A&E is much calmer and a better place now that patients can’t have visitors with them

[Sharpandshineyteeth]

I do understand some people really do need a family member. I’m pretty sure the staff wouldn’t turn away an essential family member.

But generally, it’s a much better place without tons of family members and friends all sitting with patients. Taking up seats and Sometimes kicking up an unnecessary fuss.

Surely it’s better for infection control in general.

I’m sitting here right now waiting to be seen and for a Saturday night it’s so calm. The staff seem calmer and the patients seem calmer as well.

I say keep this rule!!

It’s been lovely not having tons of visitors on the ward and not having to open the door every five seconds.

I agree with the pp who said that the less ill someone is the more people turn up with them.

I had one family whose relatives plus children turned up, and when their children were tired, tried putting them to sleep in our empty beds!! Couldn’t believe it!

I have to say, as a midwife, the postnatal ward has been lovely without loads of visitors. I do feel bad for dads obviously but not having to police everyone’s visitor numbers (do you really need your entire extended family at once?) and people being really inconsiderate to other patients is a godsend. Plus there is actually time to get all your checks AND discharge paperwork done when people aren’t asking you to come back later because they have visitors and there aren’t partners constantly asking when you’ll be discharging their wife/girlfriend.

When the patient is delirious with pain it is WRONG to take away a friendly face
especially when the hospital then lose that person's belongings during their stay

Much better for the clinical teamto be able to focus on the patient not the entourage, one accompanying person should be the limit, our ED has been so much better for this, likewise the wards, the nurses can facilitate the care not crowd manage. It's so much better for the cleaners too, they can do their jobs without having to ask visitors to move, and can access the areas to clean more thoroughly. I really hope that after all of this is over that the new way forward will be to limit visitors and the times of visits again, protect meal times and put patient care as the priority, too much time is wasted negotiating visitors

OP I'm glad you're being treated comfortably and I can see your perspective. However my DP was taken to A&E recently in an ambulance. He was confused, unable to talk coherently and very drowsy. I did my best to explain his complex medical history, with a rare condition, to the paramedics before they left and hoped for the best. It was truly awful having to send him off alone with no one there to act as his advocate, to explain how he normally is vs. when he is poorly. Having someone with him would have been reassuring for him (and me for that matter) and helpful to those treating him. Sometimes family / friends aren't there just for company but are really quite important.

I agree. DS needed to go at the start of lockdown and I couldn't believe how quiet and calm it was.

Not like when DH broke his wrist and he went along with his mum, dad and niece. Niece had D&V - totally irresponsible to take her but MIl couldn't see what the issue was

We have been to A & E with DD more times than I can remember. We have had to wait probably 4 hours on A & E, to go up to the paediatric unit or AAU as an adult. DD has uncontrollable epilepsy, and we have called 999 because she has maybe had 45 seizures in 2 hours, or 150 in a day. By that stage, she is having seizures non stop with no recovery between - her breathing can get erratic and she goes blue round the mouth. It is very stressful to deal with on your own, knowing she could stop breathing.

If I have to go to A & E with her on my own, and I have to go to the toilet, there is nobody to watch over her - if she has a seizure while I’m gone, she could fall off the trolley onto her head, or break some other bone! Even I am there, she has been taller and stronger than me since she was 12. She can try to stand up, when we know, she is very likely to fall; or she may throw things about or strip from the waist down and run about. It is very hard for me to stop her on my own - particularly as she is aggressive before, during and after seizures.

If we call 999 to her at 7 pm, we will end up talking to a registrar at 3 am, after looking after her all day and may not get to bed at 5.30 am - and then have to be up at 8.30 am to look after her. That may be ok, once in a while; but not when it’s the 3rd time in a week. The stress is exhausting - when the consultant will tell us her care is beyond their expertise!

I’ve never been to a&e in a state where I could answer questions about my medical history, advocate for myself, understand what I was being diagnosed with or move around myself. Surely by its nature most a&e patients are either delirious, unable to walk without support, faint or dizzy?

I’m a doctor and agree with a “one family member” rule. With very unwell patients or those with dementia it’s difficult to assess them and some history from a family member is essential. If they come alone I end up having to telephone relatives numbers listed on the system and inevitably the number is wrong or nobody answers so it’s much more time consuming overall. Also I like to speak to the families of my sickest parents to either reassure them or be honest about a bad prognosis, both of which are much better done in person. It’s a horrible sinking feeling when your patient is critically ill and no family member answers the phone.

I think this rule would also help when people bring their entire extended families along and they all want to speak to me individually. Have seen all sorts, one family brought an actual picnic and all sat on the floor in the middle of the corridor eating it.

I had to go to A&E in June, and those accompanying had to wait in the corridor outside, unless the patient was a child or needed a carer. If the patient could not handle the consultation, then the person accompanying them could be called in.

It seemed to work pretty well

I think limit of 2 plus the patient would be a good idea (after covid). When I've been in a and e with a mentally unwell relative, it's been useful to have someone with me for moral support, and for when I need a toilet break or get some food. Same when you're with a child.

It baffles me when I see 5 or 6 people in a and e. Why????

@museumum not necessarily. I mean unable to walk without support then you would be assisted with a wheelchair
Last time I was in was for back pain so was capable (despite the drugs!) and moving if a bit slowly. One before was a broken ankle and foot so just needed a wheelchair but felt fine

One thing I do have is a list on my phone of all medical conditions, medication and doses plus emergency contact and GP surgery

I needed someone with me when I went in with what turned out to be a heart attack, besides 111 told me not to drive and I didn't want to go in a cab in case I deteriorated. I wanted someone with me.
So have a little thought that people may be frightened and not want to be on their own.

If you are ill enough to be in a&e I think surely you need one person with you. More than one - probably not necessary, agreed.

Totally agree @NoIDontWatchLoveIsland

One accompanying adult per person is enough, and I'd support this being introduced as a general rule.

I'm always surprised when I watch 24 Hours in A&E when up turns the partner, adult children, siblings, grandchildren, etc.

Astonished watching it a few weeks ago when a young man (who had done something really minor like banged his toe) was sat in A&E with 2 friends and they ordered a takeaway to be delivered to them in the hospital - he took his 2 friends and his box of chicken wings into his consultation. I can't believe the doctor actually allowed it.

I've been in a and e alone a couple of times with heart palpitations before my svt op. I went from work and both times Dh was working a distance away so a colleague took. E and dropped en off, with Dh collecting me much later on. It's not fun and feels lovely, but I was fine as had - and could use - my phone and internet.

I went recently too alone, under the new rules, as needed an x ray on my arm. Again that was fine if a bit boring. Again phone was a distraction at least.

There are some times though when having someone with you, or needing to accompany someone is essential IMO.

I think patient plus 2.
Obviously 1 would be ideal but I can think of circumstances where that would be very difficult.

When DS was 4mths old he was rushed to hospital and treated for Meningitis (it eventually turned out to be a very nasty virus). We really thought he was going to die and neither of us could have not been with our baby.

Also just before lockdown my mother was taken in an ambulance seriously ill and bleeding internally. My father was with her but he's 82 and possibly early dementia. Neither were capable of understanding what was happening fully. I went as they needed someone there to advocate for them.

On the flipside friend’s daughter is in for at least seven more weeks with cancer, and severe side effects from treatment .

She can’t walk, mobilise to the loo or turn over in bed by herself. She’s only allowed to see one parent for one hour a day social distancing ... She’s just 21 . That’s horrendous and her parents are going spare not being allowed in .

My DH fell and received a head injury at home. If he had gone into A&E alone he would not have been able to recall what happened and communicate how out of character and strange his behaviour was afterwards. He wouldn't have been able to tell them that he'd immediately vomited and vacantly wandered around, he was still vacant when he was triaged. There's a risk he would not have been taken seriously had he gone alone because he looked well, had drank alcohol that evening, could answer basic questions and couldn't remember/minimised what he'd done after the fall (so was fine in his mind).

This could be very dangerous for many who need a relative to advocate for them when they're most ill and doesn't help HCP triage and treat if they're missing the full picture.

Not everyone is well enough to walk in and tell the full story themselves.

I think the problem is the visiting times more than anything and management need to get firm and enforce it. Patients feel far too comfortable lying on patients beds, speaking overly loud on the phones and then to bring babies on the ward also.

I think what should be kept is the booking system!

It should always be one person per patient.
Had the misfortune of sitting in a and e with some truly rough family. Must havr been 6 of them taking up seats when actually I'll people couldn't sit down.

I can see from a few viewpoints..

1. My dad is terminally ill with an unpredictable, rare neurological disease, he is quite frequently in A&E/ admitted to hospital with infections/ diabetes complications; when I have accompanied him before I’ve had to basically guard his bedside due to him being disorientated and constantly trying to get out of bed despite no longer being able to stand. The staff don’t have time to do this so leads me to think he would just end up on the floor had I not been there. And the thought of him in resus alone breaks my heart.
2. Had to take my 9 day old DD in to A&E without OH which was awful for all of us
3. A close family member is an A&E sister and has said it’s been much better- not so much without visitors but more that people with things that don’t need A&E are advised to go home at the door and referred to GP if necessary.

I think it should be limited to one (or more in extreme circumstances). There's just no need for a family day out to a hospital.

I have been to a&e alone before with slightly frightening symptoms like chest pains and I ve been okay as I felt confident enough to stand up for myself if I didn't agree with what the medical staff advised but my DH isn't as good with medical situations himself.

So I got a bit upset when he went to the walk in centre alone with breathlessness and I couldn't be there to support him then they refused to examine him despite having no temperature or other covid symptoms.

He ended up leaving with a prescription handed to him outside by a receptionist which did nothing for the infection he actually had, the gp later agreed to do a swap showing that he needed some completely different antibiotics to clear this infection and the ones the walk in centre would have done nothing to help him at all so I now feel like I wouldn't be so keen going without one person to advocate for me in future.