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.

Look, you had a bad experience with ONE doctor. That is not representative of every medic in every A&E. Self-evidently they will treat you even if you aren't at immediate risk. I was in A&E in December after a fall resulting in a broken nose and sprained wrist, they didn't turn me away because I wasn't at immediate risk.

I'm really sorry you had that awful experience, and frankly I think you should complain about the doctor. You should also push your GP, who ought to be offering some sort of fast-track system for cases like yours.

I had a UTI recently and tried the pharmacy - they refused to give me medication because I have mild anemia.

Spent ages at my GP the next day (genuinely - appointment was for 2:30 and it was almost 5 by the time I left!) to come away with exactly the prescription the pharmacist had refused me. It was a frustrating experience, especially because it took up a GP appointment that someone else could have used.

If I was in unbearable pain I would go anywhere at all that might be able to help and I wouldn't give a fuck who saw me!

Quote didn't attach sorry.
This is re sexual health clinic suggestion

You can't be in that much pain, then, if the stigma of being seen at an STD clinic worries you more than the pain itself.

Well you’d better tell hospital medics this too… their logic fails me.

Coil went in by general ie. Surgery for very good reasons by a gynaecologist situated in a hospital.
I am now signposted back to my GP… knowing people who haven’t birthed babies and cervix’s like mine are refused the coil.
I have to take up a GP appointment (you know for someone sick) whilst a GP takes the awful thing out in an allotted 10 minutes. 🤬 unlucky them knowing another hospital already tried this under gas and air failing - and this isn’t something a small surgery where it’s down to GP’s to take out dare say entinox is not held on site.

Forgive me that person needing the GP who I’m going to block may be forced to go to A&E..

I would go sit up an and e as private services tell me for more urgent wanted coil removal but I would be in the knowledge I’d be sent to early preg and loss unit seeing scenes I desperately don’t want to see.

I imagine when I finally get to see a GP for this removal who may fail and say what the hell you doing here if you’ve had this in by ga then I’ll be waiting many months for the next turn. So hospitals can fail patients too.

Grow up

Honestly it never occurred to me to go there with a suspected UTI or thrush, because it’s for STDs.

If it's not bacterial, antibotics won't help. They can in fact make interstitial cystitis worse. I had to stop taking a very low dose for acne when I was first diagnosed as it stirred things up.

Yes but more broadly speaking, it's for issues with your genitals and undercarriage.

Which this is.

She needs a urologist not a sexual health clinic.

GUM means "genitourinary medicine"

You're being daft and I'm starting to think this is just another NHS bashing thread which is a shit thing to do.

Same here. I wonder who is getting paid for what.

this. I don't know why the OP keeps parroting back over and over again what the nurse and a&e said. You need to send advocate. there are other ways to get seen. You shouldn't have to explore them but you are where you are.

Here is a link the OP might find helpful:
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/interstitial-cystitis/diagnosis-treatment/drc-20354362#self-care

I saw a tiktok doctor who was talking about what to do if you can't get seen, and he mentioned call 111 and if one of their clinicians thinks you should be seen by a GP they usually inform your GP so when you call them the next day at 8am for an on the day appointment you are seen as that's within their expected time frames. He explained there can be delays to this but essentially 111 have already triaged and referred so they have to pick it up, however you must still call.

This is awful OP. Very poor care.

Probably but that's going to take at least a month so might as well try the GUM clinic, it can't hurt

OP you don't actually know for sure you don't have an STD. Those symptoms could be pelvic inflammatory disease, there is no swab for that. You need to see someone who knows what they're doing not just a nurse swabbing you.

Do you know if you have fibroids? Because I experienced a degenerating one recently and the pain was indescribable. Pharmacists can provide co-codamol at a higher strength than you can buy.

Your symptoms sounds similar to mine when I suffered recurrent UTI’s. Tests often came back clear but pain was unbearable. Saw a couple of consultants along the way. One said infection can still be present but doesn’t always show up on results - prescribed daily antibiotic. Also has surgery to widen urethra. Also found d-mannose powder which can be bought online to be excellent - mix with water and drink - you can’t drink enough of it - definitely worth a try.

@Miriad was your urine sent off for culture? If not, that's a mistake, as even if urine comes up clear on a dipstick, it should be sent to be cultured.

How would I get an STD when I haven’t had sex?

I’ve tried to book with the GUM clinic online but the only options are “I have an STI”, “I don’t have symptoms but want to be tested for STIs”, or “I need help with contraceptives”.

No option for UTI or thrush.

So I picked “I have an STI” but when I answer the multiple choice questions it just says this service is not suitable for your needs, call your GP to discuss further. And I can’t get in to see the GP.

Op I'm sorry you didn't get better care or compassion from the doctor in A&E but telling people not to go if they're in pain is just irresponsible. You said yourself "They checked my heart, temperature, blood pressure, said I was stable and told me to go away."

Despite the fact that you left without treatment they did carry out a clinical assessment. If people take your advice and sit at home the consequences could be life threatening. They have no way of knowing if they are stable without going to see a medical professional.

Do you have an urgent care centre near you? We have about 3 within a mile radius that all take walk in appointments. Failing that try what others have said 111 or the GUM clinic. If I was in that much pain I wouldn't give a shit who saw me where.

Leg pain can be if it's a DVT.
Pain in any part of the body can be an emergency if it's an abscess and has turned into sepsis.

Meanwhile my GP surgery told me to go to A&E for painkillers because there was no one available to issue me a repeat prescription. I imagine A&E staff are getting pissed off with this kind of advice but they wouldn't have shouted at you OP.

Another poster posted this a while ago.