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!

Well, as it was, I had a 12 year old in tears for four hours begging me to get him some help. That would probably make most mothers at least raise their concerns. But hey, you do you!

My son has managed to break about five bones while playing football or similar - I am sure if you ring 111 they will tell you its OK for him to take paracetamol?
If I need minor injuries unit for my family I head down while ringing 111 to see which method gets us in there first.
I am sorry but after the first hour I would have checked where we were in the cue - and flagged down a passing medical staff person to tell them he was in pain. 4.5 hours without being triaged sounds like something has gone wrong in my opinion.

No, apparently they were busy, then the triage nurse had his break, then we were in the top 5, then an hour later they couldn't tell me why he hadn't been seen, then the UTC closed.

No it's not reasonable. Like is wasn't reasonable for my elderly dad to be on a trolley in a corridor for 24 hours with sepsis but it's the state of the NHS at the moment unfortunately. Hope he gets seen soon OP.

The lack of care starts in primary care. My dad who has heart failure was told to wait a few days with pulmonary oedema by the GP 😳. He ignored them went to A&E was given lots of medication he could have died if he did as the GP said. The GP didn't even take his basic observations.

My experience abroad for an operation couldn't have been more different. There was two patients and two nurses on duty. They always kept me dosed up on painkillers and helped me go to the loo. I went to the NHS for another procedure and I was expected to have my cervix biopsied and burnt with limited pain relief. It's like a medieval torture chamber but as it's "free" people think you shouldn't expect more.

There's no private A&E here, things are very limited in the private sector. I have most elective treatment abroad in Europe, it's reasonable and I'm never left in pain there's also adequate staffing.

The early part of your description sounds like the A&E at Brighton, @stressedoutstudent . They have taken down partitions that used to separate corridors, and tens of patients wait to be seen in the former corridor, with barely 3' between beds/trolleys, no privacy and no dignity. Men and women are all mixed together, there are patients with drug, alcohol and MH issues and all that that entails.

It's like something out of a dystopian movie, or one of Bosch's weird paintings.

Earlier this week, I overheard the result of a survey on Radio 2.

In 2010, 70% of NHS patients were satisfied with their care.

Now that figure has fallen to 29%.

And yes, I do blame the Tories.

I blame the Tories too - loads of staff went home thanks to Brexit, so we're stuffed. OP said she'd rather pay medical insurance and get better treatment than now; this is exactly what we're being softened up to believe.

For those saying go straight to A&E for a fracture.

If you walk into A&E reception with a fratcure at our local hospital, you will be sent straight out of the door into the UCT next door.

When I was in A&E a few months ago, they had people coming round distributing packed lunches in little carrier bags for patients waiting to be seen. Each one had a sandwich, a drink and a chocolate biscuit.

Given that people who need to be admitted sometimes have to wait 24 hours before they get a bed, it's probably just as well.

I’ve had two DC break bones. I have learnt to give calpol before I go to A&E if I can. I’ve also always told triage staff very politely that my child has clearly broken a bone. We’ve always been seen very quickly. But it’s also been so obviously broken. Waiting for a doctor / surgeon has been different but initial triage has been really responsive.

Hope your DC is ok OP.

But you didn't just say it was sensible did you. Didn't you like to answer that one?

She did come for support, she wanted support in making her decision in a difficult situation. Telling her what you think she should have done several hours earlier wasn't helpful in any way.

I hope your dad is OK now. That is inhuman treatment of an old sick man.

And how would this be terrible? You are asked to walk, what, 200 metres? Essentially it's like moving from one part of the hospital to another. They've just triaged so broken bits turn left, other cases turn right, in a way. So going to A+E is still the right decision, just then follow the signs for the specific part that deals with broken bits (if you are there within its opening hours of course, otherwise stay in a+e)

Ops urgent care seems to be miles from the a+e, so when it closes at the end of the day, it closes. It prioritises calls from 111 and tells you that in reception (so you can phone from there). There isn't a handy x ray machine and doctors on 24hour call a two minute walk away.

Might not be such a good idea to raid the chocolate machine if he’s likely to need surgery.

YABU, clearly a lot more unwell people with life threatening injury's ahead. Kicking off? I don't think so.

Not really following you. If she goes to A&E they will redirect her to the urgent treatment centre, which is where she already is. Unless I have that wrong. OP my 92 year old mum was taken to A&E with a broken wrist. She has dementia so didn’t understand what was going on, or why she was in agony. We waited 8 hours. It is what it is. I understand that they can’t give strong pain medication before triage but surely they should give him paracetamol.

Nurses won't help? Why have you took him to urgent care instead of A&E? What a awful attitude you have.

This

And do you honestly think that the majority of your taxes will pay for the healthcare? Or will the healthcare companies running it just take bigger profits and the only people benefitting will be those at the top. Do you think big business health care is good for ethical healthcare? Look at the Tories giving contracts to their mates during Covid for PPE and then charging a premium... It stinks. Why is the NHS in trouble? Because it is underfunded. Why is it underfunded? Because the government prioritized elsewhere. Also possibley because the government can make more money out of privatising it so has deliberately run it into the ground to make people beg for privatisation. So shocked people cannot seem to see this. Very well for you to say "I'm alright Jack" I can afford health insurance...what about those who can't or do you not give two hoots about them? Underfunded and overworked staff having to strike to get a fair deal after the horrors and burn out of Covid when we all clapped them...staff being brought in from abroad as no one wants to work in a low paid over worked sector ..Things were better 12 years ago before the Tories got in. Because news flash, they are not about public services and never have been. If the government invests properly the NHS could grow to meet the demands of the ever increasing and aging population. But now we are in an epic financial hole thanks to Brexit, war, Covid and a myriad of poor decisions by the current government. If you don't vote for labour frankly I think you are basically voting for the Tories by proxy. Sorry rant over! I despair about what's happening to the NHS. OP I am so sorry you have had this experience, let it be a lesson though it's those who shout the loudest, bypass urgent care, and bring your own pain relief! And no it shouldn't be like that at all, if you want change lobby the Tories and don't vote for them!!

@EstelleOrders

Nurses won't help? Why have you took him to urgent care instead of A&E? What a awful attitude you have

If you read the whole thread you would know that the nurses didn't help and that after many hours OP and her son were sent home.

OP has also explained why she went to urgent care many times on the thread.

What sort of attitude should a mother adopt after waiting with her child who is crying in pain for many hours and receiving no care?

I was sent to walk to xray when I broke my ankle, no help offered, no wheelchair available. As I struggled back, leaning on the wall and in pain a nurse came running with a wheelchair, they'd seen the xray and it finally clicked that I wasn't saying I was in too much pain to walk for the fun of it.

Fast forward, go to MIU with broken foot, immediately offered an wheelchair, short wait for xray and then the senior nurse insisted on wheeling me out to the drop off/collection point where my husband had the car waiting. Two miles apart, same trust, different world.

OMG OP
I'm so sorry, feeling so sorry for you and especially your son....it just seems so cruel to deny a child pain relief in a situation like this.

Hang in there and take long deep breaths as keeping calm is crucial, it is what I do to stop injection pain but its worth a try.

Oh and pain is caused by swelling so the very least they should have done is give your son something to elevate his foot, a chair or stool or something to get his foot off the floor to reduce swelling. So if the clinic has a spare chair they can let him have whilst he's waiting to be triaged, that should help.

We don't have UTC we have A&E and MIU which apparently is more or less the same. They are over 2 miles apart so no simply turning left or right.