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.

Try getting an appointment with the practice nurse. Ours are very good and can prescribe some drugs and will call in GPs to have a look, if necessary.

You did well to go to A&E as you could have a broken/cracked bone.

Still, :(

Have you tried to wear an elastic sock to fix the joint?

Two weeks for a doctor appointment is ridiculous. I ring and get seen the same day, sometimes within an hour or so. I hear it so much on here that people can't get appts for weeks at a time. I would go to a and e.

OP you may need to ring 101 before you go to the walk in centre. I recently walked into our local walk in centre which is in the hospital on referral from the pharmacist. I had gone to the pharmacist for advice, as you are supposed to do for minor things. He referred me to the walk in centre and said not to bother with 101 as they would only tell me to go to a pharmacist.
Well, didn't I get a telling off from the receptionist. Apparently, despite its name, the walk in centre is not open to anyone just walking in off the street. You need an appointment and you can only get one of them via 101.
Lesson learned, as a first port of call when GP is unavailable always ring 101 and do not assume health professionals will all sing from the same hymn sheet.

Does your GP to phone appointments.

Phone the surgery and explain that you have been to A&E and you have been adviced to book am appointment to be referred to ........... and would it be possible for a call to do it over the phone.

Typical wait at my GP is also 2 weeks and the few appointments left free for same day booking suddenly become emergency only appointments depending on which receptionist answers the phone.
This is despite being told to ring everyday at 9am as an alternative to a 2 week wait.
Complete shambles.

Glad you have been seen, but not so good with the possible dx.

Don't wait 4 weeks. If it is arthritis the quicker you start treatment, the better the prognosis is in terms of damage to joints.

Call immediately on Monday and get a same day appointment. Say that A&E had told you that you need this appointment.

Then at the GP ask for the rhuemy appointment. Make sure they know the extent of your pain. I was referred a couple of summers ago and as I was in a great deal of pain, and had swelling I was seen within 2 days. I was due to go on holiday within the fortnight long haul and I needed it sorting! The doctor can call the department up there and then when you are there and get it done quicker.

Seriously - when it's early arthritis the quicker you get a dx the better, because then you get the DMARDs meds etc - and the sooner you take them the better too.

There are also various types of arthritis and not all can be checked for on a blood test.

my form of arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, does not show up on blood tests for example.

Good on the OP for at least attempting to find the most appropriate service for her needs, but some of the posters on this thread highlight the very reasons my job is so hellish. I was triage for 13 hours on my last shift, and I turned away probably 40% of people attempting to book in. Even after all this time, it never fails to amaze me the reasons some people come to A&E. The number of times I've had people admit that they know their problem isn't an emergency but came anyway as other services were inconvenient astounds me. Then probably the same people are jumping up and down in the media when they/their child/their elderly parent are kept waiting an unacceptable length of time for a genuine emergency.

Thanks everyone. I'll call Monday, tell the know-it-all receptionist I was advised by A+E to see the GP urgently, and ask the GP to express how much pain i'm in inside his referral to rheumatology.

I'm only 23! If this is how bad it is at my age, how much worse will it get in 5, 10, 15 years?

I've always had a feeling I've had arthritis. But since that orthopaedic fobbed me off with post-pregnancy joint pain, I dismissed the idea.

No other joints are swollen/painful just now. But I do get severe pain in my wrists a few times a week. Sometimes they 'stick' and I physically can't move them. It's like they tense up out of their normal position. But they return to normal in a few hours, or even a few minutes if i'm having a lucky day.

I think you should push for a GP appt. However many have mentioned drink related incidents clogging up A and E. What are we going to do about that area going forward?

Last time I went to A and E on a Sat night with DS it was full of drunks.

Don't panic, it may not be inflammatory arthritis if it's only one joint that is considerably swollen. I got diagnosed with RA at 21 and although I am disabled by it (unfortunate - despite an early dx) life goes on.

Fivesugars because of your age it is even more important to have this checked asap. As I say, if arthritis you need the meds to prevent joint damage. Earlier the better.

FWIW when I first presented I only had one symptom - swollen, painful knee. I'd had niggles before - fingers, hands, neck, knee - but nothing as dramatic. Mine is more under control know with various meds, knowledge of what I can and can't do, etc and flare ups controleld with steroid injections.

put in the 'minor' room for 3 hours.

Oh that's awful. :(. I don't think I've ever waited more than 12 minutes at our local Minor Injuries Unit.
Hope it gets better soon, OP.

Did you at least get some painkillers OP?

No. They never gave me anything. I asked if they had any advice which would alleviate the pain, and the doctor said she was a bit scared to give advice when she doesn't know what's wrong.

I asked if i'm okay to carry on as normal, walking/working, and she said yes. So I'll just have to hop around everywhere.

It's hurting now even though i'm sitting on my bum. A dull sort of throb. it's only the centre of my foot, starting below my middle toes. The edges and sole are fine. They said the reason I couldn't flex my toes is because the foot's so swollen.

I have some of dd's dihydrocodeine left from her hospital visit a few months back. Would I be allowed to take that?

you could take over-the-counter anti inflammatories in the mean time (ibuorofen or diclofenac). take them with food.
hope you feel better soon.

If you need decent pain relief you can buy over the counter ibuprofen and codeine in one tablet. Think it's called nurofen plus

Don't give up OP - you may still need an MRI, so don't be afraid to keep going back. I think your GP is the best next step, but be firm.

I think sometimes Drs forget that there's a person in pain at the end of their diagnosis. I've been left in pain a few times after a GP referral has been down the wrong path and the specialist says 'oh no, it's not my speciality, just wait and see' when in fact referral to another specialist for more investigation would be appropriate.

Read up on navicular stress fracture, morton's neuroma, and rheumatology to see if anything sounds likely/familiar. Good luck!

I actually genuinely believe GP receptionists are part of the problem - I had an appointment cancelled this week - but they didn't bother to tell me.

Arthritis is unlikely from your symptoms. Many people go to casualty thinking they get more experienced doctors than their GP but it's often a very junior training post and many GPs did casualty jobs years ago when training.
A GP may have more experience that a casualty doctor so may think his/ her recommendation isn't sensible.
If there was significant arthritis in your foot the xray should have detected it. At least they've excluded infection. I'd take antiinflammatories and rest it.

Thanks.

I've woken up with it in a lot of pain this morning. Must be from all the poking and prodding yesterday. I'm going to try and stay seated as much as possible this weekend with my foot elevated.

Can't face hopping to the chemist to buy anti-inflammatories. I'll just need to wait till Monday. This is worrying me that no one knows what it is.

Sleep404, it's 111. 101 is the police non emergency number. And some walk-in centres are just that, as are most MIUs, others are primary care centres where you will need an appointment from OOH service/111. It depends where in the country you are, 111 was supposed to be a unifying force but is actually still very inconsistent.

My mums looked out some of her old anti-inflammatory creams and sent them up (she has arthritis), so i'm going to give them a try.

I'm in absolute agony now. It feels like someone is pressing down on the sore bit with a hammer.