Eating Takeaway In A Hospital Waiting Room Do You See It As Unreasonable

[Warrior96]

So long story short I ended up with an infected ear piercing and had to see an out of hours doctor at the hospital. My life medical problems always seem to happen on a Saturday or Sunday! Due to it is known to be a nasty infection I was admitted onto the ears nose and throat ward, it was average time 5-6 hours to see a doctor it took me 5 hours. In the meantime in the waiting room a couple sat next to me bought a KFC into the waiting room. I can understand people can get hungry with the long wait but there were a number of nauseous people in that waiting room. I feel they were being a bit selfish and could have bought something more appropriate.

AIBU?

My teenage relative was left on a trolley in the corridor for over 24 hours before being moved to a waiting area that was really just another area off the same corridor but with a curtain pulled across. This was an emergency admission via ambulance. The only place open that we could get to deliver was a burger place, the hospital had stopped serving food and the cafe/shop was closed. Her mum wouldn't leave her side, so had to order the burger, I'd hate to think the smell upset anyone feeling nauseous but there were no other options.

I was in A&E a few weeks ago with DS and a family of “frequent flier” attendees (they were quite proud of the fact they are there every Saturday) got pizza delivered. They had also brought crisps and juice. I was proper jealous after 4 hours but it’s still not appropriate

My stoma bag exploding and the shit pouring onto the floor.

An MN orthorexic will be along soon enough to tell you that's nowhere near as disgusting as unapproved food.

My brother was in a ward with 4 people, 3 of them including him tube fed. The 4th bed was an Indian man and he used to have his whole family there eating Indian takeaways or mcdonalds.

Ds was in a&e in August and was over 12 hours on a trolley before being admitted. He was given a sandwich by a nurse about 11pm and I was offered one. We were also given hot drinks.

@Manthide Obviously just luck as to which hospital you get taken to and who is on duty at the time.

I have been an actual in patient in the NHS where quite often the only food option was under ripe fruit.

@Simonjt ds is 21 and really enjoyed the food in the hospital. He was also given an extra milk shake protein drink with each meal which he loved. He had sepsis and in the beginning was under intensive care. The hca always offered me a hot drink if I was with him and when we were in the discharge lounge- again for hours- we were both given sandwiches, yoghurt and drinks.

Going to have to disagree with you on that one. My DS ( who has Asd too) is regularly admitted to hospital via a/e. I can’t leave him and I need it eat or I would literally faint so then the nurses would have two of us to look after.

NRTFT, as there was one on this only a few weeks ago, but I find it bizarre the MN pages are filled with people frothing at the mouth about it; but not that:

1/4 are diagnosed with cancer in A & E

People are waiting in some cases 30 - 40 hours on hard plastic seats to be admitted to a bed

The stupid reasons people go to see GPs, or call ambulances, or go to A & E, which takes resources away from people really at risk of dying

The excess deaths due to rationing of GP referrals to secondary care, long waiting lists or long waits in A & E

Incompetent doctors

Cancer treatments, etc behind the rest of Europe so the survival rates here are worse

Poor antenatal and postnatal care

Poor mental health services

Low number of beds and doctor/patient ratios compared to the best in Europe

Anyone fit enough to eat a KFC should be fit enough to pop out of the ward or dept to eat it. Patients are usually provided with at least a sandwich if they are permitted medically to eat

I’m not sure it’s exactly unreasonable and would probably only mildly annoy me.
However I do wonder what it says about people and how much of an ‘emergency’ their situation is if they are able to think ‘ooh I’m so terribly sick/in pain/injured that I need emergency treatment……but I could sure go for a KFC’. It’s A&E not a social occasion or family day out! Yes, yes i know people need to eat, but it’s normally not their first priority if they are having a medical emergency which is what A&E should be for.

A&E isn’t supposed to be about different levels of illness though is it? It’s only supposed to be for medical emergencies.

First priority, with these A and E waiting times? It's not like they're asking for lengthy delays in being seen so they can have a KFC first! The need for food in the waiting room is a consequence of how long people are forced to wait even for emergency care.

Additionally, some of the people in A and E are perfectly well, and are there looking after someone who needs accompanying.

If you're well enough to be considering food and have an appetite then you're probably not at death's door and don't need to be at A&E!
Also if you need an op, highly likely considering you've experienced an accident or emergency then it's nil by mouth anyway. I would die of shame rocking up with a takeaway at a hospital! There's a time and a place.

There are different levels of emergency. That is literally what triage is for.

"Cardiac arrest will die in next 3 minutes if not treated" is a more urgent emergency than my last trip, where I walked into A&E on my GPs instructions for something that might have become life threatening if left untreated for another day or so. I was there for 30 hours, and had to call DH to bring me food, though KFC would not have been my first choice, luckily our hospital has an M&S.

i both needed a&e and was absolutely starving and needed something to eat after over ten hours of waiting and still more to go.

Thread rammed with people who've never spent any significant time in hospital as carer or responsible person

This!!!

I love KFC but eating it in a waiting room is a definite no no!

I’ve been in A&E (too) many times due to rugby injuries, I once had to wait 18 hours with a broken leg. Are we really saying that A&E is now so poor unless someone is at deaths door they shouldn’t go?

Unfortunately I think we may be in that situation in many areas.