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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

NHS - this is why people don't care

399 replies

br0kenankle · 16/03/2023 20:14

In peads A&E with daughter as went over on ankle and it swelled up like a balloon. Been hear 1 hr 30 mins. Paeds A&E not busy - maybe 3-4 patients. Staff everywhere - must be about 10 people milling around tbe computers doing very little. No wheel chair so have been carrying her round the hospital to X-ray , toilet etc.

Just seem to be on a go slow. If I were this slow at my job, i would be in trouble. 🤷‍♀️

Expect to get flames for this of course. We were sat outside X-ray for 10 mins and when they came out, they didn't realise we had been sitting there. I have a hungry grumpy in pain 6yr old.

OP posts:
XenoBitch · 16/03/2023 22:03

PomRuns · 16/03/2023 21:56

I don't believe there are nurses stood around chatting for hours.
I do believe there are lots of anti nurse posters.

If they are stood around chatting then heaven forbid they are having a bit of down time. If OP's observation of just 3 or 4 patients is correct then it sounds "Q" (you don't utter the full word in the NHS, ever). She was waiting for an X-ray to be looked at, which nurses do not do.

This whole thread just shows a lack of insight into what goes on in an A&E department and what goes on behind the scenes. I remember there used to be adverts for NHS careers... which showed one person thanking all the staff that had been part of their care, some of which they may not have met at all.

br0kenankle · 16/03/2023 22:05

I say again, if it has been busy then I wouldn't have minded waiting but it wasn't and so I did mind

OP posts:
br0kenankle · 16/03/2023 22:06

For those who think I am a troll. My daughter got this badge

NHS - this is why people don't care
OP posts:
DontSetYourselfOnFireToKeepOthersWarm · 16/03/2023 22:06

br0kenankle · 16/03/2023 22:05

I say again, if it has been busy then I wouldn't have minded waiting but it wasn't and so I did mind

You still haven't told us what job you do OP so we can be re-assured that you never work at less than 100% effort for every hour you're at work.

echt · 16/03/2023 22:07

br0kenankle · 16/03/2023 22:03

If there was so much else going on then why were they all hanging out in tbr middle of the a&e doing nothing in-particular?

If you're so sure they weren't up to much why didn't you go over and ask them instead of pissing and moaning on MN?

Utter cowardice.

Bunnyfuller · 16/03/2023 22:07

Still waiting for nurses duties in Paeds A and E. just to be clear, I understand doctors are few and busy. HCA have their role in doing Obs etc. radiologistsetc, yep.

what duties are there for registered nurses on Paeds A and E?

br0kenankle · 16/03/2023 22:08

If I was dealing with a customer then I would always put 100% effort in and if my work resulted in other people being massively inconvenienced then I would absolutely make an effort to ensure minimal waiting . I have been to this a&e before and it has been similar in attitude. Although this was the worst

OP posts:
SmileyClare · 16/03/2023 22:08

I hope this is a troll.

Seriously don’t bring your daughter up to have this sort of attitude to any staff providing a service in life.

Your attitude stinks. Sad

br0kenankle · 16/03/2023 22:10

@echt I did ask them multiple times. The last time at 9pm I reminded them I had a 6 Yr old
Who had missed dinner. They kept saying that they would find out what was happening etc and then they showed up with a box f biscuits and crisps

OP posts:
ashamedmum007 · 16/03/2023 22:10

br0kenankle · 16/03/2023 22:08

If I was dealing with a customer then I would always put 100% effort in and if my work resulted in other people being massively inconvenienced then I would absolutely make an effort to ensure minimal waiting . I have been to this a&e before and it has been similar in attitude. Although this was the worst

Nurses couldnt help you. You need radiography to xray. Radiography to review. Consultant/Dr to accept the assessment. A nurse can come advise home care after that. If the dept was as quiet as you claim, why are the negative comments aimed towards nurses, who couldnt do anything for you at that time?

Moraxella · 16/03/2023 22:11

@Bunnyfuller see my previous post

Politicalnamechange · 16/03/2023 22:11

Bunnyfuller · 16/03/2023 22:07

Still waiting for nurses duties in Paeds A and E. just to be clear, I understand doctors are few and busy. HCA have their role in doing Obs etc. radiologistsetc, yep.

what duties are there for registered nurses on Paeds A and E?

I've encountered nurses running triage, assessing injuries, providing wound care, typical nursing stuff.

Bunnyfuller · 16/03/2023 22:12

What do the nurses do when Paeds A and E is busy (the times I’ve been there there’s not a seat in the house, and again…the nurses around the desks)

why is this so difficult to answer?

echt · 16/03/2023 22:13

br0kenankle · 16/03/2023 22:10

@echt I did ask them multiple times. The last time at 9pm I reminded them I had a 6 Yr old
Who had missed dinner. They kept saying that they would find out what was happening etc and then they showed up with a box f biscuits and crisps

How odd you didn't mention this until now.

SmileyClare · 16/03/2023 22:13

Fordian · 16/03/2023 21:36

You, Poster, are a huge reason why I, aged 60, am working my frontline NHS notice.

I'm a very, very experienced, very good CT and MRI radiographer. With almost 40 years experience.

I've had enough of your shit. Your disrespect, your complete lack of ability to differentiate the 'calm swan above, paddling like crazy against the current below' -when staff talk about their outside lives within EARSHOT of you - fancy!- to people just getting on with their 13 hour shift.

It's fine. I will be replaced. My 100% UK trained team of 3-4 years ago are now 18/20 non UK/EU trained. If you voted Brexit; then Tory, you're okay with this.

Did you?

Ppl have NO IDEA what a shit-show the NHS has become.

Your substandard service might be due to staff who no longer really care, given the disrespect the public have shown them; or due to 3rd world staff , employed en mass, post Brexit, who have no idea what's expected of them. All the while, understaffed.

Well said. It’s obvious you care passionately about the NHS and your patients Flowers

PomRuns · 16/03/2023 22:14

nurses in A&E

prescribe
triage
Administer meds
resus
Trauma care
review patients (some won’t see a dr at all)
etc etc

But I don’t think you really want to know possible answers - you’d rather state they’re all standing around talking..

br0kenankle · 16/03/2023 22:14

@ashamedmum007 I haven't mentioned nurses. I am talking about the whole department.

OP posts:
malificent7 · 16/03/2023 22:14

When you get to a and e you need to be triaged ( put in order of priority). A broken ankle= not a priority before fever, fits etc.

Before an xray can be done , it needs to be vetted so that your child is not being iradiated for no good reason. Then it needs to be booked. Then the xrays need to be reported by a qualified orofesdional.

Then it needs to be decided what happens next...all of which takes time.

br0kenankle · 16/03/2023 22:14

She was triaged quickly but then there was no one waiting to be triaged so 🤷‍♀️

OP posts:
youshouldnthaveasked · 16/03/2023 22:14

br0kenankle · 16/03/2023 22:06

For those who think I am a troll. My daughter got this badge

😂😂😂😂they need a really special one for you as well.

you have no understanding of how staffing works at an a&e. Not sure if you are deliberately being thick.

XenoBitch · 16/03/2023 22:15

Fucking hell... say you are in a restaurant. You have been waiting ages for your meal because the chef has been busy... yet you put in a complaint because you see some waitresses stood around chatting.

You needed a doctor/radiographer to look at your DD's X-ray... that is nothing to do with the nurses who were stood around chatting. There could have been 1 nurse, or 20... it would have made no difference as they were not the staff you needed.

ashamedmum007 · 16/03/2023 22:16

Bunnyfuller · 16/03/2023 22:12

What do the nurses do when Paeds A and E is busy (the times I’ve been there there’s not a seat in the house, and again…the nurses around the desks)

why is this so difficult to answer?

Triage, drugs, bloods, urine samples, obs, cannulate, wound cleaning and dressing, cpr, catheters, procedures for which they are qualified, unblocking pegs and the likes, paperwork, the paperwork is endless, handovers to other wards, liasing when beds will be available, personal care, all the assessments that need doing on almost every patient to name but a few

Bunnyfuller · 16/03/2023 22:16

@Moraxella thank you for this. Makes sense, although I’ve much of this was done by HCA while the nurses stood chatting. Maybe I’ve been to shit hospitals.

The one thing I’ve had nurses do regularly is issue drugs. Which takes minutes.

ashamedmum007 · 16/03/2023 22:19

br0kenankle · 16/03/2023 22:14

@ashamedmum007 I haven't mentioned nurses. I am talking about the whole department.

But you couldnt see the whole department. The radiographer who reviews images for example is not he same person who took them. They need a report producing before a dr can act on them. You cant possibly say you saw everyone involved in your childs care stood around doing nothing.

br0kenankle · 16/03/2023 22:21

It appeared there were about 5 kids . No one was rushing around to save dying kids in resus . It was the same group of nurses, doctors etc just milling around . There was no queue for x ray. No one else went into X-ray after us. And yet after 40 mins Tbey said they hadn't received the X-rays. I did ask what was happening a few times. No one seemed to know. To me this is unacceptable. If it has been busy then I would have been fine waiting. But not busy and still waiting around then not Ok. It ultimately means that they aren't able to deal with any emergencies as Tbey can barely
Function with a handful of patients. People also didn't seem to be running between wards. They were all just milling around the middle bit.

OP posts: