To go to A+E about something that's neither an accident or emergency?

[FiveSugarsPlease]

My right foot hurts. Really hurts, and has been hurting for three weeks.

At first I thought i'd sprained it and it would go away itself, but for the past few days, I've been struggling to walk for longer than 10 mins at a time.

I have no idea how it happened. Can't remember tripping or anything like that. I can just recall it starting to be a bit painful when I walked.

I've been managing to get around the past few weeks by tilting my foot slightly so that pressure is going to the outside of my foot rather than the sole. Pressing my foot, the pain seems to be in the centre at the top, about an inch below my middle toes. My foot has swollen, and my lovely summery flats don't fit.

I called the GP and asked if I could see a doctor today just to get it checked over. She asked symptoms etc and said it sounds like a sprain. The next appointment is 2 weeks time (and she made out I was lucky to be offered this, as most appointments have a 4 week waiting time).

Ideally, i'd like an x-ray or thorough check of my foot as soon as possible, as it could possibly be a fracture.

If I were to go to A+E about this today, will I be turned away/told to get a GP appointment?

It's not an emergency, as I can still walk (albeit painfully), and the pain's only present when I put pressure on my foot. When i'm resting, my foot just has a heavy feeling (because of the swelling) and I can't flex my toes.

It's not an accident either as I can't think what caused it.

In fact, it's so much of a non-emergency, I think I may even leave it until Monday if I decide to go, as I've left it too late now and would be late for school pick up.

More of a WWYD, I suppose.

Yes but at 5am on a weekday morning the wait can still be 3+ hours due to the number of doctors on duty and the number of emergencies coming in

I've wasted so much time in walk in clinics only to be sent on to a and e ...

Shifts change between 6 and 7am round here as well which add to the wait. The quickest I have ever been is when DH's eye swelled up to enormous proportions one morning and GP sent him straight to A&E, we got there around 8.15am and were home by 9.30am having been treated and given antibiotics.

On the flip side I broke my big toe before Christmas, got into A&E around 10pm on a Tuesday evening and finally left at 7.00am the following morning.

Sadly for us both times we've needed it walk in's have been closed :(

Yes QOD - but at least then you can go to A&E with impunity.

IME GPs are waste of time, Minors department I'm afraid. And be prepare for a long weight too.

Wassat mean exit? Splain.

Because you have been sent there by a medical professional, rather than just turning up thinking you are an emergency case.

Oh please don't go to a+e. this why they are so full up. Please see your gp, or go to a walk in clinic where you can wait for an appointment.

Melika- a long weight! What does that look like? A long thin pei e of heavy metal.

Ahhhhhh gotcha

Oh when I was last at a and e with friend who was vomiting blood and crying in pain, I was soooooo wishing I could triage the place.

Sometimes people wait for so long that they should actually just go home because the acute instant pain from a fall does actually wear off.

I tend to go with kidney stones, hugggge fat burn the size of a sausage on my hand, the sort of thing a and e is actually for. Why don't these people suck it and see?

I've only been with dislocated shoulders (about 50 times - twice in one day) and a broken heel. And the time I was sent from the walk-in with a scratched eye.

Any joy OP?

Ring your GP surgery the minute it opens on Monday morning and ask for an emergency appt - they release them on the day.

RICE it over the weekend, hope it passes soon.

If your foot is swelling(getting worse) then A&E seems appropriate to me in the absence of a minor injuries place. Try NHS Direct(?whatever now called), they may authorise A&E for you.

It's awful how NHS overdemand/undersupply means people have to really look out for themselves to get timely care. They seem to work on 'how long can we fob this person off until they insist we do something?'

In your shoes, if worried, I would seek out private GP. There are some in my area but maybe not everywhere.

walk in or docs and ask for a referral for an xray. this is precisely why A&E is overstretched, if you go to walk in they may well send you to a7e anywho. barmy.

You said you can't flex your toes? Serious?

Sorry I mean this could be serious coupled with swelling I would have thought. You are the one who pays the consequences of ignoring symptoms not the Doctor, you pay taxes, you have a right to get it checked out by someone competent not just triaged 'over the phone' by a receptionist surely?

OP found a minor injuries unit in her area and is probably there now!

Hello everyone. Thank you for the advice.

Well, I went to the hospital with dd after school and asked for directions to the minor injuries ward. She said there isn't one specifically. I told her I had seen online there is a dept for sprains/burns etc and she explained it was all part of A+E, and I ought to go there.

So off I went. I explained at the A+E reception I just wanted to get put in the minor injuries bit, but apparently it doesn't work like that. I was treated just the same as all the other waiting people. Only when a nurse called my name, was I taken through for a quick chat and put in the 'minor' room for 3 hours. A doctor came and examined me and sent me for an x-ray. It came back clear. They asked another doctor to come round and both told me I present quite a conundrum. They said the swelling was quite bad, but as there was no heat or rash, there was no infection.

Because I couldn't pinpoint when the pain specifically happened (i.e. I didn't fall, drop something) and because I don't wear heels, they said it was unlikely to be a sprain. And x-ray showed no fractures.

Then one doctor said it sounded like an arthritis problem. I told them I had queried the possibility of arthritis last year with my GP due to getting pains/feeling of dislocation in my wrists, GP checked for rheumatoid arthritis which came back clear, and referred me to an orthopaedic. The orthopaedic was incredibly patronising, didn't even check me, and said it was likely just common joint pain from having my baby... 5 years ago. And that was that.

Anyhoo, the doctors today said the GP should have referred me to rheumatology, not an orthopaedic. They have written a letter to my GP stating this.
They said they couldn't offer me any advice today on how to make my foot better because they don't know what's wrong with it.

I now need to make an appointment with my GP (which will take 4 weeks) to get a referral to rheumatology (which will take a least 2 months).

So basically, I've gotten nowhere! That's me just home. Dd has been so patient, bless her.

QUOTE TSSDNCOP: 'At A&E on Sunday, where we went because my husband was actually near to death, the Sister told me that every person they see costs a minimum of £600.

So, also every non accident or emergency costs £600.

That is what every one of us should think about before going to A&E.'

Ha ha, are you serious? There are certain fixed costs relating to buildings, equipment, staff in an A&E Department - the more patients they see, the lower the per patient cost actually is.
Her rubbish GP practice wouldn't see her today, so their look out if she ends up in a less appropriate part of 'the system'. She has tried to do the right thing including waiting 3 weeks to see if it cured itself...she is self-employed and needs to work....

glad you got seen.
try to make an urgent appointment on monday, 4 weeks is an awfully long time for acute pain.

Glad you've been seen and that they didn't say you were wasting your time. Such a pity you were wasting yours though.
You need to get emergency GP appt Monday to get a quick referral because 2 doctors were stumped...I don't think you are expected to wait 4 weeks for a GP appt to faciliate this.

Glad you've been seen and that they didn't say you were wasting their time. Such a pity you were wasting yours though.
You need to get emergency GP appt Monday to get a quick referral because 2 doctors were stumped...I don't think you are expected to wait 4 weeks for a GP appt to facilitate this.

Oh dear.

Do you have swelling in any other of your joints? Also, not sure what your GP tested for but you can have RA without having the antibody markers in your blood.

Oh yes and if you can, be at the doctor's surgery to ask for an emergency appointment in person. I didn't realise but many people do this at my surgery which is why when I finally get through, so many appointments have gone!