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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

See all MNHQ comments on this thread

Original poster

To think this A and E situation is not OK?

154 replies

user1473282350 · 19/09/2016 13:40

Last Thursday evening I attended our local A and E. I was taken straight to majors and treatment started straight away. Because of what happened I was in a bed (sitting up) right by the nurses station.

A little latter the A and E ward sister spent 45 minutes organising a pizza delivery. Another 25 minutes ordering the pizza online. Then 30 minutes waiting outside the A and E department for pizza, than an hourish eating the damn thing in an A and E side room. It was well over two hours by the time she returned to the nurses station and actually fucking did some of her job (phone back an irate bed manager).

Some of this I could see (the side room was diagonally opposite to my bed). The bit when she was outside I couldn't see, but there were several phonecalls and other staff were having to lie / cover up and then explain that in fact she "wasn't in resus with a patient, she was outside waiting for the pizza".

Most of the staff shared the pizza in the side room, but none seemed to be in longer than 10 -15 minutes.

I'm pretty grumpy about it, because of the extra pressure it put on other staff who were working their socks off. Would it be unreasonable to add it to my feedback (which is overall mostly positive)?

OP posts:
Original poster
user1473282350 · 19/09/2016 17:02

Perhaps it's fine. I'll leave it off my feedback.

OP posts:
Lifeisshort123 · 19/09/2016 17:04

Seems bad to me. They are getting paid don't forget..

Wolfiefan · 19/09/2016 17:05

Perhaps she was working a very long shift and hadn't eaten for bloody hours? Is it theropod or her taking a break you object to?!

chocdonutyy · 19/09/2016 17:07

I would mention it, no problem with staff ordering and eating pizza, maybe some of it was in their (well deserved) break time. But if it took as long as you said it did then that is to the detriment of patients and thats not on.

MrsHulk · 19/09/2016 17:07

I'd mention it in your feedback - there may have been good reasons (eg everybody doing long shift, normal canteen unavailable, they do have to eat, and somebody has to sort it out!) but if so she'll be able to explain those to her manager.

Equally she may have been skiving a bit in which case it's important feedback.

Don't think you can know, so bounce it to the managers as feedback and they'll sort it out if there is a problem.

Wolfiefan · 19/09/2016 17:08

How is it to the detriment of patients if a member of staff takes breaks they were entitled to?!

Original poster
user1473282350 · 19/09/2016 17:08

Sorry - it was the length of time that has bugged me.

Her shift was 10pm till 6am (she left just after 6) - I know this as I was in the department the entire time. The pizza ordering started at around 11pm.

OP posts:
hazelnutlatte · 19/09/2016 17:09

If that's true then it's pretty shocking! I'm a nurse. In my entire career I have once ordered takeaway whilst working. It was a Sunday night shift in a private hospital and we had 1 (not particularly ill) patient to look after. We shared the food with the patient.
When working in a busy NHS hospital I would never dream of doing that, we are too busy!
However I can't really understand how it can possibly take that long to order a pizza and why she would stand around outside waiting for it. The only explanation I could think of is that maybe she wasn't officially 'at work' at the time - maybe she was there to boost morale or look after a new staff member or conduct an audit or something?

Soubriquet · 19/09/2016 17:09

How do you know that wasn't her actual break?

That she hasn't had a break all day so she could take it on big block?

Hysterectical · 19/09/2016 17:09

I was in the NHS for 9 years. Mostly in central London emergency. Exactly why I left and went private.

Lunde · 19/09/2016 17:10

Perhaps she was technically due to go home but had to work an extra shift without notice and had no opportunity to get food but was not being paid for her trapped hours

category12 · 19/09/2016 17:11

How could it possibly take that long to order a pizza? I think you must have a case of the exaggerates.

Wolfiefan · 19/09/2016 17:11

I too wondered if she was pulling a double shift. Could even be in different departments so you wouldn't know.

Original poster
user1473282350 · 19/09/2016 17:11

Wolfiefan

I don't think it's detrimental at all, I just struggle with the fact this break was over two hours in an eight hour shift, and, that people were working their socks off and lying to cover her absences (the other staff didn't seem too impressed by it either to be fair to them).

A and E was by no means full in majors but it was very busy. Two fights broke out in the majors department and their were doctors and other nurses looking for her to ask questions - not to mention the people from other wards who were asking about further admissions and bed numbers etc.

OP posts:
Summerwood1 · 19/09/2016 17:11

It didn't stop you from being treated. I wouldn't meantion it. I feel lucky to have the NHS

Original poster
user1473282350 · 19/09/2016 17:14

category12 - the whole reason I noticed was because of the time it took to organise the order - honestly, I was about to offer to do it for her because she kept going to ask people again.

I did think " just order a damn mixed pizza order and everyone will be happy".

OP posts:
timeforabrewnow · 19/09/2016 17:15

A little latter the A and E ward sister spent 45 minutes organising a pizza delivery. Another 25 minutes ordering the pizza online. Then 30 minutes waiting outside the A and E department for pizza,

What does 45 minutes 'organizing' a pizza mean? And how does it take 25 minutes to order food online??

Puzzled

Original poster
user1473282350 · 19/09/2016 17:16

True she may have done another shift in another department. I wouldn't have known if that had or was happening.

I have no problem with people ordering and eating food during shift work - it was the length of time away from working that I felt I should maybe mention, particularly as the other staff were working their socks off, having to cover for her and generally pretty embarrassed about the situation.

OP posts:
Owllady · 19/09/2016 17:16

Leave it on your feedback

Original poster
user1473282350 · 19/09/2016 17:17

timeforabrewnow

Talking about toppings. Literally. Talking about toppings and topping options and who should have what. And whether they needed extras on the side or the pizzas alone would be enough.

OP posts:
brasty · 19/09/2016 17:20

Mention it on your feedback, but not in a nasty way. So something like, I know there may have been a genuine reason for this, but I am mentioning it in case she should not have been doing this. Then let the management deal with it.

shopaholic999 · 19/09/2016 17:21

I am a nurse and have often ordered a takeaway on a night shift but have eaten it in the staff room and more often than not it's been left to go cold as I've been too busy.

I would mention it in the feedback but only if it was eaten in a side room as in a patient used side room. Other than that, you can't be that sure it took that length of time. Yes, she was sat at the desk ordering online but there's nothing to say she wasn't doing other things along side it. And when she was supposedly waiting outside for it, you don't know for sure she wasn't doing anything else.

LearningCrochetTipsNeeded · 19/09/2016 17:21

Why would op exaggerate? Nurses can be incredibly lazy and aren't exempt from skiving.

PortiaCastis · 19/09/2016 17:23

Oh you must be in a big city where they deliver during the night. That doesn't happen here.

Workworkwork1 · 19/09/2016 17:24

I'd be surprised if the team would put up with someone being lax. I wonder if she is covering a shift for someone or on 6th day in a row or something having stayed late on previous shifts. It's bothering you enough to mention it so do, but just beware that you have only seen one shift in that A&E.