Surprised at how I was treated in a&e

[broken86]

This has been playing on my mind for the last week and I just wondered if it was me being sensitive or not.

Last week I had an accident and it was obvious right away that I'd done something to my ankle, I threw up and almost passed out from the pain (which isn't like me, I'd say I've a very high pain threshold and not a drama Queen) I'd never felt pain like it even not giving birth.

Dh ran me to a&e and helped me to a seat and checked me in at the desk. I then told him to leave as there were signs all over saying no one could wait with you.

I felt pretty self conscious and exposed in the waiting room sat with only one shoe on and one bare foot. My leg had really swollen and I was obviously in a lot of pain and while it could just be paranoia I felt a lot of people were just staring at me.

The worst part was when I got called into triage, I couldn't put weight on my sore foot so had to pull myself up using the chair in front then somehow hobble all the way across the room to the triage area. The nurse waiting for me stood leaning on the door frame looking bored out her head at having to wait longer for me and everyone in the waiting room just stared at me struggling

At one point I felt there's no way I can do this but it was such an unfriendly atmosphere I didn't even feel I could ask for help. Once I made it into the triage room and sat down the tears were pouring down my face due to the pain, The nurse didn't even look in my direction just asked me questions and typed into the computer before telling me to go to minor injuries and pointing to an area at the end of the corridor.

Once again I had to struggle down by myself, part of me wanted to ask for a wheelchair but awkwardly thought the nurse must think I'm being a wimp or else she would have offered. I had to support my weight on the handrail all the way down with everyone in the waiting room just starting at me again.

Once I was in minor injuries it was a totally different experience, they couldn't have been nicer getting me pain killers etc Turns out my ankle is broken and I've damaged the ligaments and am now off work and not able to drive etc for the next few weeks which is a total pain but can't be helped.

The total lack of any kind of human kindness in a&e still plays on my mind though, obviously a room full of people at a&e aren't going to be in the best form but a lot of people had ignored the "no family waiting" signs and were sat happily chatting away to each other. I couldn't imagine myself being there keeping someone company and not offering to help someone who was obviously in a lot of pain to cross a room, likewise I couldn't imagine a nurse in a&e not acknowledging when someone is in pain or even just giving them a friendly smile etc.

Obviously I'm grateful for the care I've received so far and that I will need going forward but was just wondering (while Sat with my foot up) if this is what people would expect in a&e?

I refuse to respond to healthcare professionals until they make eye contact. If they’re staring at the computer I sit in silence and wait until they look at me to respond.

One doctor I said « can you look at me whilst you’re speaking » It worked.

In no other profession is it ok to behave like this. It because we have no choice but to go there- it’s not like you can say « sod that I’ll go to this other doctors »

Receptionists are the worst.

I’ve just been to A and E with my son. Was seen almost immediately, staff couldn’t have been kinder. Nurse was extremely helpful and caring. Was really impressed. After reading some horror stories on here and not having been for a long while, I was expecting the worst. I will definitely be emailing some positivity but equally, if you think they have been unkind and remiss then definitely get in touch with the hospital.

I've had a ligament tear and it's the worst pain I've ever experienced. Even worse than giving birth (but thankfully not so long). A broken ankle plus a ligament tear must have been absolute agony.

I'm sorry a n e were not more understanding or helpful. Yes a bit of empathy and kindness can make a big difference. I think you've got good advice from others and I have got nothing to add to that. Hope you will feel better soon.

You should complain but it seems that this is not at all unusual. There’s really no excuse. The nurse has to be there for a set amount of hours there is no reason not to at the bare minimum be nice to patients

Sorry to hear this OP and hope you're feelingok today.

I fractured my tibial plateau - basically broken knee/leg - about 18 years ago. Like you I'd thrown up from the pain, and my knee was swollen to the size of a football - no exaggeration!

When we parked in A&E my partner went in to ask for a wheelchair for suspected broken leg and was told they didn't give them out unless a break was confirmed as "too many were stolen".

I hopped from the car into the waiting room, and into the triage room, and down the corridor to x-ray, and was in tears the whole way - excruciating! Then once they'd x-rayed they brought the wheelchair around.

It took 3 surgeries over 2 years for me to recover from that injury and the surgeon said no doubt that trying to balance/weight bear on the fractured joint had made the damage worse.

It's madness! There must be a better way.

Some people shouldn’t be in “caring” professions because they’re not suited to it. Some people go into caring professions because it suits them, ie it gives them an opportunity to have power over people.

Different situation but one of the midwives who I came into contact with when I had DC2 clearly relished the chance to exercise power over me. She was physically rough, verbally nasty and had a glint in her eye that suggested she was loving it.

Years later I happended to be talking to a friend and she was telling me about the nasty midwife she had and surprise surprise it was the same one.

She’s either dead or long retired now but if it’s the latter, I hope her carers are rough with her and scold her for being incontinent.

Anyway - complain. I wish I had. It might have been cathartic. As it is, if I think too much about that birth experience I cry.

I've only ever had kindness in the NHS personally but I totally believe you. I think probably the staff's shitty attitude had filtered down to the patients.

I had a very similar experience once in a hospital abroad. Literal broken foot and as I was leaving the clinic on my own, literally hopping, I said, "Could I maybe borrow crutches or a cane or something?" and they pointed at a shop a few hundred meters down the street where I could buy crutches. It was pouring rain and i was hopping down the street with a cast on one foot. Absolutely no one helped. And get this: got to the shop, they didn't take credit card and told me there was a cash machine around the corner. I think by that time I was so bedraggled I was beyond help. So yeah, especially when you're on your own, people can sometimes be awful.

I am sorry to hear your experience but sadly not at all surprised; Frankly no one cares...certainly not enough to act on a human level.

My tall large DS aged 22 did exactly the same..broke his ankle. It was the size of a melon, bruised and painful and he couldn't walk.

In my case, a porter pointed me to a wheel chair (old and like a supermarket trolley with disobedient wheels) and watched me take about 30 minutes to push DS as much as I could up a long ramp on a steep slope, from the far corner of the very expensive car park, to the A+E entrance. Im about 5ft nothing and perhaps 50kgs and a bit...Son is 6ft 2 and at least 80kgs....I was in pain, DS was in pain, and the porters and many other passers by just watched. I did ask for help but porters all said 'not my job until you are in the hospital' - basically they are 'not allowed to' in case they 'put their back out' and Manual Handling guidance forbids it; after a 7 hour wait, X rays showed a complicated fracture and a surgery was needed.

Just a misery all round with totally disinterested staff with zero interest. Even the Dr who eventually came, looked at my Son and said 'so which ankle are we looking at?' Christ !!! It was the now navy blue one the size of two bloody melons - I dont think there is an answer. Crap NHS NOT fit for any purpose and the staff who work there.....stood around doing nothing...for a long time but happy to sit and snack and watch...patients struggle. I dont recall it ever being this bad and I despair. Workload and staff shortages are a convenient excuse; There are plenty of staff, just bone idle and demotivated. And no one - inside the NHS or outside - gives a stuff.

We had a similar experience last week. My 17 year old ds dislocated his knee and was off to France that night so we really needed it looked at.
The staff were so unfriendly and made us feel unwelcome and as though we were wasting their time.
It was such an awful atmosphere in the waiting room. At one point, two miserable looking nurses walked over, one glanced over at the waiting area and suddenly beaming said ‘oh look, there’s my Niece’. She called her over, took her in a room and attended to her. No idea where this woman was on the waiting list but to us all sitting there it looked as though she expedited her because she was family. The rest of us continued to wait in the gloomy atmosphere with the miserable staff.

Yes, some of them are shocking.

I had a mental health crisis during Covid (in 2021, not 2020) and took an overdose of 20 paracetamol, and still had to wait six hours in A&E without even being triaged, even though my GP had phoned ahead and promised me someone would be waiting for me. Surely an overdose is a real emergency that requires real immediate attention?

They also at first refused to admit me since I wasn't capable of clear speech. I had to write down loads of stuff since and really fight hard to be allowed inside at all - surely someone arriving who can't verbally speak is a sign of an immediate medical emergency?

I wouldn't blame other patients for not helping. There were medical professionals there. I'd have happily advocated for you and got their attention but I would worry about making the damage worse if I tried to help an injured woman to walk.

I have spent a lot of time in hospitals with patients I'm caring for, and in some you need to speak up. That's really unfortunate but it does usually work. Just a polite and assertive request.

That sounds awful and I hope you recover well

I would have let DP stay with me, until someone asked him to leave. You also needed him for support to walk so not sure why you asked him to leave without asking if he could stay.

I think you're expecting too much. Last time I was in A&E for a burnt hand (spilt tea). The triage nurse checked and asked if tea was from a kettle or hot water tap. When I said hot water tap, she looked less concerned. Then another nurse came and got me and sat me down in a room and told me to let cold water tap run over my hand. I must have sat there for 40 minutes. They let DH sit with me.

I can't remember them smiling me or being 'nice' as you call it, but I was so grateful that they saw me quickly. Usually waiting time is 4 hours, I was seen straightaway. That's all I could think of, how quickly they helped me.

If you're seen quickly and efficiently, why do you need them to be sweet as well? They must see so much crap in A&E and must be densensitised to a lot of it.

I could have written something similar myself, A&E is appalling. I broke my ankle 7 years ago, went to A&E hopping on one leg, could not bear any weight. Noone helped I just hopped my way to X ray, had it X rayed and was told it was just a sprain and that I wasn't trying hard enough to walk. I repeatedly told them it was too painful to put weight on it and they kept telling me I was being ridiculous. Sent me home without anything. Took 3.5 wks to get diagnosed with ankle break after my GP agreed to an mri scan. In the 3.5 weeks I had hopped my way to my hometown where my mum worked alongside an orthopedic specialist who thank god gave me a special boot so I could walk.

I've often thought this could be the case with some people, that they just can't manage the pressure combined with being compassionate. I had a horrible midwife once who made me feel awful after a bad ventouse delivery when I was in pain aftewards and worried about going to the toilet. Zero patience, actually sighed, looked almost aggressive, came back with a catheter and said "well if you refuse to try you'll just have to have this put in". Made me feel like shit.

A second different midwife was clearly under the same level of pressure but had a totally different approach, and I was asking her about it ie. having to do overtime etc, barely getting enough rest before coming back to work. It's the words and approach they both chose, it couldn't have been more different and actually the first miserable midwife who huffed and puffed spent more time faffing going to get a catheter than if she'd acted like the second midwife and kindly explained what was normal and to simply pour water over the stitched area while weeing and that would help relieve the stinging.

You were treated badly, OP, and just treating you kindly and showing some sympathy wouldn't have taken any extra effort on her part. It's basic things that are missing when you're booking in for triage. The booking people know what you're there for - why don't they tell you that if you're likely to have to struggle on one leg to someone with you to help you get about or fetch a wheelchair? Those notices on the walls about not allowing people to stay with you are useless because the nobheads who don't need anyone are the ones who are ignoring those posters, and the ones who DO actuallly need someone to stay with them are the ones heeding the posters and no-one tells them otherwise.

It's just awful. Whenever I've had to access medical care in France or Spain it's like a different world. I am starting to think that we will just take anyone for nursing or HCA positions now because staff shortages are so great.

The A&E nurse sounds really shitty.

That being said, I only go to A&E if I’m really unwell and so I wouldn’t have offered to help you either as a fellow patient as If im at A&E it’s because I really need to be there and am desperately unwell myself. So I do find it odd you think other patients should have helped you.

So perhaps a bigger issue is people going to A&E that don’t really need to be there? That’s an ongoing issue with the NHS.

The medical staff should be helping you!

That is appalling. Please, please complain.

If you needed help walking into A&E you need help walking. Id have said can I have some crutches?

I’m older, in my 70s, and got out of bed in the early hours one morning last year, and my knee cracked, the pain was excruciating, I couldn’t put my weight on my leg. I rang 111, the operator asked if I could get to A&E for 7am, if so she’d book me in.

DH found a wheelchair at A&E and took me to triage. I also told DH not to wait when it started to fill up, and then my experience felt like the OPs. There were only three teenagers there at first. It filled up with families who seemed to use it as a GP service. I heard the receptionist tell more than one that A&E wasn’t the place they needed to be. Major language difficulties didn’t help. After five hours I was taken into a cubicle, an indifferent nurse told me to get on the bed, poked my leg, and gave me two paracetamols. Possibly a torn ligament. It wasn’t, as it transpires. I still couldn’t put weight on my knee so she got me an elbow crutch, and I was on my way. I really hope I never have to go back.

I should have fed back, there was a really disinterested vibe there. However, a job in A&E must be a nightmare sometimes.

Yes it would have been nice if they'd offered, but equally if your were struggling you could easily have asked for help.

@broken86 i had a terrible incident at a&e lately, the dr was beyond negligent (I’m pregnant and the dr prescribed me something that could have implications on the pregnancy, even though there were many other options for treatment and the pharmacist challenged them). I put in a complaint with PALS and tbh I was very impressed with the response, they really looked into it and took full accountability

Sounds about right tbh.

I remember when my gastric issues reached thier peak I woke up one night with chest pains. They were terrifying and as I sat up in bed sweating, I realised I'd rather die than go to our local A&E department. Awful place with equally awful staff.

I think working in them, all those long hours with a variety of different types does something to them.

The nurse behaved very wrongly, complain to PALS.
As to other people you are unreasonable, no one comes to A&E to pass spare time, they stay to support their relatives. I wouldn’t be able to offer your any help as I would be here to support my teen DD who would be very upset and nervous. You should have asked DH to stay with you.

Obviously I'm grateful for the care I've received so far and that I will need going forward

I don't actually think you need to feel "grateful" though. The doctors and nurses are doing the job they're paid to do by treating your injury.
Are you grateful to the guy that drives the bus or keeps the electricity going?
Why do we act like NHS workers are volunteers?

I was disgusted with the lack of human decency I encountered in my Local A&E department recently. The doctors were lovely and respectful but the nurses were horrific! It was like pack mentality. Evidentially A&E attracts the most negative, unpleasant and incompetent nurses I've ever come across. Patients were falling to the ground and screaming in agony, they just looked on and did nothing to intervene. One young man was begging for painkillers (perforated eardrum), they made him wait 2 hours, he was shaking with the pain.

The emergency departments have gone to shit in this country.

The more likely thing is that they weren’t “happily chatting away” but there for their family member/ loved one who also needed to be in A&E

For every person who genuinely needs to be in A&E, there's one who sees it as a big day out and takes the whole family along for the ride.

Given that it was quite clear that the OP didn't have anything contagious, someone ought at least to have offered to help her if the nursing staff were unwilling/unable.