one can be this entitled?

piprabbit · 24/10/2012 16:18

4 hours sounds about normal IME. Although our local hospital seem to prescribe some painkillers quite soon after arrival/triage.

mememummy · 24/10/2012 16:18

Did u ask for pain relief? I work in A&E ther are 10 nurses 5 doctors one cardiac arrest and one child who had been ran over and we were all busy, did u take pain relief? Did u ask for any?

lucyellenmum · 24/10/2012 16:18

I think the moral of the story here is, don't go to Accident and Emergency unless it actually IS an emergency. There are ways to get seen more quickly, your best bet would have been your GP, not always possible i know, but that would have been my first call. Then minor injuries unit, yes you were in agony but you drove yourself there!!! you weren't about to leave this mortal coil.

I took my mum to minor injuries after her foot which had been giving her gyp for ages got really painful, she was seen withing 15 minutes, x-rayed and home with a suspected fracture within half hour.

My daughter bit through her tongue, went to minor injuries first, NOT A&E as i knew we would wait ages. Was seen immediately (lucky break really) then referred to the maxfax guy at A&E in other hospital, they were waiting for us. I suspect if you had followed a similar route your wait would have been lessened.

I'm not without sympathy, i HATE waiting and waiting in pain, not good, but you know, sometimes you just gotta suck it up.

SullenCrescent · 24/10/2012 16:18

Just because you are bought in by ambulance does not give you priority and you are still triaged, so if you had called an ambulance you would still have had to wait the same amount of time because it was not an emergancy.

Ephiny · 24/10/2012 16:18

I do sympathise about the pain, DH had a similar-sounding neck problem and I could see he was in excruciating pain with it and barely able to move (he normally just gets on with things and doesn't complain), it was horrible.

But it's still not an emergency in the same way some of the cases coming into A&E will be. You might have been better to go to your GP or a walk-in centre if there's one near you.

HanSolo · 24/10/2012 16:20

Have waited 4 hours in A&E with my 5yo bleeding out of her ears.
4 hours seems standard I'm afraid.
Do you not have a walk-in centre at all?i

ThatVikRinA22 · 24/10/2012 16:20

but they clearly knew you were not having a stroke - hence the wait.

Accident and Emergency - the clue is in the name.
trapped nerves dont constitute either. I went with my back in spasm, couldnt move - had to wait my turn - i never go to A & E normally, but like you was in agony and couldnt move - it needed some kickass pain killers which i could only get from hospital.

i was grateful to be seen and sorted, also had to wait for 4 hours. No one forced you to wait - i guess you could have always tried your GP if you got fed up of waiting.

sorry you were in pain but YABU. Genuine accidents and emergencies have to come first.

oopslateagain · 24/10/2012 16:20

A footballer who had broken his leg on the pitch here had to wait three hours for an ambulance. Add in the time taken to treat him, load him into the ambulance, get him to hospital and into a treatment room, and he probably waited 4 hours too. Absolutely WRONG - but the reason he had to wait 3 hours in the first place was because a load of fucking idiots thought they would ring an ambulance for stuff which they should have gone to their GP for.

Ambulances are for accidents/injuries which threaten life or limb.

Unless your neck pain was due to a fall or an actual injury, it's pretty obvious it's a pulled muscle or trapped nerve. Painful, yes. Horribly sickeningly painful, yes. Emergency? No.