Just wanted to rant really about my recent experience. I very rarely use the service and it’s been 3/4 years since I last went to A and E. I know they are very busy and stretched.
I had a medical problem so I called NHS 111. Was told a doctor would call me back within 4 hours. They did call back eventually but it was 16 hours after I made the call and they called at 5am so I missed it as was sleeping. They called back at 8am and they got me an out of hours GP appointment
Went to the appointment and they said they can not help me and that I need to go to A and E. they said they don’t understand why the call handler didn’t ask me to go straight there when i initially called.
I got to A and E and went to the front desk, I spoke to them and he asked me details and the problem and gave me a form and told me to go through and take a seat in A and E
I realised that UTC was circled on the form. After an hour of waiting I started to think maybe I’m in the wrong part of the hospital because there was a few different departments within the A and E so I wanted to check UTC was here too. I went back to the desk and spoke to a different person and they said you need to go through to UTC and they directed me there and it was in completely different part of the hospital but I wasn’t told this I was just told to take a seat in A and E.
So I had waited an hour there for nothing and then an extra 3 hours in UTC till I went home.