Just checking if iabu before I kick off...

[TheSnootiestFox]

Is 4 and a half hours in an urgent treatment centre without being seen even for triage unreasonable for a 12 year old with a suspected broken foot? No pain relief, nothing and he's been crying and begging me for help for hours.....my blood is boiling but I just need a reality check before I decide whether to say something or not. Opinions please!

I really do see the point of 111 now. They'd give you the right advice for your area (and make the appointment for you, in ops case)

If the NHS ruined your life, why are you still using it?

To anyone reading this who hasn’t been to A and E recently, try to grab a charger, drinks and snacks before you make the decision to go. I was there with a 7 year old from 3:30pm-10:30pm and I stupidly focused on getting us there quickly and not having enough things with us. I had to leave her in the waiting room after 5 hours to go and find food for her. I’ll never make that mistake again!

Have a look at the post on maternity care and C sections. Again 100s of examples of lack of empathy and care from some medical staff. Let’s not ignore the fact that not everyone who is a nurse, surgeon etc is on the right job. Just like other professions.

just rubbish that we have to take a picnic into a medical situation. I’m assuming Deliveroo will be delivering to A&E soon - being sarcastic here but it will happen.

Crikey op I had the exact same thing with my 12 year old last night.
We went to A&E and can honestly say I have never known it as busy.

We arrived around 7.30 with her younger sister in tow and I expected a long, long night. We were triaged within half an hour, pain relief offered shortly after had perhaps a hours wait to see a doctor, x-rayed reviewed and home by 10.

No break, just soft tissue damage thankfully. Given the pressure the staff must have been under last night I expected much longer.

I think you’re underestimating doctors and nurses. We know that paracetamol and nurofen bring temperatures down. So if someone says they had a temperature, and took meds, and now the temperature is normal, we’re clever enough to make the connection. I’ve seen kids brought in feeling truly wretched because parents wouldn’t give medication, in order that the doctor could witness the full horror of their child’s tonsillitis. It’s cruel really.

Please also take any prescribed medications with you too. Nurses are not allowed to just give you your normal medications, it has to be prescribed by a doctor, and we only have a limited stock of medications in A&E, so may not be able to easily get them, even if a doctor has time to look at your electronic GP records to check dosage etc.
Unfortunately, this is the way it is.
Obviously if you've been seen and are being admitted, your meds will be prescribed and we can then give them to you, but please help us out a bit 🙏

Did you not give him pain relief when he did it? (maybe missing the point)

Can't you ring someone and get them to come in with some paracetomol? (that's all they will give him) or given he's 12 leave him there and whip out and go and get some?

I honestly don't know why common sense isn't applied!

Yes, he's in pain but he's not dying so it's all a matter of priority. In the meantime, get some pain relief. I do think it's bonkers they're asking you to be triaged first tho!

It does happen! People get pizzas delivered to the waiting room quite frequently especially if they're pissed

I’m glad your DS finally got the treatment he deserved and sending healing vibes for a quick recovery.

I think this post was overlooked but it’s very significant.

Sorry, top part of message was for Op.

second was more general.

I really don’t like the mumsnet interverse, interface, shmuserFace, whatever it’s called.

There seems to be no national standard for UTCs.

Ours have nurse practitioners, they can suture if gluing isn't enough and at least two of them can do x-rays, although possible not at weekends. Ours will plaster straightforward fractures as well, but when I had a Colles fracture they had to send me to A&E to have it reduced.

They rarely seem to be busy, although there was a weekend when they had about 6 people in with rugby/football injuries.

However, the one in Brighton, which is the same hospital trust, is like a war zone most of the time, packed with people and chaotic.

I know! I will never go to a and e again without lots to drink and snacks because over 7 hours with a child who is tired, hungry and in pain wasn’t great.
She had a suspected fracture and we had to walk to x ray, she’s too heavy for me to carry.

Your poor boy. I’m so glad things were better managed in A&E. It’s horrible working in the NHS at the moment knowing the care isn’t the level you want to be giving. I dread talking to parents trying to be seen sooner. Usually they go from angry to upset in 30 seconds when they realise the clinicians do care and hate the waiting times which are currently unacceptable (this obviously isn’t acute care). The lack of compassion is what is so striking in your post - all while your son was sitting in pain. Of course you were angry. I’m dreading any similar injuries.

I don't for anything other than a and e/minor injuries for which I have no choice. If I didn't get my children medical attention when required I'm sure social services would have legitimate concern!

With respect, have you read what I've written a few times now? I'm guessing not.

Glad you eventually got seen. Please raise a complaint via PALS cc'ing in your MP. They need to be aware of this. It's only through patients making noise that things will change.

Our problem was in same situation that we were waiting for the radiographer to come into unit to do the xray. Utterly frustrating but they did give dc liquid paracetamol

"Compassion fatigue is sadly one of the effects of burnout and stress in a workforce"

The nurses worked through covid, they are trying to cope now in a system that just doesnt have enough staff. I know it's tough on you and your son, it's also very tough on them. They are the ones who turn up and dont go and work in a supermarket for a better life balance and sometimes more money.

I would write a complaint - and suggest that the reception staff have a supply of basic painkillers that they can sell to those waiting as you cant expect everyone to have such things available at all times.

Our in hosp shop is not allowed to sell paracetamol as staff need to be able to document the time taken once admitted. Theres absolutely no choice of a receptionist - who is already busy in an area like A&E, being able to sell medication. Such a ridiculous suggestion.

The problem is the NHS is run like a bad landlord who won’t push a tile on a roof back into place because it might cost him £200 for scaffolding to get on the roof for what would be a simple job
Then a year later he has to fork out £20,000 because the water has leaked in and rotted the roof beams and the bedroom ceiling are covered in mold and the water damage has seeped into the electrics

GPs fob off patients with diagnosis of stress or come back in 2 weeks time to see if the problem is still there. They will only treat 1 symptom at a time and won’t listen if you try to discuss another symptom.
They don’t listen to you. They don’t send you for tests or if they eventually do it is one test at a time. If you diagnose yourself then you are told to not look at Dr Google Even if you are basing your diagnosis from the fact that a relative showed the same symptoms initially for something that killed them

Then when you eventually get diagnosed it isn’t a quick simple and relatively cheap fix as it has been left so long it now involves a big operation and several months in hospital.

That is why the NHS is on its knees

Stop fobbing people off. Send people for all the tests in one go and diagnose and treat people. Stop this ridiculous practice of having people returning to see their GP many times before they are taken seriously. It is a waste of everyone’s money and time.

Sorry this happened OP, I completely get where you’re coming from and it’s not acceptable.

Predictably you’ll have posters queueing up to tell you how it’s all the fault of the tories and labour would never have let this happen 🙄.

I'm beginning to think we could save the NHS by banning football. Most of my trips to A&E have been football related.

Banning rugby and riding motorbikes would make a big difference, too, @ancientgran . I know lots of people who used to play rugby, and every one of them has had several trips to A&E, including my DSS, who somehow managed to get his head trodden on.

And if you ever go to an event where there are lots of motorcyclists, you will invariably see several with plaster casts on.

Why would you kick off, it’s not the staff’s fault, there are obviously other people with more urgent reasons being seen first, ie. life threatening reasons.