Page 2 | Phoned 111 last night for a broken wrist and was told to see GP

whenwillthemadnessend · 2021-09-25T21:47:28+00:00

Seriously!!! I wasn't worried before about the NHS as my docs were getting back to normal but I really am now 111 too busy. Told to try see GP on a Friday night at 5.30 [hmm] if I'm mistaken gps don't have X-ray even if they were open. Son with school football injury It was broken. I ignored them and went to a&e God help anyone that is seriously ill.

TartanJumper · 25/09/2021 23:40

@BoredZelda

In a lot of places you are now being told you have to go through 111 to attend A and E.

This is nonsense. Do you think if you have a heart attack, you need to call 111 before you head to A&E? Of course not.

People might be advised to check with 111 whether A&E is necessary, but it is never a requirement to call 111 first. And for a known broken wrist you would go to A&E. Although, a friend’s son broke his wrist after a fall. She (Mum) didn’t know it was broken and it was a week before he was in pain enough to go to A&E, so in some cases, it might be fine to wait til the next day.

It's not nonsense. Loads of hospitals are trying to do this. Ours doesn't stop walk ins, though.

As an aside, if you think you are having a heart attack, don't head to A+E, call 999.

RogueV · 25/09/2021 23:42

GPs can indeed order X-rays and therefore bypass a&e.

We have this at our trust.
You go to your GP - they request X-ray - you have X-ray at local hospital - if broken they send you for treatment and if not you are discharged.

It works and keeps away minor injuries from a&e. A suspected fractured wrist is a minor injury unless the grossly deformed/broken skin.

Fullyhuman · 25/09/2021 23:43

“This is true in our area. My friend took her vomiting blood child to A&E and was sent outside to her car to phone 111 to be given a time to go in.”

Heathcliff was her child ok?

I’m shocked by this. So sorry for your sister, Becca. How awful.

Becca19962014 · 25/09/2021 23:43

It is and her fiancé wasn't even allowed in with her, he sat in the car. They're supposed to be getting married but she barely speaks now.

lynntheyresexpeople · 25/09/2021 23:45

@Becca19962014

It is and her fiancé wasn't even allowed in with her, he sat in the car. They're supposed to be getting married but she barely speaks now.

Choked back tears reading your sisters story. I'm so sorry, honestly I can't fathom her pain.

Heathcliff27 · 25/09/2021 23:48

@Fullyhuman

“This is true in our area. My friend took her vomiting blood child to A&E and was sent outside to her car to phone 111 to be given a time to go in.”

Heathcliff was her child ok?

I’m shocked by this. So sorry for your sister, Becca. How awful.

Yes she was fine, she had been poorly and sick for a couple of days and they think had burst a blood vessel with vomiting so much.

Becca19962014 · 25/09/2021 23:50

There's nothing anyone can say. That sounds bloody awful but it's true. She blames herself and won't accept otherwise. She's lucky she's got her fiancé whose a good bloke.

Every night I lie awake worrying about people in need being turned away because so many A&Es now demand appointments, how many die needlessly nust because there's no one to fight for them?

She doesn't live near me, so different A&E but I know similar has happened here. A lady who lost her husband because she didn't know the rules

TartanJumper · 25/09/2021 23:51

@RogueV

GPs can indeed order X-rays and therefore bypass a&e.

We have this at our trust.
You go to your GP - they request X-ray - you have X-ray at local hospital - if broken they send you for treatment and if not you are discharged.

It works and keeps away minor injuries from a&e. A suspected fractured wrist is a minor injury unless the grossly deformed/broken skin.

Lucky you! How long does it take to get an X-Ray? In my area, you see a GP (we're lucky and can get in within 48 hours). If they order an X-Ray, you then wait to be called by the hospital for an appointment. No walk ins allowed.

I suspect if we went to our GP with a suspected fracture, they'd send you to A+E anyway.

Summerdayshaze · 25/09/2021 23:56

Becca I am so very sorry to hear of the unforgivable treatment of your sister and her baby.

I waited two hours for an ambulance last week. I had two badly burnt hands. The whole palms. The paramedics told me I’d wait at least six hours to see a doctor and were googling late night chemists! Then they phoned 111 but no doctors available. I was told to sit up all night with my hands in a bucket full of iced water. I was in absolute agony.

It felt utterly hopeless.

Pedalpushers · 26/09/2021 00:07

These stories are awful, but honestly the opposite of my experiences. I was seen within half an hour for x rays for a suspected elbow fracture. 111 told me to go to A&E immediately for a cough. Is healthcare now a postcode lottery?

Travelledtheworld · 26/09/2021 00:14

I literally hopped into my local very small Minor Injuries Unit with a broken ankle and was X-rayed and strapped into an Orthopedic boot within an hour. Fantastic service. A&E at nearest teaching hospital would have been a 10-12 hours wait.

spiderlight · 26/09/2021 00:16

@Pedalpushers I think it must be. My son broke his wrist last month while at a residential sports camp and was taken to the nearest A&E, and he was in, x-rayed, seen by the doctor and out with a wrist brace on within 45 minutes. A friend took her son to A&E yesterday evening in a different part of the country with a severe exacerbation of an existing condition, waited 3 hours, was advised to go home and come back this morning, and waited 9 hours today. It's just horrendous.

Becca19962014 · 26/09/2021 00:40

@Pedalpushers

These stories are awful, but honestly the opposite of my experiences. I was seen within half an hour for x rays for a suspected elbow fracture. 111 told me to go to A&E immediately for a cough. Is healthcare now a postcode lottery?

Sadly it has been for a long time.

Not only between the different businesses e.g Wales different to England but even within those businesses as well. I cannot access neurology appointment in my healthboard except first thing on a sunday morning even if I could travel (I can't part of the referral but that's another story) I couldn't have free transport, it only operates Monday to Friday (and there extremely hard to qualify for) I couldn't go by bus as there are none, the 20% subsidy for disabled who can't go by bus to go by taxi isn't possible on weekends AND taxi fares are much more expensive on a Sunday AND before 9am. It's a drop in from 9am.

Even if I could manage travel I'd be out of healthboard catchment by privately commissioned dr who would need assembly (or whatever they're called these days) permission for funding to do any tests (months of waiting) and my GP would need to get special permission to do any recommended treatment as out of area assuming there was any.

No choice but to go out of area but that's ignored.

It's much much worse if your doctor is based in England. My specialist ended up care because nothing he wanted done to help me was allowed without me first seeing a Welsh dr to confirm it was needed. There was at that time no dr working in Wales who knew of my condition so it wasn't done. He had no idea whatsoever that NHS Wales is a separate business.

General rule I found, if you could travel you were fine and didn't qualify as ill enough. Can't travel? Well then you're told to put in effort and try harder. Because with a deterioating illness you've been refused treatment for its that simple.

Becca19962014 · 26/09/2021 00:42

Sorry for appalling grammar in that post. I need to go to bed!

Idroppedthescrewinthetuna · 26/09/2021 00:50

It goes the other way too!
My DP had conjunctivitis. He called GP (at this point we didn't realise you could get antibiotic eye drops from chemist)
GPs receptionist told him to call 111. Called 111 and he told them he had conjunctivitis. They told him to go to GP or a&e if GP couldn't see him.
Dp refused to go hospital so thought he would just wait for it to hopefully get better on its own..I told him to see if chemist would help!

But yes, hospital for a bit of an eye infection apparently!

SisterAgatha · 26/09/2021 00:55

Here 111 would have directed you to the minor injuries clinic - although I know from a broken nose that they’ll also take walk ins anyway so it does make calling pointless.

It’s always such a different system and unless you know already, how can you possibly get to know until it happens?!

Yubaba · 26/09/2021 00:56

Our local A&E are running the 111 appointments too, my MIL is the department secretary and she’s been telling me how horrendous it’s been over the last few weeks.
On Friday at one point they had 107 waiting to be seen and 12 ambulances waiting outside, they only have the bed capacity for 47.

JustLyra · 26/09/2021 01:01

@Pedalpushers

These stories are awful, but honestly the opposite of my experiences. I was seen within half an hour for x rays for a suspected elbow fracture. 111 told me to go to A&E immediately for a cough. Is healthcare now a postcode lottery?

It’s been a postcode lottery for a long time.

EnjoyingTheSilence · 26/09/2021 04:38

Some of these stories are awful. I had no idea that people are being turned away. Utterly ridiculous

@whenwillthemadnessend how’s your son now?

Jinkiesfred · 26/09/2021 05:16

Went to a&e recently with a friend as they'd tried to hurt themselves and we were literally not allowed in. A nurse was at the front with ipads forcing everyone to use the online 111 app if they didn't already have an appt.

Once done it took an hour to be let in and a further 9 hours (shes still hurting herself at this point) to be told they want to section her but they aren't allowed too due to a rise in covid cases.... sent home with a booklet to call her gp.

The nhs has been failing for a long time

Confusednewmum1 · 26/09/2021 05:55

In Glasgow the A&E facility is woe full, we tried an ambulance as my dad had a bad break to his leg and foot. Lives up several flights of stairs ect. Told no ambulance not an emergency, said we would arrange neighbours ect to help lift and bring him to A&E and advised not welcome in A&E unless life threatening…………… Advised to call 111 as they have other resources!!!! Explained complex medical history 3 strokes in 9 months diffuse swelling and really concerned….. advised I could call back if he had a stroke. Waited 3 hours for 111 to be told to take him to hospital. Carried down flights of stairs in a dining chair. Unable to move into car due to pain vomiting ect. Put in the back of a transit van still sitting on dining room chair to go to hospital. 17 hours before he seen a doctor!! Triaged after 2.5 hours and sent for X-ray then back to the waiting room but targets will be met as seen in under 4 hours. No painkillers ect! Awful over 24 hours total in a waiting room - 3 further set of X-rays as not right after 17 wait. No food drink or blanket provided despite asking!! 25 McFlurry’s in the staff room though seemed to be the chat of the day!

BoffinMum · 26/09/2021 06:10

Zelda, my husband had a suspected heart attack and 1. He needed an appointment to go to A and E, and 2. There was a really long queue of very ill people outside with appointments waiting to go in, no chairs, no sympathy, nothing, I made a formal complaint to PALS on my husband’s behalf but it now seems normal at Addenbrookes to be required to sit on the pavement for ages waiting to get into A and E reception. It’s extraordinary given it’s an enormous hospital with meeting rooms near the A and E department that could easily be given over to socially distanced seating at peak times. I don’t know what the hospital actually thinks it is there for any longer. It’s like patients are an actual inconvenience.

Balonzette · 26/09/2021 06:30

A broken bone requires immediate A+E. No 111 call required.

Balonzette · 26/09/2021 06:32

Just read your reply. Sorry!

The state of the NHS is terrifying. I wonder how long this is going to be allowed to continue. It's really worrying.

olidora63 · 26/09/2021 06:52

@Becca19962014..Am so sorry about your sister..absolutely shocking!