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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
Absolutely45 · 20/12/2023 14:34

JenniferBooth · 20/12/2023 13:20

Speaking of gut problems i wonder how much it is costing the NHS to treat the results coeliac disease since they stopped people being able to get gluten free foods on prescription People on a low income wont be able to afford the prices of gluten free foods
They are the ones who bang on about prevention being better than cure yet dont want to put their money where their mouth is.

They've only so much money and you really need to direct your criticism to the Govt who fund the NHS.

GF Bread and GF baking mixes are still prescribed, so its not as if the poor have to go without & the better shouldn't be getting food on prescription.

JenniferBooth · 20/12/2023 20:28

So not got enough money for that but got enough money for a years paid leave for men going through the male menopause

BIossomtoes · 20/12/2023 20:42

I didn’t think even Daily Mail readers were that gullible.

Teder · 20/12/2023 20:47

Is there any evidence of many men taking a paid year off work for male menopause?!

The good news is that the NHS hasn’t stopped providing gluten free bread + mixes so those on a very low income who can’t afford it and , of course, are also entitled to free prescriptions will be ok.

Jeanetmarre · 20/12/2023 20:48

GPs typically have a non-existent out of hours service which effectively puts the load (unreasonably) onto A&E. No out-of hours. No home visits either.

Tacotortoise · 20/12/2023 20:49

@JenniferBooth luckily lots of cheap, everyday foods are naturally gluten free.

BIossomtoes · 20/12/2023 21:06

Jeanetmarre · 20/12/2023 20:48

GPs typically have a non-existent out of hours service which effectively puts the load (unreasonably) onto A&E. No out-of hours. No home visits either.

GPs were relieved of their OOH responsibilities in 2004. They still do some home visits, my parents’ appointments were all at home at the end of their lives.

rwalker · 20/12/2023 21:06

As long as I can remember and I means at least 30 years
3 to 4 hours is normal
I would of said you’re being prioritised

JenniferBooth · 20/12/2023 21:09

@Blossomtoes Im not a DM reader Feel free to AS

BIossomtoes · 20/12/2023 21:16

JenniferBooth · 20/12/2023 21:09

@Blossomtoes Im not a DM reader Feel free to AS

Well you certainly didn’t get that old bollocks from any credible news source.

JenniferBooth · 20/12/2023 21:29

Well @Blossomtoes if you look on page 18 you will see i linked it from Mens Health. Nice try though

CaroleSinger · 20/12/2023 21:50

The only bit I don't understand is WHY the waiting times are so long. There's always doctors walking around in no particular hurry and I just cannot see why it takes so many hours just for one batch of patients to be seen and processed. What exactly is it taking them 4 hours to do? They aren't sending hours with each patient, most only get a few minutes of the Drs time.

MrsMorrisey · 20/12/2023 21:55

CaroleSinger · 20/12/2023 21:50

The only bit I don't understand is WHY the waiting times are so long. There's always doctors walking around in no particular hurry and I just cannot see why it takes so many hours just for one batch of patients to be seen and processed. What exactly is it taking them 4 hours to do? They aren't sending hours with each patient, most only get a few minutes of the Drs time.

What strange thing to say.
Are you aware of how much time effort and paperwork goes into each patient?
Isn't that what you would want for yourself.

BIossomtoes · 20/12/2023 22:05

JenniferBooth · 20/12/2023 21:29

Well @Blossomtoes if you look on page 18 you will see i linked it from Mens Health. Nice try though

Which got the story from The Telegraph which is just as biased as the Mail with posher readers.

Boomboom22 · 21/12/2023 00:15

There are no prescriptions at all for gf food, bread, vitamins or anything. At all.

Teder · 21/12/2023 03:56

Boomboom22 · 21/12/2023 00:15

There are no prescriptions at all for gf food, bread, vitamins or anything. At all.

This is not true in England. It may not be available in all areas. It may be a case by case basis. In some areas, it still is very much a prescription for coeliac disease for bread and mixes. The postcode lottery is very unfair though!

LuluBlakey1 · 24/12/2023 22:53

Teder · 21/12/2023 03:56

This is not true in England. It may not be available in all areas. It may be a case by case basis. In some areas, it still is very much a prescription for coeliac disease for bread and mixes. The postcode lottery is very unfair though!

Show quote history

You can buy glutenfree large loaves in Tesco for 1.90 and packets of gf pasta for 95p. Why would the NHS pay for it?

Boomboom22 · 24/12/2023 23:31

My 5 Yr old is coeliac and nothing is free. Not even the vitamins. Only the extra vaccinations etc.

Zanina · 25/12/2023 00:03

Hi OP, you have my sympathies it's very difficult to have such a young child get sick so often and the knock on effects it has on you. It's horrible as a mother watching your sick child and having to keep going to the hospital and wait hours on end. Unfortunately I think 3-4 hours is the norm. I'm not sure if it's worth looking at adding more anti inflammatory foods to baby diet to help build up some resistance as nursery environments especially in the winter are not great. I'm a working mum too and I keep my 2 year old at home with me atm. It's not ideal but I really fear the amount of bugs that get picked up in nursery in the autumn winter months. It's just so hard. I hope your baby feels better soon xx

Tacotortoise · 25/12/2023 00:12

LuluBlakey1 · 24/12/2023 22:53

You can buy glutenfree large loaves in Tesco for 1.90 and packets of gf pasta for 95p. Why would the NHS pay for it?

Show quote history

Large gf loaves aren't a thing. You can buy a small loaf in tesco for £1.90 and tbh it's pretty foul stuff. For a half decent loaf the cost is £3.

Eating gf is expensive if you want gf imitations of glutinous products such as bread, biscuits, breakfast cereal. Prices are usually about double. Luckily lots of foods are naturally gf, if you are happy to cook from scratch and can get to a decent supermarket/market. Stuck with your local Nisa or Aldi then you're a bit stuffed.

OdeToBarney · 25/12/2023 22:39

Zanina · 25/12/2023 00:03

Hi OP, you have my sympathies it's very difficult to have such a young child get sick so often and the knock on effects it has on you. It's horrible as a mother watching your sick child and having to keep going to the hospital and wait hours on end. Unfortunately I think 3-4 hours is the norm. I'm not sure if it's worth looking at adding more anti inflammatory foods to baby diet to help build up some resistance as nursery environments especially in the winter are not great. I'm a working mum too and I keep my 2 year old at home with me atm. It's not ideal but I really fear the amount of bugs that get picked up in nursery in the autumn winter months. It's just so hard. I hope your baby feels better soon xx

You do realise you are just kicking the can down the road until your child goes to school (when they will be missing actual learning)? Does your employer know you work with a toddler at home, or are you self-employed? There's no way on earth I could work with my 20 month old at home.

Benibidibici · 26/12/2023 08:09

The only bit I don't understand is WHY the waiting times are so long. There's always doctors walking around in no particular hurry and I just cannot see why it takes so many hours just for one batch of patients to be seen and processed. What exactly is it taking them 4 hours to do? They aren't sending hours with each patient, most only get a few minutes of the Drs time

In weekends and overnight often there are almost no senior doctors rota'd on in a&e. This can mean waiting ages for the lone consultant to review or check something.

Really urgently sick people are getting longer with both the drs and the nurses

Absolutely45 · 26/12/2023 09:18

rwalker · 20/12/2023 21:06

As long as I can remember and I means at least 30 years
3 to 4 hours is normal
I would of said you’re being prioritised

I disagree on this as being normal & not backed up by the figures or have you revised figures to prove your statement.

Next you'll be telling us from Tory Towers that waiting 3 days for a MH assessment in Ae was always the norm and turning corridors into wards was always the norm as well, heck in your world, there has always been 8m on the waiting list!

Tell a lie enough times and i suppose people might start believing it.

AussiUnHomme · 26/12/2023 09:32

Maybe your partner (unmentioned throught
out the thread) could also help?

Zanina · 26/12/2023 10:28

My plan is to put my daughter into nursery once the winter / bug season passes. I did the same with my son because he is autistic and has health issues so I have to do what I can to keep him away from bugs etc. It's worked for him he doesn't get constantly sick and is doing well in school. Yes my employer knows I look after my child as this was a condition upon which I accepted the job otherwise I planned to be a Stay at home mum until my daughter goes to school. It's a very flexible job so I have all 7 days to do my (part time) hours whenever they suit me. I generally work office hours but If it was set times I wouldn't have committed to the job as I need that flexibility. I have to take my autistic son to his appointments and engage with school etc so i have a lot to do. My team are really happy with me and my work so it's working for us all. If it didn't then I would have informed them myself. Thank you for your concern, I know it's rare to be able to get really flexible jobs.

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