In A&E right now?

[Lollipop180]

Are you currently in A&E? If so, are conditions as bad as reports in the media suggest, or is the system working reasonably well?

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Which newspaper do you want to know for?

@FindingMeno that's exactly what I wanted to know too

I have no connections to any newspaper! Friend took her DD to A&E on Friday and was very shocked; conditions worse than she had expected even having seen news coverage.

I was there the other day, sent by 111. They triaged me pretty quickly, sent me to Ambulatory Care where they promptly put me on IV antibiotics. (Day 12 today) Cannot complain, I’ve been seen by multiple doctors, had lots of great treatment, they fed me when I was asked to wait 4 hours for the dermatologist, they’ve re-dressed my wound daily. My leg is improving , still a long way to go, but they couldn’t have done more, really.

Surely each hospital will vary. Staffing levels and actual amount of people coming through the door. I was in a and e Christmas eve was about 4 people waiting. Went back Christmas day evening wasn't a seat to sit on.

Each hospital will vary, I'm a nurse and work in the same trust/hospital and I would say I'm the biggest advocate for hospital staff and my local hospital. Recently had a terrible experience when my husband was very poorly. The staff were sitting around doing nothing..... looking at their phones, sitting talking about inappropriate things. Ignoring the fact that my husband was seriously ill and I currently have a formal complaint ongoing.

If your friends hospital has an urgent treatment centre it might be worth going there, depending on circumstances. I'd never heard of ours until last week, like didn't know it was a thing. Have been sat in a&e for 10 hours in the past and had I known about the UTC I'd have gone there instead. Don't know why they don't promote it more. And why they don't tell you about it when you turn up to a&e in the first place?!!

We were a&e twice a few weeks ago, it was dead (at 1am on a Saturday night!) (and again at 11am on a Tuesday!) and a major city hospital.

Was there last week. ECG within ten minutes of arrival by triage nurse. Sent to SDEC ward, bloods done, seen by doctor, spoke with consultant, sent to X-ray and seen again by consultant, prescription given. They’re about 4 hours in total. All staff were wonderful.

*there

Took my DD 2 weeks ago; large city Childrens hospital.
Traiged within 20 mins, taken round to a bay within 45 mins and seen by a doctor within 2.5 hours. Bloods done soon as we got to the bay by a nurse and regular checks by HCA. She was brought a mini DVD player to watch a film on by a play worker as she was a bit bored.

It was busy in the waiting room but the care we received was excellent.

😱 horrendous!! hope your DH is getting better now.

I had a neurology appointment a few weeks ago and the nurses were all joking about a colleague who was off sick with stress. It was awful to listen to. They were all standing together in the waiting room mocking him.

Who sits in a waiting room? Patients.

Literally zero awareness!!

I will bite.

I went to A and E in December in North Devon. 12 hours for infected gallbladder, but had a chair and it was quiet between 1am-8am. Lots of reasons people came in - someones thumb was sore, a persistent cough etc. Hardly any accident/emergency. Lots of poorly children.

Went to London A and E in January, older people sat on the floor, the queue was out of the door to check in at reception. Queue did not move as they were unable to check anyone in as presumably there was nowhere inside for them to wait as completely overflowing. Was sent up by GP for a blood test on request of the surgical team. I left when the man in front of me who was there for a sore throat started spitting on the floor and I decided to override the GP and go in for my blood test at my scheduled appointment the next day. In an ideal world, the GP was right and acting on my best interest to make sure my symptoms were not putting me in danger which a blood test would be ruled out, but also standing in A and E for 12 hours when I was meant to be on bed rest also wasnt going to help my condition.

Closest urgent care centre for me makes patients wait in the car park no matter the weather, no matter how vulnerable.

Just adding that after honestly, truly thinking I might die with the gallbladder infection and constantly being stonewalled when begging for help, I have taken out private medical insurance because I am too afraid to have to go back and feeling hopeless and having to constantly try and advocate for myself when I couldnt even talk from pain was traumatising. Having a nurse come out to shoot morphine into your mouth while your bent over a chair in agony is not treatment. The triage system was bonkers. Chest infection man who was freely walking in and out for a fag break went in hours before me.

I was there on a Saturday a couple of weeks ago. I thought it was fine but then my Dad was triaged as level 2 so was seen quickly and are trust is has the lowest waiting times in the country. I did notice that as the day went on the waiting time increased which was to be expected but this was next to a poster advertising that minor injury units in the area where open from 9 until noon.

At Mary’s Newport regularly has 6 minute wait time in
A&E. There’s an electronic notice board outside with current waiting. We were in general hospital for a week a month ago and never saw it more than an hour.
We were wracking our brains to think of something to go in with “Are you sure that scratch isn’t infected mum? I wonder if this is indigestion or I should get this looked at? JOKE

We have a UTC in a former "cottage hospital" that is now only used for pre-discharge rehab, x-ray, physio and outpatient appointments.

It's bloody brilliant, there's never long to wait, the staff are lovely, and if they decide you need A&E they send you in an ambulance. There are about 6 in different towns across the county, compared to just 2 A&Es.

@Unemployednobody he ended up in hospital for a week, seizures, lesion on his brain, possible brain infection and aspiration pneumonia (from the seizure) dislocated shoulder as well.
I was in absolute shock! They just didn't care. It has taken me a couple weeks to manage to write my formal complaint and I feel like I'm betraying the trust I work for. But... hey ho! I don't want anyone else's loved ones ignored like my husband. Who before all this was fit and well and he's only early 30s.
When he went to the wards they were extremely busy, but they were fantastic.
We're waiting for more test results at the moment.

As I said OP each department is different, each hospital is different.

We had the same experience We were in A&E late last year - DS had fallen and hurt his wrist.
Plenty of chairs, vending machines worked fine, probably about 8 people in the waiting room with us. Triaged very quickly, x-ray taken.

Then a 5 hour wait to see dr - fine, we were hardly a dire emergency (but there was no minor injuries where we were staying. After being taken the a bay, I discover why. No-one is actually doing anything, I watched for 45 minutes as the staff basically sat around on their phones drinking tea and having a chat.....Occasionally one would get up, sigh and go into a bay, come out, sit down again. I had to eventually go over, ask them to look at the x-ray (which took less than 5 minutes - it was obviously fractured, but didn't need pinning), then another 2 minutes to go over the DS and put the split on.

I've put a complaint in too. It was a bit like one of those scenes from a 1970's comedy when they're on "work to rule".