To think this is why our A and E are failing?!

[DaisyLilyFlower]

Currently in A and E with suspected ectopic pregnancy (told to come here from 111) and current wait is around 4 hours, already been here two.

I’ve been sat by triage next to the reception desk, so not deliberately being nosy but in the last hour two patients have come in with

One with an ear infection
And another with a ingrown toenail

Cannot believe it! Reception asked them both if they’d been to see GP or rang 111, tried overnight pharmacy etc and both said no!
I do not doubt that both of those conditions are extremely painful, but I sort of can’t believe that people turn up to A and E without trying other methods first?

I’m probably just being wingy as I’m in pain and the wait is long and ABU, but I guess my question is,

What’s the worst thing you’ve seen at a and e?

Also Name change as don’t want this linked to my other posts but reg poster.

sorry you're going through a rough time but others have just as much entitlement to go to A&E as do you.
An ear infection is considered dangerous. Maybe they felt okay during the day but really ill this evening.

I hope you get seen soon.

A lot of people are struggling to see a GP at the moment, so that explain why some people turn up at A&E. But even pre-COVID you would get people like that.

I agree with you OP - neither of those conditions is a genuine middle-of-the-night emergency!

Oh OP I hope you're ok and get seen soon

As a former NHS worker I can tell you these kind of people usually fall into 2 categories

1. Utterly and completely exhausted trying to get a GP appointment or their hands on pain relief that's stronger than what you can get over the counter.
2. It's something to do. You can usually tell who these people are because they bring an entourage with them.

The most ridiculous I ever saw was a family of 8, complete with picnic, who came to A&E because their DD had a sore elbow there's definitely something about people's fascination with the gore/death - some people seem to love going along to hospitals, even for routine appointments with obscure relatives. I worked on the gynae ward and it wasn't uncommon for a husband, mum, dad, auntie etc to accompany a woman for a routine appointment!

@Idontknowanymore05

sorry you're going through a rough time but others have just as much entitlement to go to A&E as do you. An ear infection is considered dangerous. Maybe they felt okay during the day but really ill this evening.

I hope you get seen soon.

Thanks, I did think I was probably BU. I think it was the receptionists sort of mad reaction that made me think, but she’s probably just feeling overworked and it’s been tough on NHS staff through this pandemic.

I am so sorry you must be feeling rotten and worried.

However, my son has severe asthma and anaphylaxis and whenever he has been gravely ill I have been nothing but impressed.

So I am not sure a and e departments are failing?

I expect the people with ear infection/in grown toe nail could be in for a long wait.

I agree that those people might need to be there, depending on their experiences trying to get help elsewhere.

The worst example I’ve seen, however, is a boy with a paper cut, brought in by what seemed to be the entire extended family.

So I think the above poster who used to work in a and e is right!

@KeyboardWorriers

I am so sorry you must be feeling rotten and worried.

However, my son has severe asthma and anaphylaxis and whenever he has been gravely ill I have been nothing but impressed.

So I am not sure a and e departments are failing?

I expect the people with ear infection/in grown toe nail could be in for a long wait.

Sorry should’ve explained, not failing, just why the wait times are so long, but with Covid I guess they’re probably much longer than anyways.

I’m so glad that your son has received such great care when he needs it most 💕

I went to a and e once with a finger infection. I guess Every One was wondering why I was there as seemed fine.

They wouldn't have known I have diabetes and had recently been treated for cellulitis in my feet that nearly turned into actual sepsis.

After decades of working in an emerg dept I’ve seen lots. But off the top of my head, the strawberry (strawberries) not coming out of a vagina that went in, was special. A new bride (amazing dress!!) who’s wedding ring was too small and needed to be cut was fun and loads of fish hooks.
But everyone who came came genuinely looking for help. Everyone’s coping skills and resources are different. Never judged.

I've only been to A&E once for me (knee wound from falling on road) and once for my DS at 18 months (sent by ambulance from local hospital, which only had minor injury unit) for bronchiolitis.

However, I remember an ear infection one night many years ago when I was about 26 or 27. I sat in bed crying all night and trying to figure out how to relieve the pain and pressure. I remember melting vicks in hot water, trying to clear my sinuses. If I could have got to A&E, I would have, anything to help relieve.

My neighbour told me his a & e story a few years ago. He had twisted his ankle and 3 days later thought he should get it x rayed. I was sympathetic but I feel if you've walked on it for 3 days it's probably not an emergency. Although I did know someone that broke their ankle and didn't know until later in the evening, so I could be wrong.

Ear infections can be really bad though so I wouldn't think that was strange or time wasting. And the ingrown toe might have been stubbed today and got really bad?

Last time I was in a&e, the announcement came over the frankly that the waiting time for those entering the department was now at 8 hours. Literally half of the people got up and walked out while moaning about the waiting times and muttering about seeing GP in the morning. So in my experience, 50% of the people don't need to be there and know it. I had a similar thing again, so it's not a one-off (on both occasions I was there for chest pain etc).

Why anyone would want to go to our a&e, which is nearly always between 6 and 12 his is beyond me when minor injuries can deal with most drug anyway. Never got my head around the concept.

Earache I can understand mind as I'd be desperate for painkillers too as it's so bloody painful. Even though not a true accident or emergency, it certainly feels like it.

Tbf ingrown toenail could have developed a nasty infection eg as a pp says cellulitis which does need treatment asap and not just whenever the GP rings you back.

We live in a country with poor healthcare provision generally compared to similar economies and the blame for that doesn't lie with the people who use it.

I'm sorry you're having a rough time though.

Ingrown toe nail could have been a diabetic

Thanks everyone, definitely BU and think the pain is clouding my judgement a little bit

Our A&E is appointment only (since April 2020) same as GP surgeries, via an unknown person who phones you back if you're deemed appropriate to be passed on. You can be sent anywhere in Wales to be seen, and if you've no one to drive you that means a privately funded taxi.

People have died waiting for the call back. The only other way into ours is ambulance.

I've been twice in the past with life threatening illness and looked fine to the point the receptionist put me through to triage on green (which means I was to be seen after all the red and amber patients); these days I wouldn't be seen and told to phone my GP.

We don't have minor injuries here.

It always amazes me how different NHS services across the uk are!

The problem lies in part here with "specialist" receptionists using algorithms that don't take into account individual patients needs or rare conditions.

I've EDS and suffered a nasty, possible subluxation last April putting on my shoes. I was refused any appointment by a&e or by GP as I must have been exaggerating. I wasn't, my joints are that bad. I complained and was offered an appointment months later, but they wouldn't be able to examine me - not that it mattered as I couldn't get into a car by then.

One of my "green" visits to a&e was a chest abscess that and become life threatening, I've diabetes, and couldn't be lanced because of where it was and my other conditions, it was written up as "minor boil".

X-post with OP.

I hope you get seen soon.

Sometimes people with certain conditions are told not to use other services just to go to a&e because those services can't help and will just refer to a&e.

Some people do just for something to do weirdly. I don't think they recognise it though.

When I was in with sepsis the woman next to me was complaining to her (3!) friends about being in absolute pure agonising pain in her stomach whilst scrolling on her phone and talking about getting a chippy on the way home. To me, agony is when you literally can't speak or think or do anything other than be consumed by the pain.

If you’ve ever had ear ache you’d appreciate how you’d be desperate for some sort of medical attention. But yes, it can be frustrating. An A&E shift at the weekend is a whole different experience. I was punched repeatedly in the mouth and a woman tried to strangle me with my stethoscope. Luckily the Police where there to drag her off me. No further action was taken in either case. I transferred to ICU after that. Most of my patients are sedated or tubed.

FWIW, my brother lost the majority of his hearing due to having an infection of some kind, 0% in one ear, around 15% in the other. Whats left of his hearing can go and then come back, but never more than that 15%.

I took him to A&E pre-covid when his hearing dropped one time, as that is what he was told to do in order to get steroids which can help and I needed to go to be his ears so to speak.

Weekend drinking and Sunday morning sports probably create a bigger drain on resources, I know I've been in A&E as a result of both. One particular Rugby game at U16 level, between our hated town rivals was so intense 7 of us from across both teams ended up at the A&E that morning, myself with a snapped collar bone.

I worked in A&E.
People come in with itchy flea bites, or because they were drunk, or a microscopic cut on finger (literally - she actually couldn’t find it when I asked her to show me the cut). They often called 999 and came in by ambulance, and were most annoyed when they couldn’t have an ambulance to take them home afterwards!

My neighbour told me his a & e story a few years ago. He had twisted his ankle and 3 days later thought he should get it x rayed. I was sympathetic but I feel if you've walked on it for 3 days it's probably not an emergency

I think the problem with things like this is if you do go to see the GP they are likely to just tell you to go and get an x-ray anyway.

And it's not unheard of for people to have fractures etc... And still use their arm or whatever it is. A friends daughter complained that her wrist hurt after falling off her bike but they thought it was just a sprain. She'd gone to school, played PE etc... And then when she was really upset a few days later took her to A & E and she had a fracture. My friend felt terrible.

A lot of people struggle to get appointments witj their GP, at our last surgery waiting three weeks was extremely common, if you had an infection it was either risk sepsis or go to A&E.

My son is hearing impaired, if he has an ear infection we have to go to A&E as he is at high risk of further hearing loss.