To share ways to make A&E more bareable

[silvershark22]

Given lots of people find the 12 hour plus waits in A&E tough wondering what things make it barable.

Mine is an oodie can vbe warn if in a draftie place or rolled into hood to make a pillow or sat on to make uncomfortable chairs better.

They gave her an antibiotic and advised her to see a podiatrist for ongoing management…..

https://www.nhs.uk/mental-health/conditions/health-anxiety/

Lots of useful links and guidance for you here.

In 2016 I was with my terminally ill, 80 year old mother who'd fallen and had a suspected broken leg. We arrived at A & E just after midnight. It was 8.30am before anyone examined her.

Ambulance person here. If I ever have to go in to sit with DH I'll grab the blow up neck travel cushion and a nice throw as well as the standard phone/charger/money essentials.

And I agree, planning for a lot of sitting around is crucial - even if it's a life threatening emergency there will be a lot of sitting around doing nothing at hospital.

An apocryphal story I suspect!

It's a tremendous shame that this could be such a useful thread for those of us that need bags packed for regular trips to A&E etc but instead it's filled with fuckwits insisting anyone in a&e is a time waster.

Thanks
Hope things have improved since your son has been put on the right meddication. Its so difficult when things arent sorted medically. I can only think that a number of posters fortunately have not had complex health conditions for either themselves or family members. I feel factors like age, ethnicity, gender and disabilities play a huge part in how you are treated.

What did you put in the bag @InevitableNameChanger

People who don't need to be there but still need medical advice or attention should be given a viable alternative. Phoning a GP at 8am on the dot for several days without being able to get an appointment is not a viable alternative.

For a small child's bag - iPad and charger, snacks (because we could never find safe food for them in hospital) , spare medicines, phone charger for me, water wipes,.a colouring book or small game, small cushion, spare clothes

For my bag (that I have advised told to pack and have ready) I am thinking
-laminated information about my condition and with my medical details
-spare meds
-phone charger

• travel pillow and blanket or jumper
• spare underwear
• anti bac hand gel

But I would welcome other suggestions

@Starlingexpress thank you for the information on health anxiety. What symptoms do you feel I have exibitted?

Two really helpful lists @InevitableNameChanger
For a young childs bag things like a pack of playing cards or fidget toy. Also juice cup and a small juice squeezer if they are particular on which juice they drink. To grab a cuddlie while walking oiut the door can be fab.

For both bags a pair of slipper socks or fold flat slippers. Feel tbhe long waits feel more barable with warm feet.
I always have a couple of sick bags as me and the kids always tend to vommit and getting a sick bowel quick enough can be a challenge.
Loving the laminated list.
I would maybe add a tshirt dress for you in both bags. It can roll up small, is comfortable to lie in and an apropriate cover up if sick or pooh ior blood happen. Once had to go home in a hospital pajama top when child got some mix of every possible boddily fluid over me.

But you've been told to go rather than using A&E as a GP surgery.

And that's where most of the issues start, if GPs were to bring back pre-booked appointments, it certainly would ease the pressure. However, since covid, GPs are still on this only phone on the day for an appointment system so everyone goes to A&E.

I’ll refer you back again to your posting history. You’re getting lots of validation on this thread which I suspect is what you were looking for.

I hope both your mental and physical health improve soon.

Understand what people are saying about people abusing A&E, but I have been a few times when I've felt OK, not an "emergency" as such, but GP & 111 have insisted (eg after a fainting/ collapsing episode). Urgent care also send everything straight to A&E here.

I'm usually sat there for hours upon hours because I'm not an immediate risk. But until GPs / 111s/ Urgent Care actually start seeing people who need an urgent review but aren't actually in a life threatening emergency, there'll always be lots of people in A&E waiting for a long time

I'm a frequent flyer- various rare diseases combined with chemo and life threatening unstable aneurysms.

I can totally pack a bag before the inevitable call to my consultant to tell me to come in via A and E for consult and eventual admittance.

We don't have access via a surgical or medical or ambulatory entrance- everyone comes in via A and E.

The smallest time it's taken through A and E to get a bed is 11 hours which was during covid and the longest two, both this year were 39 and 43 hours (!)

Both recent time resulted in stays of 10+ days

My tip tops are - wear a hoodie or (dressing gown if admittal is likely) ours is the one place of the hospital that isn't boiling. Take water, meds. Phone and charger plus a battery bank. Air pods or headphones and wear comfy socks/shoes Ours doesn't need coins, everything works on a card.

I also take a copy of medical notes as I've only met one A and E dr that's seen one of my conditions before... and a bag with basic supplies but don't forget that you can ask for a toothbrush etc if you need to freshen up

@Mabelface sorry to hear of your experience having a disability makes it so much harder. There is an assumption you will have a care and there just arent things to help such as quieter dimmer spaces. Have you tried something laminated showing your needs. If you had a car with you wondered if you could wait there and receive a phonecall. When they can see you or letting you sit in a quiet area.

Really? You can't possibly fathom a situation where you'd have some time to gather together some stuff to take to a and e? Let me help you with some examples from my family over the last few years:

DH - Stabbed hole through foot with muddy garden fork. Sent to an and e by urgent care centre.
DM - Fell down stairs and broke both legs
DF - had shingles in eye. Sent to moorfields a&e by gp
DD - suspected appendicitis.

On all of these occasions we had enough time to grab a small bag with a phone charger / book or newspaper and a few snacks and toiletries just in case.

I can only think of one occasion where we had no time to grab a quick bag (involving ambulance trip).

Ring NHS 111 first. Once you have talked through the symptoms/problem and the responder thinks you need to go to A and E, all the info you have given them will be transfered to your nearest A and E department - and you will have a much shorter wait.

And the ambulance was just waiting outside for you?

I waited for 8hours with a necrotic gall bladder before being given proper pain relief. Sometimes the triage system does not work. I was admitted and was in hospital for 10 days with an emergency operation. During my wait I vomited in the toilets and collapsed on the floor.
So not as black and white as your post suggests.

My mum has required emergency admission more times than I can count in the last few years and we've always been able to take a small bag of essentials because we're not stupid.

Don't worry, it never happened.

In answer to your question OP I have a bag with charger, watter bottle, medication, hoody and some snacks. My books are on my phone as is my card. Also take undies and basic toiletries as I have been admitted three times following long a and e waits.

Oh behave with the name calling. If you are somebody with complex health needs who requires genuine A&E attendances, reserve your name calling and rudeness for the frequent flyers and inappropriate users of the system whose choice to attend A&E inappropriately contributes to overburdened systems and means that YOU get to wait for more time than you should.