My mam woke up this morning with reduced use/sensation in her arm. She rang me and I got a taxi to hers where we rang 111. Got told to head to a&e because they were worried it was a stroke.
Got there- the waiting room was totally empty. Nurse on the desk barely looked up as we explained why we were there. She asked my mam if she could lift her arm and mam showed how much she could (which I think is less than her usual range of movement)
We were then told to go home and ring the GP for a phone assessment which would lead to a face to face appointment. I again tried to explain that we'd used the 111 system and been sent to a&e to be told to go home again as the department didn't want to admit people due to the virus.
Got another taxi home and rang the GP who said it's not something they can really assess over the phone and to go to a&e. Mam explained what had happened so far and was told that the nurse at a&e was wrong and she should have been seen there. They arranged a phone consultation (which happened very quickly, to be fair) and the GP told her to go back to a&e.
It's cost me over £30 in taxis today, running back and forward between different points and mam is still no further forward. My sister has just been and picked Mam up and is with her at the hospital.
I'm so frustrated with the whole situation. The nurse on the a&e desk didn't even look at mam, just asked if she could lift her arm. I totally understand that they're under immense pressure but my area isn't badly affected- my town has around 100 cases confirmed. I'm worried that if it is/was a stroke all the messing on has ruined any chance of treatment she has.