Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To be mad at people going to a&e

167 replies

Winebomb · 10/09/2017 21:53

So I chopped the end of my finger off, blood pumping every where, so went to A&e...

I was "lucky" enough to be sat next to the triage nurse waiting to be seen. And heard every patient going through, the best was;

I have a bad spot on my bum (not infected, just hurt a bit, husband and wife showed up together)
My eye has started itching
My foot hurts a bit, I dropped the shampoo on it in the shower
I got pissed last night and punched a wall, I have a graze on my knuckles

It just goes on..

I mean really, this is an ACCIDENT OR EMERGENCY service, not a god damn mummy service..

AIBU that people just absolutely feel entitled to waste as much public money they can. why else go to hospital for any of these reasons?

OP posts:
Flipfloo78 · 10/09/2017 22:15

I had a what I thought was a soot last year. After seeing the GP she recommended that I went to A and E. Turns out it was an abcess and I was operated on the next morning. It helps not to make judgements.

Linzilou1985 · 10/09/2017 22:15

I'm a third year student nurse. My last placement was a&e and when I worked in triage, the nurse explained that if a patient comes in with something similar to the ops examples, you just say 'so what's the accident or emergency?' Works every time Grin

stopfuckingshoutingatme · 10/09/2017 22:18

whats the answer I ask ? It's a real issue and I don't know how we address this other than charging people or fining people ? Ideas people ?

Conversely I saw a small child bought into minor injuries _ she had a horrific rash and was screaming and they whipped her across to a and e immediately

I don't know what we do here Sad

Original poster
Winebomb · 10/09/2017 22:18

I honestly don't know how a&e doctors survive without losing their medical license slapping some one.

You have much more patience than me...

OP posts:
Original poster
Winebomb · 10/09/2017 22:22

Oh and nurses, plus anyone else in that environment. The shampooo lady got a porter to take her to X-ray.

Shock horror she didn't have a break in her foot. She just dropped a bottle of shampoo on it..

OP posts:
LexieLulu · 10/09/2017 22:23

I always think 111 staff must be limited training as they always seem to say go to A&E x

FenceSitter01 · 10/09/2017 22:24

The clue is in the name - accident and emergency, not I-cant-be-arsed-to-wait-for-a-convenient-GP-appt.

I wandered through one day last winter, novo virus in full swing, idiots vomiting into cardboard bowls with some woman, clearly bored on an outing to fill in her bored afternoon, at triage booking

"I keep waking up for a wee"
"how long has this been happening"
"oh, months, about three"
Why haven't you gone to your GP?"
"I couldn't get an appointment until next week"

Linzilou1985 · 10/09/2017 22:24

The ones that need a&e tend to say 'oh I'm so sorry for being here, you're so busy' etc. Bless em, I love working in a&e

namechange987 · 10/09/2017 22:25

And to think I took DD to urgent care instead of A&E as I was worried about making a fuss, only to be blue lighted to the nearest A&E.

The NHS being on its knees seems to make all reason go out of the window - you either think you're over reacting or under reacting and then you just end up catastrophising and think "if I didn't go and something awful happened I'd never forgive myself", which makes those with a scrape go to get checked and those with severe breathing problems stay at home. It's crazy.

ChuffMuffin · 10/09/2017 22:25

I always think 111 staff must be limited training as they always seem to say go to A&E

I often wonder if they have to, to cover themselves liability wise and so they don't get sued.

Noodledoodledoo · 10/09/2017 22:26

I was in A&E last year, referred down to them from the Early Pregnancy Unit after 5 hours with them with appendicitis at 15 weeks, wasn't in chronic pain by this point but uncomfortable.

I waited for another 6 hours patiently. A couple came in after I had been at the hospital about 10 hours, and started complaining about the wait within about 5 minutes, collared a poor nurse to complain who came back to them and just said - you checked in 7 mins ago - it will be a while! Luckily I was moved about 20 minutes later as I was about to say something!

iggleypiggly · 10/09/2017 22:28

The NHS is on its knees, I think if people truly realised how bad it is they wouldn't go when not urgent. When we have to pay for healthcare they will be the first to moan. How to stop it though? I have no idea....

WineAndTiramisu · 10/09/2017 22:29

Bobbiepin popular misconception, but untrue, ambulance patients aren't seen any faster than walk in patients, everyone is triaged the same.

And 111 seem to send everyone in, no matter what is wrong with them. And they all get an ambulance.

I think we need a sensible granny outside ED to give advice and tell people to bugger off home of she doesn't think ED is warranted! Grin

Ttbb · 10/09/2017 22:30

In my town we have minor accidents and injury unit separate to A&E where everything you have described above, including your injury, would've referred. Quite clever when you think about it.

GloriaHotcakes · 10/09/2017 22:31

I was there at 5am on Saturday morning. It was empty but there was a man asleep in a wheelchair. I heard the nurse say he was just drunk and that he'd been in every night this week to sleep so they were going to leave him to it.

It was busier in the cubicle bit and the nurse was about to finish a 12.5 hr shift. She looked knackered. These people are bloody heroes.

SunnySkiesSleepsintheMorning · 10/09/2017 22:32

neverknowing "I despise that people defend this behaviour on here? It makes no sense ofc it's bullshit to go to A&E for these reasons unless there's a backstory."

And I despise that people who post on here don't realise that they don't know the backstory. That's the whole flipping point! Of course there are some pisstakers but you have no idea what underlies what you hear through the cubicle curtains - a health problem that would make a minor injury more series, dementia or mental health problems. It's worth considering that when people post these threads, it's a tiny snapshot and not that whole person's story.

Original poster
Winebomb · 10/09/2017 22:32

@noodle that's horrible, I for one would have happily bled out into the floor to get you seen first, never heard of a pregnant woman with appendicitis before! Must of been so scary xx

OP posts:
Seren85 · 10/09/2017 22:34

Our A&E now sends patients who did not need to attend letters saying that and reminding them of what A&E is supposed to do. I don't know what the answer is, they can't refuse to see people on the very off chance there is something seriously wrong but maybe the letters will make people think twice? Or more likely those who worry about making a fuss will be even more reluctant to go when they really need to and the time wasters won't think it really applied to them.

SunnyCoco · 10/09/2017 22:34

Where I live lots of GPs are tightening their catchment areas to extreme levels, and so people can't get accepted / registered with a GP.
The walk-in centres are being closed down.
The GP sends people to A&E as a matter of course if they can't offer an appointment.
It's a horrendous pressured state of affairs caused by the continued outrageous austerity from this arsehole Tory government.

StrumpersPlunkett · 10/09/2017 22:36

I have recently had experience of needing to access a prescription in Canada (stupid tit didn't take enough drugs to cover the holiday!)
Anyway. The system I was able to access was fabulous.
From 5.30-7.30 each night there are 2 doctors and one triage nurse at a local health centre. You turn up you take a deli style ticket and wait. The triage nurse calls you in turn puts it all in the computer. You wait a bit more and the doctors see people in order of tickets.
In the 2 hours they were open they saw over 50 people with similarly in-urgent issues.
It has to be cheaper to do this than to have everyone traipsing through a&e

The other thing was it was all v efficient due to each person having a health card (apparently v similar to our national insurance card we have sent at 16) I didn't have one so had to pay. Totally fair enough.

hellybellyjellybean · 10/09/2017 22:37

The 111 staff use the same flow chart questioning thing that is on the NHS website, they just fill it in for you. None are medically trained and so aren't in the position to offer medical advice and for so much it's 'go to a and e' as they wouldn't want something to happen and then be liable

DustyCropHopper · 10/09/2017 22:38

I have visited a and e twice this year with ds1 for food lodged in his oesophagus. Both times I feel immensely awkward and guilty for sitting there waiting as on the face of it all ds1 is doing is spitting up his own saliva. The truth of it is (and I was told this 4 years ago when it happened and I argued at mi or injuries that he was not an accident or emergency when they told me to take him there) he is at risk of dehydration etc as he can not swallow anything while the item is lodged. I always wait a minimum of an hour to see if it with move on its own (as often it will).
I do believe that a and e is abused but I have no idea what the answer is! We have a minor injuries unit in our town, a and e is a 30 min drive away, if my children injure themselves I visit minor injuries in the knowledge they will send me to a nd e if needed.

Original poster
Winebomb · 10/09/2017 22:39

@linzilou I have only needed a&e twice. Once I needed serious drugs from ripping some tendons in my lower back but went to minor injuries (the nurse was really cross I didn't go, and I said I didn't want to waste the staff time!) and the second was this time! I have ordered biscuits to be delivered! I feel like such a fool..

It was my own fault (using a mandolin without a guard) middle finger on my right hand do was a "bleeder" at least a few CSWs got to see a bleeding whimp first hand! The clinical nurse announced they neede someone who could handle all of the blood 🙈

OP posts:
ChampagneSocialist1 · 10/09/2017 22:42

Our local A&E works with a walk in centre over the road so you get sent there if your not urgent or told to go there in the morning if you turn up after 7pm

Linzilou1985 · 10/09/2017 22:43

@Winebomb they'll love you for the biscuits! Please do not feel bad! That's what a&e is there for! You definitely needed to go.

As I'm in my last year at uni, I need to decide what type of nursing I want to go into; this post has made me realise how much I loved my a&e placement! So thank you

Swipe left for the next trending thread