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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think if you can wait for a GP you shouldn't be in A&E

253 replies

Alfenstein · 04/08/2022 14:48

Was in A&E overnight last night and was confused and then a bit annoyed about a situation and wanted to see what others thought

I arrived at A&E for 18:00, was told it was very busy (when is it not) and the waits were 5+ hours. I was triaged and sat in the waiting room

At 02:00 a nurse came in and made an announcement. Saying that waits were still really long because they've got 15 ambulances waiting but there is a GP based at the hospital who will be in from 08:00, if people would prefer to go home and come back they would be seen by the GP.

And half of the waiting room got up and left!

AIBU to think that if you can wait until morning you don't need to be in A&E.

Surely the issue isn't that urgent or an emergency if you can bugger off home and come back in the morning!

OP posts:
alnawire · 04/08/2022 14:50

On the face of it YANBU however there are other factors at play that mean not everybody who left should have left.

Seeline · 04/08/2022 14:53

Maybe they couldn't wait 4 weeks for an appointment with their GP, but didn't know what else to do? The promise of seeing a doctor the next morning allowed them to go home.

I also agree that for some of those that did leave, it may have been better for them to stay.

urrrgh46 · 04/08/2022 14:56

It's just impossible to get through to our GP if you're not a child or elderly. DH has a suspicious mole change on his forehead (he's 43) he has lots of moles, history of bad childhood burning. I think this could be a BCC tbh. Pre pandemic he went for a yearly mole check. He simply can not get through to even get triaged! Our GP doesn't have a queuing system on their phone lines. He keeps having to give up trying to get through in order to actually do his job!! I can see why people are unnecessarily ending up in A&E and I can see why when told there's a sit and wait to be seen option for an actual GP they will opt for that instead.

Original poster
Alfenstein · 04/08/2022 14:56

Seeline · 04/08/2022 14:53

Maybe they couldn't wait 4 weeks for an appointment with their GP, but didn't know what else to do? The promise of seeing a doctor the next morning allowed them to go home.

I also agree that for some of those that did leave, it may have been better for them to stay.

The GP at the hospital isn't a new phenomenon

They could have always turned up at 08:00 for a GP appt

No need to clog up A&E beforehand

OP posts:
Hillarious · 04/08/2022 14:56

Seeline · 04/08/2022 14:53

Maybe they couldn't wait 4 weeks for an appointment with their GP, but didn't know what else to do? The promise of seeing a doctor the next morning allowed them to go home.

I also agree that for some of those that did leave, it may have been better for them to stay.

Exactly this. How do you access the next morning GP service if you're only made aware of it after you've attended A&E?

Original poster
Alfenstein · 04/08/2022 14:57

urrrgh46 · 04/08/2022 14:56

It's just impossible to get through to our GP if you're not a child or elderly. DH has a suspicious mole change on his forehead (he's 43) he has lots of moles, history of bad childhood burning. I think this could be a BCC tbh. Pre pandemic he went for a yearly mole check. He simply can not get through to even get triaged! Our GP doesn't have a queuing system on their phone lines. He keeps having to give up trying to get through in order to actually do his job!! I can see why people are unnecessarily ending up in A&E and I can see why when told there's a sit and wait to be seen option for an actual GP they will opt for that instead.

But why not turn up at 08:00 just for the GP instead of clogging up A&E in the first place is my confusion around this entire thing

It's hardly a secret the hospital has a GP that sees people from 08:00 every weekday

OP posts:
urrrgh46 · 04/08/2022 14:58

You're assuming people knew beforehand - I suspect most didn't!

Original poster
Alfenstein · 04/08/2022 14:58

@Hillarious it's hardly a trade secret

The hospital has always had an on site GP on weekdays

Maybe the hospital should invest in a bit sign for those who are hard of understanding though to remind them before they check in

OP posts:
Original poster
Alfenstein · 04/08/2022 14:59

urrrgh46 · 04/08/2022 14:58

You're assuming people knew beforehand - I suspect most didn't!

If it can wait till morning it's not an issue for A&E

That's a pretty basic principle surely

OP posts:
Hillarious · 04/08/2022 15:00

Alfenstein · 04/08/2022 14:58

@Hillarious it's hardly a trade secret

The hospital has always had an on site GP on weekdays

Maybe the hospital should invest in a bit sign for those who are hard of understanding though to remind them before they check in

Well, it appears to be a trade secret. When you mentioned GP is assume you mean my own GP I can't get an appointment with. Perhaps all those people in A&E were thinking along the same lines.

Imthedamnfoolwhoshothim · 04/08/2022 15:00

Alfenstein · 04/08/2022 14:59

If it can wait till morning it's not an issue for A&E

That's a pretty basic principle surely

Show quote history

When we have a functioning healthcare system yes.

With the burning pile of shit we are living with people have to do what they can to get medical care.

GreenLunchBox · 04/08/2022 15:00

Here we go, vilify the people trying to access care rather than the government who are creating this situation 🙄

PurpleDaisies · 04/08/2022 15:01

But why not turn up at 08:00 just for the GP instead of clogging up A&E in the first place is my confusion around this entire thing

I wouldn’t have a clue that service existed.

urrrgh46 · 04/08/2022 15:01

Not really when you know you're not going to be seen by a doctor any time in the near future or maybe can't even get through to them and it ends up as an emergency or preventing you from actually functioning etc Although, 10yrs ago I would definitely have agreed with you. Based on my experience of my own GP (2 separate practises as we moved during 2020) in the past 2 yrs your being unreasonable.

GreenLunchBox · 04/08/2022 15:03

OP, one could say if you can wait more than 8 hours then it's not exactly an emergency?

PeekAtYou · 04/08/2022 15:03

Maybe people went home for 6 hours of sleep because they were too tired to stay awake and might miss their turn because they'd fallen asleep ?

Signs advertising the GP might be a good idea. You can't assume that everyone knows about the service.

Original poster
Alfenstein · 04/08/2022 15:03

@Imthedamnfoolwhoshothim but there are so many other options for those able to wait

A&E should be a last resort

There are urgent care units, hospital based GPs, practice based GPs (which round here are very good and I've never waited more than a day for an appt)

OP posts:
Fladdermus · 04/08/2022 15:03

Nobody is going to sit in A&E for hours if they know there's a viable alternative available the following morning. YABU

Original poster
Alfenstein · 04/08/2022 15:04

PeekAtYou · 04/08/2022 15:03

Maybe people went home for 6 hours of sleep because they were too tired to stay awake and might miss their turn because they'd fallen asleep ?

Signs advertising the GP might be a good idea. You can't assume that everyone knows about the service.

It's not even just the GP at the hospital, there is urgent care which I can't fathom people not knowing about tbh, just as well known a service as A&E which is more suited to issues that can wait

OP posts:
PurpleDaisies · 04/08/2022 15:04

A&E should be a last resort

What makes you think it isn’t for those people? You have no idea about their personal circumstances or what they’ve already tried.

PurpleDaisies · 04/08/2022 15:05

It's not even just the GP at the hospital, there is urgent care which I can't fathom people not knowing about tbh, just as well known a service as A&E which is more suited to issues that can wait

I don’t know what you mean by “urgent care”.

Original poster
Alfenstein · 04/08/2022 15:05

Fladdermus · 04/08/2022 15:03

Nobody is going to sit in A&E for hours if they know there's a viable alternative available the following morning. YABU

Then those people are very, very silly

Urgent care units are just as well 'known' as A&E, that's usually the daytime go to for such issues. If these people can wait for a Gp they could also wait for urgent care to open the next day

Thankfully once these wasters left the remaining people were seen to quickly

OP posts:
Imthedamnfoolwhoshothim · 04/08/2022 15:06

Alfenstein · 04/08/2022 15:03

@Imthedamnfoolwhoshothim but there are so many other options for those able to wait

A&E should be a last resort

There are urgent care units, hospital based GPs, practice based GPs (which round here are very good and I've never waited more than a day for an appt)

For you. That is your experience that they are good.
Others may have had the same appalling experience many are having.

Original poster
Alfenstein · 04/08/2022 15:07

PurpleDaisies · 04/08/2022 15:05

It's not even just the GP at the hospital, there is urgent care which I can't fathom people not knowing about tbh, just as well known a service as A&E which is more suited to issues that can wait

I don’t know what you mean by “urgent care”.

Then you're a bit silly

I've never lived anywhere there wasn't an urgent care unit

And have moved around the country a fair bit

Also, even if you live in the arse end of nowhere with no urgent care that's not overly relevant. Here and every town and city within a 50km radius has an urgent care unit, so anyone living here would know about it.

OP posts:
alnawire · 04/08/2022 15:07

OP you seem naive as to the varying levels of both physical and mental health involved. One of those people may have been sat there in crisis and on hearing that go home and make an attempt on their life. Stop being so judgemental. Yes we know people go to A&E when they don't have to, that doesn't mean everyone who walked out didn't need care right then.