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

[Alfenstein]

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!

There are more options than just the GP at the hospital

Urgent care for example is open 08:00-22:00

And unless you're a hermit if you lived close enough to this hospital you'd know it exists

You were kept waiting in A&E over 8 hours so clearly weren't an emergency. Perhaps you shouldn't have been cluttering up the place either.

I got a load of verbal abuse in A&E last year for taking a blokes seat as he'd 'only popped out for a fag'.

I was in utter agony, struggling to breathe with my foot hanging off.

If you're well enough to pop out for a fag then you don't need to be in A&E, never mind arguing with someone who has obviously been in an accident and it is an emergency.

I agree that A&E is in crisis, but the users have to take some of the blame for this.

And unless you're a hermit if you lived close enough to this hospital you'd know it exists

You really have no idea. Just because you know about it doesn’t mean others know what it’s for or how to access it.

Have you checked here? You can find your nearest urgent treatment centre by putting in your postcode.

www.nhs.uk/Service-Search/other-services/Urgent%20Care/LocationSearch/1824

You're certainly hard of compassion and empathy, OP.

It oyster shows England FYI

I've never heard of the Urgent Care service and I've had plenty of interaction with the NHS. I'm aware of something called the minor injuries unit, but not "urgent care", so clearly it isn't well publicised.

Haha how ridiculous do you sound! Just because you have lived near them doesn't mean they are everywhere!

My mental health sometimes fucks with my thinking.
I could honestly see myself walking out of the hospital after hearing about the gp rather than waiting.
i would then get a lecture when I went back about leaving and admitted for whatever physical thing was the issue.

I’ve also been sent to a&e via my own gp, minor injuries and ambulatory care and I would have still left.

Not because I’m a dopey fukwit but because my mh would be crashing quickly and badly and I don’t really enjoy having a psychotic episode for example. Or deemed a drama llama by some judgemental twerp when my anxiety stars to hit rock bottom.

of course there are prats that do abuse a&e. However the system would be improved if the government gave them the money they promised and hiked up taxes to pay for health and social care.

for me the thought of sitting for hours on uncomfortable chairs is such a grim prospect that they’d really have to be no other alternative If we’re not talking full scale accident/emergency. I won’t judge people who do though as my GP isn’t seeing people f2f and it’s so frustrating. Surely half of seeing a Dr f2f is that sometimes they can ‘see’ if you’re ill by your demeanour/colour even if your symptoms are vague.

i have rocked up at OOH quite a few times though w various issues that it would’ve been ridix to go to a&e for, but if you have no a&e then there’s no alternative.

Why have you got such an attitude?!

I would assume those people who are there, felt they needed to be there the same as you do.

You’re not the only person in the world!

Have you tried Googling to see if there's one in your area? We have one, which isn't well publicised. The GP arrives at 8am and deals with the things that the nurse practitioners can't. They are all brilliant and there's never much of a wait. It's a 24 hour service with the NPs. They will call an ambulance and send people to A&E if they think it's needed.

@dizzygirl1 who said they're everywhere?

It doesn't really matter if they're everywhere

Unless everyone who got up and left wasn't local and visiting it makes 0 difference

As they would be aware of the services in their local area and all areas around them

Unless they're a bit silly of course

I've just used the 'urgent care' locator.... it gives me my local main A&E.... so what do you suggest I do then OP? I sat in children's A&E a few weeks ago, after a MIU visit and being sent home incorrectly, not all miu's are good!

I sort of agree with you OP bit also disagree from recent personal experience !

My DM went to the GP first - they sent her straight to A&E. You wouldn't have known how sick she was to look at her at that stage. She didn't know what the fuss was about. She spent all day in A&E (over 8 hours) & probably looked like she was 'clogging' up the waiting room.

She wasn't. She was dying. But she didn't know it. When she was finally admitted, it was catastrophic & untreatable & she died in hospital 3 days later.

Having said that, the unit she ended up on was next to A&E. Friday night it was standing room only probably with some people who could've waited.

But then, you never know.

I'm wondering if this amazing A&E has an M&S concession.

@Katesboy8 I did need to be there

Hence was seen appropriately and not made to wait unseen for hours

If people aren't bright enough to assess their own health then the hospital need to do more to make this clear. So have sent those suggestions

I had no idea about outpatient options beyond hospital A&E until my DD was diagnosed (eventually) with a chronic condition that has led to fairly frequent outpatient care. A few A&E trips with DH when he sliced bits of himself off, and once when something got stuck in his oesophagus, but they took him in at A&E.

I just tried that as I've never heard of Urgent Care either. It says the nearest one to my home address is in another county about 2 hours aways on public transport. There's a hospital in my hometown with a large A&E department 5 minutes up the road.

You do what's available in your area

Tbh I don't really see why your lack of services is relevant to this situation

I thankfully don't live somewhere the only option is A&E, neither do the people who got up and left

You said they are everywhere, that you'd never lived anywhere without one......
🤦‍♀️
Also would 'Everyone local' know about the local services? No actually they may not, if they've never needed them before they wouldn't necessarily know about them.

Here's Scotland

www.nhsinform.scot/scotlands-service-directory/aes-and-minor-injuries-units/?sortby=_distance&sortdir=Asc&locpt=56.302186%2C-3.703792&q=

A & E and what's still called minor injuries units there.

I'm sure there'll be something similar for Wales if you need it.

It’s extremely silly to assume everyone is aware of services they’ve never had to use.

You really are a rude piece of work.
Poor ANYONE who has to deal with you.