NHS - this is why people don't care

[br0kenankle]

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.

Well when I was in recovery with my dp who had dislocated his shoulder (a&e were brilliant). I know exactly what the 3 nurses crowded around the computer were doing, because they very loudly talked about the clothes, hoildays etc they were looking at.
Then one had the nerve to call another department and ask someone to bring something down to them.
So op I understand and its infuriating as to question that nurses arent all angels who never stop working abd never have a proper break etc. is seen as absolutely awful.

I think there are many jobs where people may not 'look' busy but are. When I work from him my neighbours can probably see me through the window and think I'm lazy sitting there all day in front of a screen. I am actually incredibly busy usually doing multiple things at once. You just have no knowledge of what people are doing so you can't assume and then spout out a view based on nothing. I'm sorry your daughter is in pain. It's never nice.

Blimey. You don't know what any of these people need to do for their job, just as they don't know what you need to do for yours. I think your attitude is terrible. 90 minutes in A&E to be registered, triaged, someone examine and decide an x Ray and to have had that x Ray is really good care. You sat waiting for ten minutes and that's an issue?? I don't understand the problem here tbh and agree with other posters you sound very very entitled.

Your child has rolled their ankle - aka a non life threatening non emergency.

And you're complaining about a 1.30 wait.

Good lord.

This captures it for me.

People like you are the absolute worst. Just because someone isn't literally running around doesn't mean they're not busy. The staff may be talking about work related things. You're waiting for someone to have a look at your daughter's x-ray, but these people on reception may be receptionists or nurses - people not trained to interpret an x-ray. Just because there's staff there doesn't mean they're all able to do all the jobs.

Just calm down will you? There are elderly people who've waited 48 hours in a chair after having a stroke. They're the ones who should be complaining.

Old very unwell people literally have died alone in corridors waiting for care and you're complaining about waiting ten minutes outside xray...

NHS staff are utterly, utterly broken and attitudes like yours just kick us while we're down quite honestly.

As you above, you genuinely have no idea what is going on that you can't see. Something like submitting an x-ray request might seem such a simple task but doctors are interrupted constantly. If there were enough staff to do all everything as and when it presents then these things wouldn't get delayed due to more urgent tasks having to be dealt with first.

People are allowed to chat and do their Job. Nobody works in complete Silence all the time.

Well it's been 2 hours now almost. How do they cope when they are busy.

And I am entitled to a decent nhs service. If this is the system the government want to use to provide healthcare then yea I am entitled to a good service. The nhs is just a pile of crap.

Misdiagnosing cancer left and right, accidentally killing babies and sometimes their mothers But oh no, let's not say anything bad

I can absolutely understand your frustration and I'm sorry your daughter is hurt. No one wants a Thursday evening in A&E.

Having worked in A&E for a long time both before and since qualifying (and recently moving onto theatres), I promise you it isn't as slow going as it seems. All it takes is a couple of peads patients in resus that you can't see and all the trained staff will be busy. There's often more HCA's/techs around but sadly they won't be able to read your xray report (though I wouldn't put it past most of them, they're brilliant). Staff from other departments - especially those in scrubs - may well be seeing other reports to assess other patients but aren't actually in the department to see and treat all patients.

The other thing is that a lot of the time, especially around handover, when it's been manic, staff from all areas of the department come to chart before leaving. That's adult resus, majors, minors, rapid assessment... sometimes even urgent care! A free computer is gold dust.

Lastly, the nurses can't read or report on your xrays either which is what is needed to see and treat your daughter. They're waiting on a doctor who could also be tied up with adults as often they aren't split. The doctor could be in resus. The doctor could be on a twilight and on their break. Without the doctor (or nurse practitioner) reviewing the xray, there's nothing those nurses can do. So it could well be that there's lots of staff knocking around twiddling thumbs. But that's because the one member of staff you need is busy.

I know it's frustrating and horrible. Especially when you're child is in pain. I hope that you get seen quickly and you're both home and comfortable soon. Just wanted to give a bit of reasoning behind it. It sometimes feels less crap when you realise they're not being slow for the sake of it!

This too. People are allowed to talk about non work topics at work. In fact I'd encourage it as people burn out if they are working manically on a constant basis. Likely no one is dying so cut them some slack.

You're right about one thing. You are 'entitled'!

Again, there are times, many times the service is awful but your situation is not one that warrants the level on contempt you are exuding.
Get some perspective.

@br0kenankle don't assume that because two wards aren't physically next to each other, they aren't staffed by the same bunch. DH is a hospital doctor and frequently has to run around between wards in a large hospital.

I reckon you might have enough time to toddle off do a radiology degree and come back and ask if you can have a go at checking your daughter's ankle as they don't seem too bothered.

I expect lots of anti NHS posts now there's been a pay offer. The usual posters will be along in a moment with their numerous stories of lazy staff too, not just lazy but chatty - the nerve of them !

2 hours is not that long. The government goal is that everyone in A&E is seen within 4 hours, and that is not being met most of the time. So the fact you've been triaged, seen and x-rayed within 2 hours is good.

Stop complaining about the staff. It's not their fault. It's the government's fault. Yes we all want a good service from the NHS, but what is moaning about it on Mumsnet going to achieve? You're just pissing people off.

Surely it would save time to get a simple rolled ankle scanned and gone in 30 mins? Triage says the X-ray, it’s done electronically - you go to an empty x-ray, the doctor reads them, that’s where it’s possible for a delay. The staff in paeds A and E are generally in there (apart from the docs run ragged). I’ve heard the chatting. It wasn’t work related, it was chit chat. Not just once.

Direct your anger at the government then, it's underfunded because of them, if its shit its because of them. People like you compound the problem.

It's been 40 mins since her X-ray. It still hasn't been sent to the doctor. I can't emphasise how not busy this a&e is.

I’ve also been in paeds a&E today who were amazing, (as they have been each time we have been). I’m always surprised at how much time, skill, compassion and care they give. We had bloods done and an X-ray within two hours. Prob out two hours later once results were reviewed

I thought I'd never say this but I hope this is a troll and this isn't someone's actual opinion and outlook.