24hr A&E why have they gone there?

[Oooblimey]

Just watching 24hr in A&E.
AIBU to be annoyed at the woman who has taken her 6 yr old to A&E, he got a splinter in his foot a week ago which has turned into a puss filled blister. How is this an emergency? And we wonder why A&E departments are on their knees?
Surely this should be a GP appointment. Yes he may be uncomfortable for a couple of days but he's not dying. Is it a sign of today's expectation of instant service or AIBU to think that this situation is unacceptable?

And then, of course, there's the EC, who see the NHS as a monopoly that needs breaking up and opening up to (European) competition would that be a bad thing?
I mean when you can't even get a regular appointment for minor stuff that can't wait - something seems very wrong.

Our a&e is also a minor injuries unit which helps, the nearest walk in centre shut so we have a 25 min drive to the next. However last time it had massive delays due to a dr not arriving for their shift and very sick patients who probably should have been in a&e. I felt to ill to wait and called out of hours, it was actually a amazing service with no wait but at the same location. I think people have heard such bad things about OOH that they don't bother trying. I'm currently bed bound with an awful cold but may be flu as I can barely get up to the loo, also have laryngitis. Sadly there's no point visiting a dr regardless of the method.

It all depends how the local units are staffed. My GP has urgent appointments on the day, but only if you ring first thing and they fill up quickly, they're with the practise nurse who may refer to the GP. The surgery sends anything that requires more than pharmacy bought dressings to the local minor injuries unit which is staffed solely by nurse practioners. The minor injuries unit sends anthing tht can't be dealt wwith by a nurse practitioner to A&E.
At risk of outing myself, I live in West Someret, the minor injuries unit is a 16 mile round trip for me, and much further for others. A&E is a 45 mile round trip and much futher than others. Even the GP surgery is a 6 mile round trip. It is also 30 miles between the minor injuries unit and the A&E. I can see why if in doubt someone would bypass the other services and go straight to A&E. The distance and travel costs can quickly become very hard to handle, especially as we have just been once again rated as the most rurally deprived area in the country.
If any of my familt injure themselves we noramally go straight to minor injuries as the GP just doesn't really dela with it any more, I have to take my daughter to an appointment at ten past eight tommorow morning for a sprained knee that was seen at minor injuries 4 weeks ago and is still swollen and painful. I think she may need crutches, and I'll probably be told to take her back to minor injuries for crutches, or more likely be told to just give her more ibuprofen...

Also our out of hours service is appaling, last year I rang at 8 in the morning on a Saturday with a child with puss pouring from her ear, took 3 hours to get a call back and she had to be taken in pain with a high temperature on a 45 mile round trip for an appointment at half past four in the afternoon, the pharmacy had shut so we had a twenty minute walk into town to try and catch boots, who didn't have the medication, and then another ten minute walk to the next one which we luckily caught by ten minutes. If we hadn't we would have had to wait until 1pm the next day and hope that the duty pharmacy in the next nearest town, 30 miles from the A&E had it in stock...

I sat in a&e for 4 hours with a suspected broken wrist, a child around 4/5 was brought in by her parents because she had fell on a path and scraped her knee and cheek, nothing extreme, just your general childhood cut and graze affair. The wee one clearly didn't want to be there and was crying to go home, whilst her mum and dad told everyone in the waiting room how worried they were she might have concussion, obviously weren't that bothered as the child proceeded to fall asleep after a while. They still got seen before me.

The amount of broken toes that I've seen in a&e anytime I've been there as well is ridiculous, 99% of the time nothing can be done and there is plenty of good advice via NHS website.

I haven't seen this week's episode, but I think this most weeks - they usually include at least one person that I'm there shouting "How is this an emergency???" but the problem is they get seen and get treated and there's no 'penalty' or fine or even a telling off for wasting A&E's time. I can't understand why, once triaged, they don' t refer the people who shouldn't be there, to the places they should be. Yes, there's be loads for the first couple of months but the people might begin to get the message and stop wasting resources the way they do.

SmellySourdough - I was just challenging the prevailing wisdom on MN that European healthcare is awesome and everything whatsoever wrong with the NHS is the fault of the Tories

I am in awe of the A and E staff: I am not the most user-friendly of people at the best of times, but random drunks vomiting on me/people streaking through triage without their trousers (or underwear) on/foul-mouthed abuse and threats of violence would see me on a charge of murder pretty quickly!

Our minor injuries has closed, as has the walk in centre. Last year 3 GP practices, all part of the same group, closed and their 20000 patients had to go to other, already full practices. It took me months to get a smear test. Admittedly it's awkward because you can't go when you have your period but waiting months to see the nurse is ridiculous. The same day appointments seem to go within the first 2-3 min of the receptionist answering the phone and the non emergency appointments go weeks in advance. DS almost ended up in A&E because his inhaler ran out before I could get an appointment for a med review to get a new prescription. In hindsight I should have kept him off school to get it done sooner because after school appointments are like gold dust but then I'd get it in the neck from school.

They've gone there because they want some healthcare in a wealthy country. Although the Tories want us to believe we are on the bones of our arses.

If it's still being filmed at St Georges then I was there last weekend with a 6 year old with an ear infection. I'd dialled 111 for guidance on OOH care and been told I could have an appointment at the OOH unit situated at St Georges. You attend your OOH appointment by going to the A&E reception and stating your appointment (5pm on a Saturday) and sitting in the A&E waiting area. They then keep you waiting anyway which results in a hungry child 6 yr old with a temperature waiting in a room full of mentally ill/drug abusing/filthy/smelly people (plus the usual rugby team full of head and ankle injuries) for an hour. You can also 'walk-in' there for OOH treatment.

Despite the programme title it is possible they had attended the unit for a correct reason.

Last time I was in A&E it was with a broken leg. There were actually a lot of people in the waiting room who I later saw queuing for the plaster room. But it seems to be some parents who take their kids to A&E at a drop of a hat. You see it on here sometimes with parents being advised to call ambulances for silly reasons.

I got told off by A and E but in a nice way, for not going.

It's so hard to judge well for me it was DS had a health issue, hI phoned GP OOH who whilst going through the questions said "I think you need to phone an ambulance or go to A and E" I was so we bundled DS in to the car arrived at A and E I explained what GO had said next minute before our arises had touched a waiting room chair DS was called through straight to paediatric A and E. I felt like a shit parent Nurse said "why didn't you immediately think A and E for this? I said because I didn't feel he was that bad...She went to continue and the Dr said "to be honest, I'd rather a GP have sent you because you didn't want to clog us up, than turn up with something a GP would solve".

I really did feel like a shit parent sat on a hildrens ward for 2 days..

I think if the other services are crap...I can see why people go to A&E.

We have a minor injuries place - it is 11 miles away, 30 min drive away open 9-6 weekdays only.
DD2 (6 or 7) managed to give herself a nasty cut on her thumb, nearly took the top off, at 7 pm. I used to be a chef (in fact was the first aider) , used to dealing with cut fingers - I knew it was 'bad' - not life threatening but not a nick either. And I knew it needed cleaning out properly or it might get infected...and wasn't sure on the best way of doing it (did make sure it bled a lot) but it was obviously very sore, reluctant to inflict more pain with salt water etc - needed advice more than anything. So I waited till 8am and rang the GP to see if I could see the nurse for advice or get it cleaned and dressed properly, they told me to go to the minor injuries. We got there about 9.30 (had to sort out other DC) to find it was held in an existing clinic, we would be seen when the nurse had time - if a patient hadn't shown or was a quick appt. We eventually got seen at almost noon - by someone with not the best bedside manner (but tbf she was rushed off her feet) who obviously thought we were wasting her time. She went to stick a dressing on and I asked about cleaning it out and she said after so many hours its starting to heal, no point opening it up again. I asked about infection and she agreed it was a risk but not much she could do then and continued to butterfly stitch it...luckily it didn't get infected . Honestly I won't be bothering going there again - seeing as A&E is 5 miles away, an easier drive (15 mins) and it would have been cleaned out, no risk of infection. (Although I didn't think about the pharmacy at the time - I'd go there or the GP if they were open)
I have a really complicated medical history, probably includes a misdiagnosis. I have definitely had DVTs, probably a misdiagnosed PE and a couple of 'possibles' so have to get certain things checked out and properly.
Slightly swollen, sore leg seemed to be getting worse - phoned NHS direct at 9pm, told to go to OOH (6 miles away, similar drive as to A&E) who phoned me at 12.30am with an appt at 2.30am...where I got seen by a nurse who decided it was a definitely a DVT and gave me a fragmin shot (or actually I did it myself as she 'had only been trained to give it in the stomach' - I can't face having them in the stomach).
Sent home to make an appt with the Emergency Medical Unit (in the hospital) the next day, went, waited ages (that place was chaos - really understood what is meant by the NHS at breaking point), seen by a Dr, could be a clot, needed a scan to confirm- but they had exceeded their quota so to come back in 5 days - went back, had the scan - inconclusive ...saw another Dr and they said they were going to say it was a clot and put me on warfarin (blood thinners). I had to go back the next day cos it was too late to see the anti coag nurse - I told them I should really see vascular first, they said I could the next day...went back, saw yet another Dr , the vascular team never showed up (and like I said it was chaos - I didn't want to make a fuss). I had to tell the Dr to take blood before they started me on warfarin (I know they can't do certain clotting tests when you are)...6 months later saw vascular, 9 months later got a scan in vascular and a year later told it was probably my abnormal vein architecture (from previous clots) and 'likely' not another clot but obviously they couldn't be certain - after all that time ...I'd been on warfarin for a year...and now have another 'possible' on my record.
Previous experience - go to A&E, vascular will be around or on call. Either have a standard scan or get booked in for a vascular scan, leave with a definite diagnosis - or at least on the list for a vascular scan and on their radar. I know what I'll do next time (if there is one) and it will be go to A&E ... not only because the amount of time I wasted but also the amount of their time and medicines wasted...not just in the EMU but I had a GP nurses appt for a blood test more or less every week - for a year...
And tupperware I have every sympathy for you - it must be incredibly frustrating but be aware things aren't always as simple as they might seem. My dad was sent to A&E by his GP with a bit of a red toe. Triage looked at it and obviously thought he was a timewaster, made my dad feel awful. He was seen by a consultant...his recently fitted stent had kinked and he had clots forming. Booked in for a procedure less than 36 hrs later...

Well - all I can say is if you have ever tried to get an appointment with a practice nurse in south London (even to have surgery stitches removed) then you may understand why they went to A and E.

I have never even heard of minor injuries unit
I agree it was a waste of hospital time however maybe they couldnt get a gp app?
Not all surgeries operate on a ring up in the mornung and you'll get an appointment system.
If i need to book an app i know I'll waiting at minimum of 3 weeksto see either of my two doctors.
I'm lucky that there is a walkin not that far from me, however not all have these.

unlucky83 i've also had trouble with clots! I had a suspected clot ( several very clear symptoms) but tests came back fine.
It was late in the evening so
They told me they were pretty sure i didn't have a clot and diagnosed a pulled muscle and just to come in sometime the next day for a scan to double check as it was late ( it was 8pm).
Low and behold huge clot in my lung

Back in the days when we did have a local A&E I was told that my tooth extraction site was fine...5 days of pain later finaly got an emergency appointment with the dentist...osteomylitis that nearly required a bone graft. there's still no rea emergency dental provision in my area, and no emergency mental heath provision outside of nine to sixthirty week days....

111 almost always advises a&e!

I took my daughter to A and E for an infected ear which was pus-filled and didn't feel remotely bad about it. It was late at night, she was screaming in pain, there's no minor injuries unit (which is where I would have gone, they are brilliant) and when I got there, she needed entonox anyway, so the GPs would not have been able to deal with it. The staff were more than helpful and did not suggest we go and sit with a pus-filled ear til morning to see if we could get a GP appointment!

If they went through OOH dr, they may have been referred there. GP services are collapsing, and it was right of the mum to seek treatment before it got worse.

Kali did they do a blood test called a D-dimer? And it came back negative...
You might have been told this but if you haven't...
They really aren't reliable, especially for certain conditions (one of which -APS - I was told I had 25 yrs ago but probably didn't/have now tested negative for years but then the test isn't that reliable).
You should find out if that's what happened and tell them you had a negative d-dimer with a clot if you ever think you have another one.

In my recent case it was a negative d-dimer but the leg was red and swollen (and painful) ...but then that is my most damaged leg so it does swell sometimes. (And more confusing when I had my massive DVT it was that leg and it didn't swell until the clot was 3 ft long...)

It's the whole family pitching up that is worse (maybe they thought it was an X Factor audition). Practice Nurse or Walk In Minory Injuries for it (or go to the pharmacist and ask advise).

In Ireland it is €120 to attend a&e unless by GP referral (which is a relative snip at €60). That's a fair deterrent to time wasters

The issue is that the GP contracts now mean that it is easy for GPs to opt out of providing out of hours care. A&E picks up all the failures in the system. Improve access to GPs and out of hours services, and you will cut the number of people going to A&E.

They must get people with a lot of non emergency in my local hospital, I had to go straight away under instruction of 111 service, had severe chemical burns, doctor walked in looked at me and said sweat rash get dressed and go home. Then walked off. (I have a thread about full story but it had one reply )

Anyway long story short he fobbed me off an misdiagnosed, seen two doctors since then and said it is a severe chemical burn and both doctors went mad I wasn't treated at a+e cos it's caused more problems that wouldn't of happened if I was treated at a+e.

I put it down to the hospital being rammed with people going in just for a small cut on their finger or whatever, just things that can be treated at home (mine couldn't)

I once got told off for being in an A&E once by a nurse. I had actually asked the receptionist where the Walk in Centre was and she signed me in to the A&E queue.
Thankfully the A&E wasn't busy at the time...