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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

I'm so fucking sick of a and e wait times

553 replies

cutrtain · 17/12/2023 21:30

As a working mother to a toddler in nursery, I'm just fucking done with how long it takes to get help in a and e for my child.

It's starting to make me not want to go, in situations that I would have maybe gone in the past.

I'm absolutely exhausted. It's always 3/4 hours wait, at least.

I'm just so done with it. It's a disgrace.

OP posts:
Thread gallery
9
Davidsdead01 · 17/12/2023 21:32

What is it you’re there for?

User69371527 · 17/12/2023 21:32

It’s definitely far from ideal. Does your child have a chronic condition? I’ve got 3 kids 8-15 and have only been to A&E twice ever!

Tacotortoise · 17/12/2023 21:33

How often are you taking your child to a&e and why? It's the unavailability of gp appointments that pisses me off. A&E would be a lot less busy if we all had access to a gp from 7am-midnight.

bostonchamps · 17/12/2023 21:34

This is so goady.

Original poster
cutrtain · 17/12/2023 21:34

No chronic condition but just always random stuff that requires me going there.

Like trouble breathing or fevers that are just ridiculously high for ages and don't respond well to medicine.

Constipation with blood in poo.

OP posts:
Original poster
cutrtain · 17/12/2023 21:35

bostonchamps · 17/12/2023 21:34

This is so goady.

Why ? I am fed up.

OP posts:
Whattodonexts · 17/12/2023 21:35

cutrtain · 17/12/2023 21:34

No chronic condition but just always random stuff that requires me going there.

Like trouble breathing or fevers that are just ridiculously high for ages and don't respond well to medicine.

Constipation with blood in poo.

All could be seen by GP or out of hours GP unless they came on really suddenly and felt literally life threatening. Stop going there so much.

Monsterjam · 17/12/2023 21:36

What has your being a working mother go to do with it? Sorry if I am missing a very obvious point

Original poster
cutrtain · 17/12/2023 21:36

@Whattodonexts always try and see out of hours GP first, but they fairly often send us to a and e.

When it's the middle of the night obviously can't use out of hours GP.

OP posts:
Alalalalalongalalalalalonglonglilong · 17/12/2023 21:36

Don't move to Ireland OP. I had to go a few months back and it was 14 hours for see Dr to look at bloods and decide if I needed an X Ray, which meant literally 14 hours to be moved to the back of the next waiting list. It's absolutely horrific.

tenbob · 17/12/2023 21:37

cutrtain · 17/12/2023 21:34

No chronic condition but just always random stuff that requires me going there.

Like trouble breathing or fevers that are just ridiculously high for ages and don't respond well to medicine.

Constipation with blood in poo.

None of those are accidents or emergencies though. They should all be things that you go to see your GP for

You’re really close to working out one of the big reasons why A&E wait times can be so high… keep going, you’re nearly there…

Lighrbulbmo · 17/12/2023 21:37

Why so reg with the ae trips? That seems UR. Most serious cases are seen first so if you wait for yonks ….. I wonder why.

FloweryName · 17/12/2023 21:37

If the situation is one that you could maybe go to A&E for, depending on how much you want to, it’s likely that you don’t need to go at all.

Original poster
cutrtain · 17/12/2023 21:38

Monsterjam · 17/12/2023 21:36

What has your being a working mother go to do with it? Sorry if I am missing a very obvious point

Because my job is suffering from all the long nights I spend in a and e and therefore don't sleep and don't perform well in my work.

OP posts:
loudbatperson · 17/12/2023 21:38

I would say most of those conditions sound like an out of hours GP appointment (some an emergency appointment appointment with your GP the next day), or an urgent care/treatment center.

Yes A&E waiting times are terrible at the moment, however very few people need to attend regularly enough to be majorly "inconvenienced", rather than finding the waiting times hard due to being so hurt or unwell.

Alalalalalongalalalalalonglonglilong · 17/12/2023 21:39

Alalalalalongalalalalalonglonglilong · 17/12/2023 21:36

Don't move to Ireland OP. I had to go a few months back and it was 14 hours for see Dr to look at bloods and decide if I needed an X Ray, which meant literally 14 hours to be moved to the back of the next waiting list. It's absolutely horrific.

Sorry just see my reply is pretty unhelpful, OP I hear you, that wait time with a young child is really stressful.

UsingChangeofName · 17/12/2023 21:39

None of those are accidents or emergencies though. They should all be things that you go to see your GP for

You’re really close to working out one of the big reasons why A&E wait times can be so high… keep going, you’re nearly there…

This.
I mean, it is awful that people who need A&E have to wait so long (my dd was sat in an ambulance outside, in a queue for 4 hours recently), but there wouldn't be such queues is all the people who didn't need to be there didn't keep going to A&E.

cansu · 17/12/2023 21:39

You are right about wait times but stuff like constipation should be seen by a GP.

Original poster
cutrtain · 17/12/2023 21:39

I hate going to a and e. I don't take going there lightly.

I only go when my child is really really sick.

OP posts:
Original poster
cutrtain · 17/12/2023 21:39

cansu · 17/12/2023 21:39

You are right about wait times but stuff like constipation should be seen by a GP.

Blood in stool and high fevers ? The GP told me to take my child to a and e.

OP posts:
underneaththeash · 17/12/2023 21:39

I suspect you’re going too much then.
I’ve three children and we’ve only been 5 times with all of them. they’re now 18,16 and 12.

two broken bones, one pneumonia, a glued head, an ear infection during covid.

it’s accident or emergency. If it’s neither you shouldn’t go and should contact your GP or 111.

winewolfhowls · 17/12/2023 21:40

Anytime I've been to a and e with kids they have been seen very quickly, adults have a very long wait time.

Although I've only ever been with serious stuff!

wellhellohowstheweather · 17/12/2023 21:40

Erm trouble breathing does seem like an emergency to me Shock (and 111 will send you to A&E when a kids fever is too high too) so I'm not sure why people are attacking OP.

Original poster
cutrtain · 17/12/2023 21:41

wellhellohowstheweather · 17/12/2023 21:40

Erm trouble breathing does seem like an emergency to me Shock (and 111 will send you to A&E when a kids fever is too high too) so I'm not sure why people are attacking OP.

Yup. I literally always either go to my GP or call 111.

OP posts:
mrshoho · 17/12/2023 21:42

A&E is hell on earth these days. I agree with you YANBU.

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