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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To be very frustrated in A and E just now.

206 replies

changeitatanytime · 10/12/2021 18:50

I'm in Scotland, was advised by my doctor to go directly to A and E as have been having shortness of breath for few weeks and today I had an episode of chest pain.

Arrived at A and E at 4 pm. Was told to stand outside as shortness of breath was Covid symptom. Then brought into own room so I'm isolated (negative LFT). Was seen by doctor fairly quickly and was told would get bloods done, an ecg and a chest X-ray.

Had my bloods taken at 5 pm and chest X-ray at 5.10.

I have now been sat in this room alone for 1.5 hours without anyone even popping their head in to let me know what is happening. And no one has done an ecg.

I understand that they are very busy but someone presenting with shortness of breath and heart pain not being checked on for an hour and a half? Surely that's not right.

I'm not the most patient person and can feel my heart rate going up and blood starting to boil.

Am I allowed to just walk out the hospital without saying a thing? Do you think I'm being unreasonable? What time should I give them to until leaving?

OP posts:
ChuckMater · 10/12/2021 19:43

If you're considering leaving, you shouldn't be at a&e in the first place. If you don't think you're sick enough to wait the unfortunate long hours, due to the stress the NHS is under at the minute, then what made you think you was sick enough to go in the first place?

You've referred to your chest pains as heart pains.. do you know its your heart? If so, I suggest you stay and wait. A&e are doing the best they can at the moment. Youre by yourself because we're in the middle of a pandemic and you have symptoms. Where do you want them to place you???

mytrueaccount · 10/12/2021 19:44

Listen, back in 2003 I once waited more than 12 hours for a scan for an ectopic pregnancy. If it had been that, I could well have died!

shushits1am · 10/12/2021 19:44

If you're well enough to be considering walking out then that's probably why you're not very high in the triage

WonderfulYou · 10/12/2021 19:46

A&E waits are at least 3 hours long usually. If you’ve already been waiting I’d wait it out as you might have to wait longer next time.

GreenLunchBox · 10/12/2021 19:47

@Katyppp

You will get ripped apart on here OP, but I feel your frustration. Every time I have been in A&E (probably only about 10 times ever, to be fair) I was seething by the time I got out at the utter inefficiency and attitude shown by some staff. My latest experience was when I had to drop my 84-year-old dad off in A&E for a routine transfusion (yes, I did question this but was told by his GP 'it should be quiet if you go now'). I was not allowed to stay with him but the reception staff refused to agree to call me when he was ready to collect. My 85-year-old mum had a horrific day trying to get through until she eventually managed to get through at 10pm, to be told he'd been ready since 8. The lack of consideration was disgusting frankly and I can't imagine this would be acceptable in any other setting. Yet I guarantee you will get posters of here defending the staff, as all NHS workers are beyond reproach
I agree.
edification · 10/12/2021 19:47

Hope you're okay. BUt if you're exasperated enough to want to actually just leave it, then good news is it probably isn't serious and A&E worthy.

Practicebeingpatient · 10/12/2021 19:48

My 91 MIL fell and broke her hip last week. She was in A&E over 15 hours. They are overworked and under resourced so if you are well enough to go home I think that might be for the best.

Herja · 10/12/2021 19:48

My friends mum was waiting 18hours for oxygen with pneumonia this week. My grandad was waiting with a broken hip (though was givien anasthetic) for 20 last week.

Wait times are shit at the minute. Is what it is.

GreenLunchBox · 10/12/2021 19:48

@BlowDryRat

Sorry you're ill OP.

A&Es across the country have enormous waiting times at the moment. My 60yo NDN had a heart attack a few weeks ago. He had to stand in line outside A&E for an hour and it was several more hours before he was even seen by a doctor. I couldn't believe it when his wife told me. It's just pure chance that he didn't die. Contrast this with my uncle's heart attack a few years ago. An ambulance was there in minutes and they took him to a specialist hospital. He was seen straight away and had a stent fitted the following day.

Bloody hell. We're all in trouble
whatisheupto · 10/12/2021 19:49

People need to realise this: In this country we are able to receive diagnoses and treatment within a few hours of visiting a hospital, which we can just turn up at unannounced and without an appointment, any day of the year, without paying a penny upfront. And sometimes that treatment is life saving.
Seems pretty good to me. If it takes 4 to 6 hours then so be it.

AutumnLeaves21 · 10/12/2021 19:50

You have been totally brattish. I hope you haven’t been rude or impatient to the staff…they’re running themselves into the ground. Get a grip.

helpadvicewhateverneeded · 10/12/2021 19:50

My 70 year old dad sat in a chair in A&E for 48 hours with bacterial pneumonia and a collapsed lung. That's the NHS right now!

AutumnLeaves21 · 10/12/2021 19:51

@whatisheupto well bloody said!! 👏

georgarina · 10/12/2021 19:53

Have they hooked you up to any monitors? If so they'll be notified if your condition changes while they attend to others

Livebythecoast · 10/12/2021 19:54

Sorry you're not well but what would walking out achieve? You'll be none the wiser what's wrong and if you need admitting or further investigations. You'll spend next week trying to get hold of your GP to see if your discharge letter is there and it will say you just walked out, not even 'self discharged against medical advice'.
You would be very foolish to do this. I know it's frustrating but you need to stay. Like many others have said, waiting times are long in A & E but wouldn't you rather leave knowing what's wrong, any follow ups with outpatients or GP etc.
Please stay.

Uninterested · 10/12/2021 19:54

@changeitatanytime

Sorry I've had a drink of water and see how bratish I've been. I've been seen by doctor. Everything is fine. Just waiting on pcr results which take around 20 mins at hospital.
Fair play OP, that’s a very gracious post. 😊

Hope you feel better soon.

mam0918 · 10/12/2021 19:54

To be fair you have had this (to quote you) 'for a few weeks' hardly urgent for all you know someone else is being treated for an imminent or in progress heart attack while you wait with no change.

I was in A&E today for a ruptured stomach ulcer, I sat for 3 hours waiting my turn like everyone else because you are ordered by life and death priority not first come first served.

Only you can decide if you want to be seen but bitching isn't helping anyone.

EYProvider · 10/12/2021 19:56

So you were basically put in a private room and seen by a doctor within a few minutes of arriving at the hospital, and you’re complaining about this?

You should try living in England, which is basically so overcrowded most people have to wait three hours or so for an ambulance never mind get seen by a doctor.

justlonelystars · 10/12/2021 19:58

I presented with the same symptoms whilst 6 months pregnant. 9 hours to be seen, roundabout 7 hours in I was in tears in the waiting room as I didn’t know if anything was wrong with my baby. Shocking treatment in my opinion! Hope you’re seen soon

Sweetmotherofallthatisholyabov · 10/12/2021 19:59

90 mins is a long time when you're alone in a room and scared- everyone would be a bit brattish when you don't know what's happening are fearing the worst and then are afraid you're forgotten. Just because it's normal doesn't mean it's right. And it doesn't mean it's the staffs fault either. Such an all round tough situation

Newbabynewhouse · 10/12/2021 20:04

To be fair 1 and a half hours these days is nothing! But i undertand your point of being im a room alone and not being checked on as soemthing could've haooened to you...its scary and frustrating how busy NHS are but no i wouldnt leave... you will be cutting your nose off to spite your face... im assuming you have a bed? Relax... give it a bit longer then go and ask them calmly and raise your concerns

Bunnyfuller · 10/12/2021 20:04

Troponin blood test cannot be fast..the heart releases it when it’s damaged…

Ecg…no idea, but I’m going to plump for sicker people ahead of you. I went in with unstable angina (having had a heart attack 3 months previous) and it took 4 hrs to be seen, pre Covid. If you feel well enough to flounce it’s prob not a heart attack

Bunnyfuller · 10/12/2021 20:05

Hope all these saying ‘shocking treatment’ didn’t vote Tory. You did this.

ChiefStockingStuffer · 10/12/2021 20:05

YABU

You clearly have no idea how overextended A&Es are. You're not dying at the moment; those who are are being seeing to first, then others.

jumpbounce · 10/12/2021 20:07

If you feel well enough to just walk out and are considering doing that then it's likely why you are still waiting to be seen. You've been very lucky to even have been seen at all in under an hour!
We are regular a&e attenders with a young child and have sat many times for 10 hours plus in a&e on a corridor with an oxygen tank with a seriously ill child while waiting on test results and someone to read them and get an ambulance transfer to another hospital or a bed on a ward. You don't know what is going on in resus just be thankful that you aren't the person in there requiring the entire medical team to be dealing with you.