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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Treated like a bloody leper at A and E

112 replies

Heartbeat1 · 05/10/2021 10:39

Asked by GP to go to A and E as I've been having issues with my breathing (due to previous covid) and she said to go and get a scan done as it may be a clot. I have put it off for over 2 weeks as the waiting times are over 4 hours and I've had noone to bring me. Anyway I've just arrived and the guy at the reception asked me to fill out the form, I wrote on there breathing issues due to long covid. He asked me a whole load of questions to which I replied I'm currently negative and have tested negative. He then asked everyone on left side of the waiting room to move asked me to sit there by myself. Like I'm a diseased.

OP posts:
SylvanianFrenemies · 05/10/2021 10:42

What do you expect him to do? They are trying to stop spreading a potentially fatal and highly disruptive illness. They can't just take your word that you don't present a risk.

I hope you feel better soon. Probably better just to assume you are going to be managed with caution for now. It is not personal.

YukoandHiro · 05/10/2021 10:43

They should have put you in a side room

Noogar · 05/10/2021 10:45

They probably should have had it set up so there was place for you to go without moving everybody else.

girlmom21 · 05/10/2021 10:45

Better to be safe than sorry.

TillyDevon · 05/10/2021 10:46

I agree it’s not personal. hospitals may as well be cautious as now and again it may help. Also a side room not always available .
I hope you’re ok OP

toolazytothinkofausername · 05/10/2021 10:49

@YukoandHiro

They should have put you in a side room
This.
GoWalkabout · 05/10/2021 10:51

Probably inexperience on his part or a blanket policy he had to follow. We are in a pandemic, niceties can't always be observed. Its clinical not personal (but also ott, so I can see how you feel).

bruffin · 05/10/2021 10:54

They should have put you in a side room
How do you know they had any side rooms left!

EverdeRose · 05/10/2021 10:55

Why on earth have you waited 2 weeks to go to A&E?
Was it not impressed upon you how seriously ill you could become if you had a clot?

In future if you're told to go to A&E go straight away, don't piss about putting it off hoping the queues go down.

Noogar · 05/10/2021 10:56

@EverdeRose

Why on earth have you waited 2 weeks to go to A&E? Was it not impressed upon you how seriously ill you could become if you had a clot?

In future if you're told to go to A&E go straight away, don't piss about putting it off hoping the queues go down.

That's a point! Missed that bit. You're lucky you're not dead!
FrankiesKnuckle · 05/10/2021 10:57

I have put it off for over 2 weeks as the waiting times are over 4 hours and I've had noone to bring me.

Really?!
There are so many things wrong with this one sentence.
Firstly - your GP is trying to rule out a PE, Pulmonary Embolism can be fatal. And you've 'put it off' for 2 weeks.
A PE can be diagnosed via a blood test, a blood test that yes, you will have to wait for a result for. Sometimes over 4 hours, not necessarily because that's how long it takes but because you'll have to wait for a doctor to see you to discuss. And you know, these doctors aren't sitting around waiting for a patient to discuss, they will likely have a very long list of people to see.

'And I've had no one to bring with me' - unless there's a massive drip feed coming then FFS grow up.
Many hospital EDs are not allowing accompanying hangers on unless a patient is vulnerable or unable to advocate for themselves.
A trip to an ED is not a day out.

Take some responsibility for your own health.

Original poster
Heartbeat1 · 05/10/2021 10:57

I understand where you're all coming from, yes I may have taken it a little personally. I think I'm just really anxious being here. Hopefully I'll be out of here soon

OP posts:
2me2u2u2me · 05/10/2021 11:00

@EverdeRose

Why on earth have you waited 2 weeks to go to A&E? Was it not impressed upon you how seriously ill you could become if you had a clot?

In future if you're told to go to A&E go straight away, don't piss about putting it off hoping the queues go down.

Agree with this, I wish my A&E (North West) was only a four hour waiting time, I went last week and waited 9.5 hours with my son, so four hours would have been a breeze.
Medievalist · 05/10/2021 11:01

You do know that 4 hours is not at all unusual for A and E don't you? I waited for 6 hours to be seen a few weeks ago.

You were extremely silly to delay just because of the wait time.

Lj8893 · 05/10/2021 11:02

A PE doesn’t wait for you to have somebody to take you to A&E. You are lucky you aren't dead. Utter idiocy. I’m surprised your GP didn’t enforce how serious that is!!

AwaAnBileYerHeid · 05/10/2021 11:02

He was just trying to keep everyone safe. Hurt feelings is probably at the bottom of their list.

Sirzy · 05/10/2021 11:03

If it was so Unurgent it could wait two weeks then your Gp should have just referred for a scan. Not waste A and E time. If it was urgent you shouldn’t have waited so long.

But they wanting to keep you separate from others isn’t surprising

TwoLeftSocksWithHoles · 05/10/2021 11:03

He then asked everyone on left side of the waiting room to move asked me to sit there by myself. Like I'm a diseased.

...alternatively they could have just given you a small bell.

Noogar · 05/10/2021 11:04

I’m surprised your GP didn’t enforce how serious that is!! to be fair to the GP if they said "go to Accident and Emergency" and it isn't an accident then it should be pretty obvious it is an emergency.

Noogar · 05/10/2021 11:05

Anyway glad you're there now OP and hope it all goes ok Flowers

HerNameIsIncontinentiaButtocks · 05/10/2021 11:06

@Heartbeat1

I understand where you're all coming from, yes I may have taken it a little personally. I think I'm just really anxious being here. Hopefully I'll be out of here soon
It's the opposite of personally. They're coping with a pandemic so they're going by statistical methods of handling large numbers of people as safely as possible. Whatever you do, do not upbraid them about it. They're having a perfectly horrible time and the ingratitude of the general public is a serious part of it.
user3698741 · 05/10/2021 11:08

like I am diseased

Yes, Covid-19 is indeed a disease....

A highly infectious one

OutIsay · 05/10/2021 11:17

When I was told to go to A&E over a suspected PE I arrived about half an hour later, not two weeks! I got put in a Covid Pod as unbeknownst to me I also had a temperature. It wasn't Covid but they had no way of knowing that. It isn't personal.

HarebrightCedarmoon · 05/10/2021 11:18

She has long covid though - it doesn't mean she is currently infectious.

middleager · 05/10/2021 11:19

But OP doesn't have Covid, so I am wondering why they were 'othered' too...