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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:
Memoires · 19/09/2016 17:56

I'm sorry. I see my post could be seen as troll hunting. I'm reporting it now.

LiviaDrusillaAugusta · 19/09/2016 17:57

So she spent nearly three hours messing about with ordering pizza? Wow I can't believe it took that long - were you on the only ward with no patients?

Happyinthehazeofadrunkenhour · 19/09/2016 18:08

Don't report this...the NHS do a bloody amazing job..How nice if more people spent time commenting/acknowledging the positive impact the NHS has instead of whinging about staff enjoying some pizza whilst on a shift etc... bloody hell !

Goingtobeawesome · 19/09/2016 18:11

If it was a legitimate break there wouldn't be the need to lie about what she was doing.

PortiaCastis · 19/09/2016 18:13

At least OP didn't have to wait hours to be seen so there is a positive element.

LiviaDrusillaAugusta · 19/09/2016 18:14

I'm just surprised that nobody else noticed - presumably she had a shitload of other work to do

Pliudev · 19/09/2016 18:15

I was once sitting by my DH's bed when he had just been admitted to a ward from A&E at about 11pm. In the private room just opposite a man was dying and his family were with him , the doors to the room were left open and we could hear everything that was being said. I suppose now I would be confident enough to get up and close the door but at the time I just sat there. To make things worse, at the nurses station round the corner staff were eating a takeaway curry and chatting. I think you should mention what you saw and heard in your feedback because I wish I had. Though at the time I wasn't asked to.

Original poster
user1473282350 · 19/09/2016 18:15

Ok, no I don't work for the DM. I honestly was not sure if I should mention it because:

A) I know A and E staff work very hard.

B) As other staff covered for her I was worried they would be dragged in for being dishonest.

To the person who said I didn't need intensive care - I was red coded to majors, I didn't just chose to plonk myself on a majors bed.

To the person who asked if I was awake all night - yes I was on obs and monitoring and I'm a super light sleeper, plus, I think the nature of why I was unwell meant I couldn't just drift off to sleep.

To the person who asked why I was looking at her computer screen - it was right in front of me (on the opposite side of a nursing / medic station so screen was towards me), and they wouldn't close the curtains so they could see the screens in my cubicle at all times. It's pretty easy to see big logos and bold branding of pizza companies from five metres away.

There were plenty of other patients in A and E majors, but it wasn't absolutely packed to capacity.

Thank you for all the comments and constructive advice.

OP posts:
Original poster
user1473282350 · 19/09/2016 18:18

Just to clarify as well - I will be mentioning the positive stuff too! I had two nurses and two doctors looking after me and they were totally fantastic and I sent thank you cards in to them the following day.

I just feel that one member of the team really let the rest down that night, and I do wonder if any of the rest of the team would actually raise it or if they would be too scared.

OP posts:
fastdaytears · 19/09/2016 18:19

I wish I could make pizza last an hour. I can eat about 1,000 calories worth of pizza in 5 minutes...Sad

Original poster
user1473282350 · 19/09/2016 18:19

Pliudev This, I just feel as I have that chance I should say something as several days later it is still bugging me.

OP posts:
LiviaDrusillaAugusta · 19/09/2016 18:23

Was your care affected by the three hour pizza fiasco? If not, I would keep quiet. If nobody was hard done by as a result, then it's really nothing to do with you. Although I would be concerned about a nurse having to take 3 hours to order and eat pizza

FranklyMeDeer · 19/09/2016 18:29

I'm sure that even the nursing profession has slackers and piss takers. Looks like you saw one in action OP.

To those questioning the op 's fitness to judge, you are aware that it's possible to be seriously ill and fully conscious, right? My dh has spent many hours in resus in A&E, totally aware of his surroundings, but too unwell to be downgraded. He's been on the receiving end of some shocking care, although the majority of his time spent in hospital has been spent being looked after by dedicated and caring people.

OP, I'd mention it in your feedback, her colleagues may well be grateful for having it brought to management attention.

ChestyNut · 19/09/2016 18:30

did you get the care you needed?
I'm presuming so as you were well enough to carry out a thorough time and motion exercise on sister. Why are you so annoyed?
I find it very hard to believe that this is all she did in that time.

FruitCider · 19/09/2016 18:38

I like ordering dominos on a night shift! We usually take it in turns to pay. I tell everyone what time I'm going to order and stick a sheet to the office door. Then when it hits the time I order and tell control room that pizza is coming. A few times a couple of slices have "vanished" between control ringing me and me collecting the pizza. I managed to get revenge last Friday by eating the last slice of controls pizza Wink

FruitCider · 19/09/2016 18:40

Anyway I can't comment on a+e situation, it sounds exaggerated though. And if you were a code red I'm surprised you were fully conscious the whole time and able to sit up in majors. When I attend code reds I'm generally slipping on the floor with the sheer amount of blood present. Sounds like your recovery was very speedy.

ChestyNut · 19/09/2016 18:42

cubtrouble "give them another reason to strike"
Who? I'm not aware that nurses have been on or are planning any strikes recently?

Hellochicken · 19/09/2016 18:45

I think you should mention it. Even if it didnt directly impact your care, it is absolutely ridiculous to spend 2 hrs on pizza in an 8 hour shift. Surely her breaks aren't supposed to be that long? Her colleagues might be glad it is brought to attention of seniors.

Hellochicken · 19/09/2016 18:46

Although A&E sister is senior!

stopfuckingshoutingatme · 19/09/2016 18:52

There are days at work when I slack . And read DM online and mumsnet - very rarely and most of the time I work very hard

But maybe that was her slack day ?

I don't know - her work is so much harder and so critical - but they are

HanYOLO · 19/09/2016 19:02

You know nothing about her situation OP

You don't know if she was even officially "working" on that shift, or if she'd stayed on to help and decided to make sure the other staff ate.

Original poster
user1473282350 · 19/09/2016 20:06

Pretty sure she was working as the bed manager and ward matrons were specifically looking for her. As were people who didn't know where things were etc.

And if you were a code red I'm surprised you were fully conscious the whole time and able to sit up in majors. When I attend code reds I'm generally slipping on the floor with the sheer amount of blood present.

There's a hell of a lot of red code situations that don't come with bleeding... Sepsis, heart attacks, strokes, asthma, allergic reactions, ectopic pregnancies, ruptured appendix... FruitCider it seems odd your hospital only reserves the code for major bleeding incidents whilst other hospital use it to prioritise patients that need immediate care.

Interestingly enough most of the "don't complain, it's OK" seem to be nurses on this thread.

My partner is a medic and thinks the feedback form isn't enough and I should follow up with a letter - purely for the fact she was putting on other staff (and there was no consultant present overnight). I am still unsure whether I mention it or not.

OP posts:
FruitCider · 19/09/2016 21:00

FruitCider it seems odd your hospital only reserves the code for major bleeding incidents whilst other hospital use it to prioritise patients that need immediate care.

I don't work in a hospital! Code blue - patient unconscious/not breathing properly. Code red - severe heavy bleeding. My patients are young fairly healthy young males, we do not tend to see strokes etc. Just lack of breathing or excessive bleeding really.

user1473454752 · 19/09/2016 21:05

Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm so your hubby is a medic and you think you know it all? user1473282350?

Original poster
user1473282350 · 19/09/2016 21:13

FruitCider Fair play - in hospital A+ E's code red is life threatening. Hence why I was fully conscious and able to (actually I was made to) sit up in majors. Bit of an unnecessary comment if you don't actually work in an A and E unit as I had said in the first post and title that is where I was being treated.

OP posts: