Stop telling people to go to A&E!

[Miriad]

I see it on here a lot. Someone is getting fobbed off by their GP and not getting diagnosed. So they get told to go to A&E, where they have the ability to do blood tests and urine tests and scans to figure out what’s going on.

I’ve been sobbing in agony for three weeks and my GP isn’t helping me, and I can’t get another GP appointment for a fortnight, so posters advised me to go to A&E.

I waited six hours only to get yelled at by an angry doctor, saying my condition is neither an accident nor an emergency. According to him I don’t need urgent treatment even if I’m crying with pain - because pain isn’t urgent. If I’m stable and not at risk then I need to go home and see my GP.

A&E can not be used to bypass a useless GP and access tests and scans. They will not diagnose you or refer you. Their job is to give you the minimum care to make you stable so you’re not at risk, then send you home.

So stop telling people to go there. Maybe in the olden days you could go there for help if your GP was rubbish, but not any more.

I think you just got really poor treatment OP. I don't think it's reflective of how others would be treated

Yes it’s eased the pain a bit… until it wears off.

I’ve had tests from the nurse which are clear. Had antibiotics and thrush pessary even though I tested clear - no improvement. Now they’re just shrugging and saying I need to see a GP but it’s weeks for an appointment.

The pain is getting worse and worse, it’s ruining my life and I can’t work or even sit on a chair. I was sobbing in agony last night so I followed advice to go to A&E. They were furious that I wasn’t in urgent need and had come about an ongoing problem.

Lots have GP service as well as a&e, as in lots of areas u can’t get a gp appointment.

I'm really sorry this happened to you. I would try 111 again and tell them A&E sent you home.

There's a disconnect between the 111 algorithm that sent you to A&E and the person or system in A&E. It's really frustrating and so hard to handle when you're in pain.

YANBU.
People don't have any understanding that just because they want something sorted out quickly that does NOT make it an emergency.

There are very, very few emergencies in life, so most of us should never need to go to A&E.

Really?! Even if it was a toothache or an ear infection? This, right here, is the problem with how people misuse services.

There must be a way through to the GP somehow though - you can self certificate for 5 days but after that you need a doctor's note if you are too ill to work. There must be a way for your GP surgery to handle those? They can't be expecting everyone to lose their job because they can't get an appt to get a fit note.

The nurse can give you a fit note. But she can’t diagnose you. If the basic tests don’t identify the problem she shrugs and refers you to see a GP in several weeks time.

Indeed. Our NHS - envy of the world 🙄

a few years ago I was really unwell but couldn’t figure out what it was. I had flu-like symptoms but no fever, but had shortness of breath. I called 111 who sent and ambulance, they checked me over in the ambulance whilst parked outside my house.
I remember the paramedic rolling his eyes telling me there’s nothing wrong with me because my ecg, blood pressure and temp were all ok. He said „I suppose you want me to take you to A&E for blood tests“… I remember him handing me over to A&E saying I’m probably just dehydrated and they sat me in the corner and put me on a drip. It made me feel really bad that I was possibly wasting everyone‘s time but I insisted to have blood tests done. A couple of hours later a doctor rushed over to tell me I was very sick with kidney failure/ sepsis. I was told I would have died if I hadn’t come to A&E.

Do you not have out of hours GPs in the UK? Here in Ireland if its the weekend or evening you call whichever out of hours service your GP is linked to. I usually get an appointment within the hour whenever I've had to do it for me or the kids. I know some people if they can't get an appointment with their regular GP for a few days just wait til after 6 and then call for an out of hours appointment. It seems bizarre that there would be no way to be treated when you are in pain.

To be fair they made fair they made sure you were not at an extreme risk, the right care should have come from you GP . But on a weekend ? I have always thought thought good care Gp's should come on a weekend . The right type on a weekend at a&e maybe not . They said themselves you were not at any extreme risk .

Kidneys?
Diverticulitis?

Well obviously not if I had a diagnosis and knew it wasn’t serious/was getting it sorted!

Maybe you just cry easier than I would 😂

edit: ops GP situation sounds like a disgrace. If she’s presenting in agony unable to sit down/function this clearly isn’t something that should wait two weeks with uncontrolled pain. The a&e doctor shouldn’t be shouting at her. It’s not like she’s gone for a broken nail she’s clearly really suffering. Maybe the doctor just didn’t believe her.

My husband had an injury that was waiting on assessment. Then overnight it deteriorated. He was in agony and called 111. They told him to go to A and E as obviously something additional had happened.

He was also shouted at by the doctor saying it wasn't an accident or emergency and pain doesn't count.

They did give him a crutch though, which proved very useful.

Surely you have the option to call your surgery at 0830 am for urgent appointment?

If not do you have an urgent treatment centre close by?

Have you tried 111?

Yes there is an OOH service but they have the same attitude - their job is to stabilise you and provide emergency care until you can see your GP - they are not to replace a crap GP who is failing to diagnose, or a lack of GP appointments.

111 sent me to A&E because I was in such severe pain during the night. I will try the OOH service for further help but I’m just going to get the same response - here’s a painkiller, you’re not at immediate risk so you’ll have to wait 2-4 weeks to see a GP.

Yes. With a nurse. And the nurse has exhausted her ability to diagnose me. I need to see a GP, which means waiting 2-4 weeks.

This is rubbish advice. There are many reasons why someone may need to go to A&E.

My mum started with a headache. Within an hour she was totally unresponsive and spent months in ICU. Without urgent care she would have died.

Where is the pain?

I'm sorry. That sounds really shit. I hope you are able to get some kind of relief soon.

People do go unnecessarily. The 3 times I’ve been with acute pancreatitis (life threatening so I’m triaged fast) I’ve seen so many turned away and rightly so, but my local hospital has an out of hours docs so they get sent there at least.

I assume this is to do with the NHS. GPs fob you off because investigating why you're in agony costs money and the NHS hates spending money. So naturally you go to A&E where it's a game of Russian Roulette. You get bounced between places because the NHS, frankly, doesn't care. The individual NHS workers do, but the managers tying their hands behind their backs don't. With the NHS, you have to royally piss them off to get checked and treated. As in you have to really fight your corner. Beg, plead, piss and moan. They'll then treat you in the hopes you'll leave them alone.

I think you're not thinking clearly, and tbh no one can blame you for that.

You were right to go to A&E. The doctor treated you horribly and should not have shouted at you.

Your condition isn't improving. You can't access help through your GP. You are having severe pain that is preventing you from living your normal life.

Please ring 111 again or go back to A&E. They can help you.

In pain but can’t get medical care - what a disgrace.