To think A&E waiting times are the worst they've ever been?

[CreatingHavoc]

I'm currently sat in A&E having had an ecg and bloods due to various symptoms including palpitations and pain in my back when I breathe in. There's just been an announcement over the tannoy that waiting time is at least 7 hours. I could cry.

In the last 3 years whenever I've had to go to A&E it's been a minimum wait of 7 hours. My colleague waited for 12 hours over the weekend. It's terrifying! I really don't know what the answer is.

I hope you are seen soon 💐

Dd had a minor head injury that required stitches last week.

Pharmacy first who signposted A and E.

In and out in 40 minutes. It was 8.30am though.

Yes. My local A&E is worse in that the waiting room has been turned into a “fit to sit” area.

Means everyone is checked in, given a cannula and basic treatment whilst sat in a chair.

I’ve had to go too many times over the last few months and 12 hours sat in a chair, with a drip is not only painful but humiliating.

It’s rough having to wait so long but the reality is that if you’re alert, pain is manageable and you’re sitting up browsing and posting on the internet, your case isn’t an emergency and so they’ll attend to you when the emergencies have been cleared. Hopefully they’ll send you on your way soon.

I think it varies hugely hospital to hospital. Our most recent experience was better than expected, ambulance arrived in under 30 minutes (despite warning from 999 of delays). Triaged and admitted within the hour after arrival (though ward bed not available until some hours later). The care in the meantime though was good.

appreciate it’s very different in some places.

@ComtesseDeSpair oh I know. I'm just so sad it's been reduced to this. It's so demoralising.

Our household has been in a and e 5 times in 3 years and varied from literally registering at desk went through and didn’t even sit down before we were called to 10 hours
luck of the draw to how busy they are

I was literally writhing in agony and full out crying. All the happened was I was stuck on a morphine drip and left to it.

No beds in the actual department. Had to remain in the fit to sit even though I begged them for a bed because sitting hurt.

Was sent home not long after that.. still no diagnosis and a high chance I’ll end up back there at some point

My Dad had several visits to A & E before he died 2016. I have stood for hours in corridors as he lay on an ambulance trolley waiting to be seen. So that would have been around 2015/16 - not sure if it is worse now but it was really bad then. If he was seen in less than 8 hours it was a bonus and he had dementia who I was always told were fast tracked through A & E - never saw it myself.

I think it's a regional problem. I was in A & E about a year ago and they were still under COVID restrictions so people couldn't just walk in. It was a Saturday evening and there were only 2 other people waiting.

My parent had a 7 hour wait for an ambulance a couple weeks ago, then a 15 hour wait to be seen.

With a head injury and possible broken hip.

They were similarly bad in the mid 70s, brought under control during the 80s and 90s (and I think all time low was 2008)

The waiting time targets for A&E (or casualty, as it then usually was) did not exist, and long waits after triage were very, very common.

Early 80s saw doctors strikes, and waits increased then too - often compared in the press as back to the 70s

My 80 year old Nan sat in the back of an ambulance for 7 hours last week then stayed in a & e 2 days before being moved to a ward. I work at the hospital and it's a total mess.

We were at A&E over the weekend with my toddler who had suspected urine infection. We were booked in straight away and sent through to peds A&E in a private room and waited only 3 hours to see a doctor.
I was quite impressed given current climate. We are in east London and the department did seem busy but to be working well.

im so sorry you’ve got such a long wait. Really hope you’re on the mend soon. Nothing worse when you’re not feeling well than being sat in a waiting room ❤️‍🩹

Last two times, we’ve been to A & E with DD, there was no triage beyond two questions to ask what happened and how long ago, for at least 4 hours. We and about 20 other people had to sit on the floor. We are in our 60s; and I find sitting down, without support for my neck excruciating - due to a chronic condition. Personally, I’d prefer to lie on the floor; but it’s too crowded!

We take her wheelchair (it’s for occasional use), so she has somewhere to sit, with suspected fractures. We were there 8 hours the first time, 4 hours wait to see a doctor; and 9 hours the second time, with an 8 hours wait to see a doctor.

For us, the key issue is that people can be left for hours with say an unknown head injury or unstable neck fracture, in the waiting room, where we assume they could suffer life changing injuries?

From someone who has been just that person for 12 hours before being admitted:

It must be very area specific.

A couple of Saturdays ago I had to take DS to our local paediatric A&E after he hurt himself at soft play. We were in, triaged, down to radiology for an X-ray, saw the doctor for discharge and back on our way in a little over an hour.

Similarly, DH broke his foot a couple of months ago and was in and out in 2 hours, after being fitted with a boot.

We live in Gloucestershire, A&E waits are pretty bad here, and most days there are between 15-25 ambulances queuing outside.
A friend in London didn’t believe me! She said “all this fuss about hospitals is nonsense. I went the other week and was in and out in less than 2 hours”
I knew I couldn’t answer her in a civil tone of voice so I changed the subject.

Definitely depends on where in the country one is. I'm in the East Midlands and I had very rapid heart beat, (no chest pain, nausea or dizziness) phoned 111 advised to go to A&E, 111 called ahead to tell A&E I was coming. Only 3 other people in A&E and one ambulance unloading outside. Checked in, few more questions, sent next door to urgent care, seen by doctor within 10 minutes, ECG and bloods done (the palpitations had stopped by this time). Waited approx an hour for test results which were normal. As this was not the first time I had heart palpitations the GP referred me to cardiology and within a week I was wearing a heart monitor to find out what was going on. Now awaiting results.
Superb service.

I waited 5 hours in the summer but it was middle of the night. As we were leaving it got much busier.

Another one with experience of the awful Gloucestershire service. My mum was in A&E for 60 hours recently before they found her a bed (after six hours on the ambulance - if anyone wants to know why there’s no ambulances, it’s because the whole shift is spent in a queue). She was in a bay with just her and three men, two of whom were aggressive or violent. I was allowed to visit her and it was an utterly terrifying situation. The staff were lovely to her though.

I know someone with almost complete kidney failure, on dialysis and was in an and e for 6 hours whilst having a silent heart attack. It’s disgusting and I’m terrified what the future holds

DS was admitted as an emergency to Norfolk kings lynn, no wait int casualty as 111 doctors had phoned ahead . Kept overnight and very well looked after this summer .
Had an 90 minute wait for doctor to call back initially thigh and had to taxi to hospital as no ambulances

The NHS is literally a disaster at the moment. I think the main problem is the lack of access to GPs meaning that people either have no choice but to turn up at A &E for something that doesn't actually require it or worse by the time they actually mange to access a GP the condition has deteriorated and now actually DOES require A and E.
As a parent I have literally nowhere to go when my kids are ill except Urgent Care or A and E. My GP service is worse than useless and doesn't appear to see anyone ever

Sorry should have said I hope you've been seen now and are feeling better