To ask about A&E wait times at the moment?

[FightingWithTheWind]

My GP has told me I need to go to A&E, I don't feel like I need to but she was very insistent - but surely A&E are rammed at the moment and I will just be sat there for hours for them to potentially say nothing is wrong, wasting their time and mine (theirs being the most important). I am torn over what to do.

If your GP is telling you to go you should Errr go and find out? Hope it’s nothing serious op

Deffo go to A&E if your GP has instructed you to. Lots of A&E departments are actually quieter due to the pandemic so you might be surprised. Definitely go though. Hope you're on the mend soon

Do what your gp tells you to. Unless you've not told them everything correctly* then their advice is pretty sound. You wont be wasting anyones time if your gp sent you in and you go in. You will be wasting a lot of peoples time if you wait, it gets worse and you need an ambulance or more treatment.

*some people have a habit of making their symptoms seem worse to get quicker/better treatment and end up with the wrong treatment. I only say this as you're questioning the gp advice and with some people I know its because they've not told everything accurately.

@Godimabitch the thing is I only mentioned the problem to the GP because my partner insisted, it feels like a fairly minor issue to me, but the GP was concerned.

OP the only people I know who have had to go to A&E have found it very quiet. Most, if not all, hospitals have it diverted away from Covid admissions.

Its hard to say as don’t know what the issue is but if you feel it’s minor maybe wait and see if gets worse ?

A&E is a lot quieter than normal. If a GP has
Told you to go then you should go

Why would you query here instead of go?

Anyway, I've been to minors twice and we were in and out in 90 minutes.

We can't say easily. We've had some horrific waits and some quiet periods but you will be triaged appropriately so your wait varies depending on your problem anyway

How busy it is will vary from area to area. Our A&E is split into red and green for covid and non covid and I would think everywhere is the same. I shouldn’t think green will be busy on on monday morning.

If your GP is concerned you must go.

I work in a hospital. First lockdown it was empty. Made you wonder where all the usual A&E crowds were. However, this lockdown they seemed to be back!! On Friday it was rammed. People queuing up to get in. Ridiculous.

There is an app for my local A&E so I can tell you quite confidently there are 37 patients currently and a 1 hour wait.
The walk in centre has 11 patients an a 45 minute wait.

See if your local one has a wait time app.

OH an hour in and out
DS 2 hours in and out
Me 5 hours in and out

Sadly a very accident prone family!

If GP suggested I would go! Take some headphones and a snack and drink. A mask and try and keep distance where you can.

With kindness I think you need to listen to your doctors advice rather than what MN say (and I’m aware of the irony of that as I’m a MN poster too!). Nobody likes sitting in A&E but it’s best to go and get it done, it might be much faster than you expect. Bring a book or some headphones for podcast. Your GP is obviously worried so even if it does turn out to be nothing at least you know that for certain.

If you have been advised to go to A&E by your GP then I would go.

It will totally depend on the area you are in, none of us can tell you accurately. But if your GP has told you to go, you should go, they won't have just said that for the hell of it.

@ApolloandDaphne

If you have been advised to go to A&E by your GP then I would go.

Absolutely. Probably unrelated to your condition, but adult DS hurt his ankle before Christmas. At the time I said I didn't like the look of it and to go get it X Rayed. He wouldn't. Didn't want to put pressure on services, Covid exposure etc etc. 2 weeks ago it was still very bruised and causing him pain. He finally relented and went, revealing he'd been walking on it broken for almost a month. At that point the best that could be done was a boot and painkillers and the chance that should it not improve he might end up with an operation.

Point is, some things shouldn't be left and if your GP wants you to go, you need to go.

I had a surgical abortion in November and I'm still bleeding - I have the implant in though so I'm sure it is just down to that but I will go and see.

You can call 111 and ask for an appointment at A&E at the moment, if it's not immediately life threatening. That means you'll just be able to go when it's your turn rather than waiting in a busy waiting room :).

Hope it didn't sound bitchy what I said.

If you're bleeding definitely go in, I had a similar query with 111 when I had a miscarriage, when I didn't seem urgent enough she told me that if i didn't promise her I'd get someone to drive me to the hospital within half an hour she was sending an ambulance. They take bleeding quite seriously, they'll see you quickly and wont think you're wasting their time. I didn't even wait at A&E when I went in, they sent me straight through. Make sure you tell them your gp sent you in. Hope everything's ok.

@Godimabitch no not at all, I know what you meant about people exagerating.

No wait when we went last week! Amazing service

If the GP has said go, then go! Bugger waiting times. If it's enough for the doctor to be concerned then you will just have to put up with the wait.

My local hospital has put out an announcement asking people only to go to A&E if it's a true emergency or minor injuries/GP really aren't able to help, as they're struggling to cope with the amount of patients.
However, if your GP has told you to go that's definitely reason enough so I would if I were you!

I was seen last week after about 20 minutes and directed to a ward where I stayed for about four hours.