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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To think the hospital could do a bit more?

184 replies

EyeSpyaBlueFoot · 14/08/2018 15:22

Had to bring DS1 and DS5 with me to AE because I dropped a kitchen appliance on my foot from a great height last night. It turned all sorts of colours and looked like a cartoon foot this morning.

We waited 2.5 hours and I had to change DS1s nappy. Told the receptionist in case my name was called. Came back out and checked with her it hadn't been called. After another hour I ask how much longer they think it might be to be told I'd missed my name being called and I'll have to start again in the queue. Not a word of apology from the receptionist. Two hours later we are called in to have my foot X-ray. I now have very grumpy fed up small kids. X-ray tech is using as few words as possible and simply points and says they have to stay behind the wall. I completely agree but how? I try bribing the little one with snacks but he's 1 and keeps coming to me. X-ray tech getting irritated. DS5 trying his best to pin DS1 but it's just not happening and DS5 has autism so this is no small asknof him. Eventually the tech, without giving me the choice, takes the X-rays with both kids stood behind the bed (I couldn't see them and thought DS5 had manage to pin DS1). AIBU unreasonable to think we could have expected a tiny bit more help or is that standard?

Before anyone asks DH is on a business trip in another country and no one else could come with me.

OP posts:
HotblackDesiatoto · 14/08/2018 15:23

The NHS is on its knees, they don't have staff available to help with childcare. Why didn't you have a pushchair for the one year old at the very least?

Clairetree1 · 14/08/2018 15:25

1 year old should be in a push chair.

It isn't their job to restrain your kids

ZeroFuchsGiven · 14/08/2018 15:25

Why on earth didn't you get a babysitter or have a pushchair for your child?

Bombardier25966 · 14/08/2018 15:26

You're being unreasonable. A&E staff are run off their feet, they don't have time to waste pandering to your kids.

Littlefish · 14/08/2018 15:26

Sorry about your foot, but you are unreasonable to think that the NHS has spare staff hanging around, waiting to deal with young children. I agree with Hotblack - your 1 year old should have been in a pushchair. Your children are entirely your responsibility.

Poor show by the Receptionist about you missing your slot though.

Littlefish · 14/08/2018 15:27

Sorry - I cross posted with lots of others. I wasn't just piling in with the others.

MrsSnootyPants2018 · 14/08/2018 15:27

You should have called someone to come and get them when you missed your name.

The NHS is beyond stretched and just needs to focus on getting the job done.

GeorgieTheGorgeousGoat · 14/08/2018 15:27

OMG YABU! Get a buggy fgs Hmm

itbemay · 14/08/2018 15:28

I do agree with PP with regards to pushchair, however it wouldn't have taken 5 mins for the radiographer to ask a member of staff to hold your little one for 30 seconds whilst you had the x-ray and also the receptionist clearly lied to you - i wouldn't be happy... hope your foot is ok

Iamoutragedetc · 14/08/2018 15:28

Agree. Child should have been in a pushchair. Not the hospital's fault you didn't organise yourself properly.

ZeroFuchsGiven · 14/08/2018 15:28

Poor show by the Receptionist about you missing your slot though.

tbd, I spent most of friday in a&e with my ds and the receptionists were just as busy as the medical staff.

YeTalkShiteHen · 14/08/2018 15:28

It’s standard OP, and there’s not really anything they could have done.

EyeSpyaBlueFoot · 14/08/2018 15:29

I couldn't get the pushchair out of the house with one foot. There was no way to bring it with me. It bloody hurt lots to be dragging around a broken foot. But it seems the only way is to wait for as long as it takes to find a sitter.

OP posts:
knittingdad · 14/08/2018 15:29

I'd imagine the x-ray tech would be putting themselves in all sorts of potential trouble if they were to intervene with a patient's children.

leccybill · 14/08/2018 15:29

Sounds like a miserable experience. Every time I've used the NHS in any capacity, staff have been kind and friendly to me and my child, sorry they weren't to you on this occasion.
Hope your foot is ok. Sounds like you could do without it being broken!

ZeroFuchsGiven · 14/08/2018 15:30

Surely it would have been easier with a pushchair, something to keep hold of whilst walking Confused

How did you get to the hospital?

minisoksmakehardwork · 14/08/2018 15:33

I'm sorry but I would have rung everyone I know, including school parents, if I were in your situation. And if that meant I had to wait until someone could watch the dc, then I would have had to wait.

How did you get yourself and 2 children to the hospital? I assume taxi as I guess you couldn't drive.

Did you not have a pushchair for the 1 year old? if they were strapped in properly, they should not have been coming to you. They might have screamed their head off but the radiologist would have got their job done quicker.

The receptionist incident was very poor but I don't know what you can do about that, short of insisting since they told you you had not missed your name, that you should take the next slot (bar life threatening injury or illness coming in) in the queue. But since you have now been seen, it is a moot point.

I would also have continued contacting friends and relatives for someone to come to the hospital and take the children home.

It's not easy and it's even harder when your partner, who you could normally rely on in such situations, is away. But it just shows how important maintaining even acquaintances is.

Astrid2 · 14/08/2018 15:34

Have you no one who you can call in an emergency to watch your kids? Parents, siblings, partner, friends?? Absolutely crazy to take 2 young kids to a&e if you're not in a position to look after them. The X-ray tech probably has a queue of 20+ X-rays to perform and your kids arsing around will not have been easy. You're lucky it was done at all.

minisoksmakehardwork · 14/08/2018 15:34

Sorry, missed your last post. How are you managing the one year old then? A barely toddling baby isn't going to be the easiest thing to carry if you can't walk, and at least you'd be able to lean on the pushchair.

HotblackDesiatoto · 14/08/2018 15:39

I couldn't get the pushchair out of the house with one foot. There was no way to bring it with me. It bloody hurt lots to be dragging around a broken foot

Would hurt a lot more chasing a toddler around A&E for several hours that it would getting it out of the house and into a taxi. He didn't sit still for 4.5 hours did he?

ali0210 · 14/08/2018 15:40

Your children. Your responsibility. Children should have been left with a neighbour/friend/relative. You would already have been aware that having them with you may have complicated the situation, so why put yourself, your children and the already under pressure NHS staff in that position?!

EyeSpyaBlueFoot · 14/08/2018 15:42

We have just moved and I really don't know anyone yet. So no there really wasn't anyone. Short of hurling the push chair down the stairs I couldn't have gotten it down. DH is in another country so he wasn't an option. My only choice was to try a baby sitter service but I couldn't find one that did same day. I guess it was a case of I should have just waited another day but I'm not sure how I would have coped through the pain.

OP posts:
minisoksmakehardwork · 14/08/2018 15:45

Google childminders in your area and ring round until you found one who could help in an emergency?

Tbh if you've broken your foot you're going to need your dh to come home asap anyway, otherwise you will have the same problem when it comes to follow up appointments/fracture clinic etc.

Louiselouie0890 · 14/08/2018 15:45

I would have slid it down the stairs. There's no way I would have gone with a 1 year old no pushchair and a broken foof

Louiselouie0890 · 14/08/2018 15:46

Foot, not a broken foof
Grin

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