A&E

[imanastronaut]

I’m currently sat in A&E for an injury. Multiple people have been walking in and out (they’re patients) to pick up takeaways, go outside for a cigarette, go to the vending machines etc. patients are wearing wristbands so it’s obvious who’s who!

AIBU to think if you can do that, you should be directed away from A&E to somewhere more appropriate for a minor injury?!

Once I was in A&E sat next to a man who looked perfectly fit and well. After two hours of waiting with no obvious symptoms to me, he collapsed having a seizure and coughing up blood. You really can’t tell what’s going on with someone by looking at them.

What absolute nonsense. I was perfectly capable of eating and walking in A&E. Had I not attended I would likely have been dead within days.

I was in a&e recently with a friend who was having a mental health episode. She walked about and ordered food in. You don’t know anyone’s background or reasoning, don’t judge

DH was sent to A&E a few weeks ago by the GP with a suspected stroke. I took him sandwiches after a couple of hours because he was starving, despite having a droopy face.

I was once in a&e with sudden, severe back pain which meant I could not sit or lie down. I could stand, pace about and it didn’t affect my ability to eat 🤷‍♀️

My 17 year old collapsed and we called GP and they had an appointment within an hour. They told us to go straight to A&E and we were inc had tests and out within 3 hours. DC was wandering about eating food and getting coffee, laughing and joking and no doubt people would have thought they were fine. The GP was worried about their heart so we were fast passes and seem quicker than most people sat waiting. You can think what you like but triage will dictate what’s priority

Well you are clearly in a position to argue with multiple people here so can’t be in too much pain either.

One, in many places minor injuries and walk in units have same triage with A&E or are part of it.

two, both GPs themselves and 111 send people to A&E whenever something needs to get looked at /arranged same day. Blame GP system and lack of other pathways

That's sometimes all that's available.

I was walking around and talking normally etc. I had a sandwich as I’d been waiting for so long. I was subsequently admitted with multiple blood clots in both lungs.

People are nitpicking ('I was in A&E when both my legs fell off but I still used arms to eat chips') but the truth is that A&E is horribly misused and that we all suffer for it. And on top of the blatant misuse that we ALL see when we go there, there isn't a viable alternative for a lot of people due to GPs offering you an appointment in about three weeks' time, local minor injury units being closed, etc etc.

I assume she had a very very long wait....

I could do all those things while waiting 6 hours for my Colles fracture to be manipulated back into place and plastered.

And I'd been sent there by the local minor injuries unit, because they didn't have anyone who could do it.

Yep. People don’t seem to understand that nine times out of ten you’re not going to be hungry and vaping if you’re seriously ill

I had the same thing. I could move around fine and felt silly calling an ambulance (couldn’t feel anything in my leg or use my bladder at that point), but to the OP I probably looked fine. Didn’t have any Doritos though sadly.

I hope you made a full recovery.

I can't imagine what possesses someone to come on to a forum and waste everyone's time asking if they are being unreasonable when they've already made their mind up that they're not and no matter what anyone else says they will not own up to their own judgemental stupidity. PLEASE enlighten me OP.

I do agree that some people misuse A&E but unless you are a doctor and have a medical degree OP, I suggest you mind your own business. As for what people eat, definitely mind your own business.

Are you a medical professional?
Because otherwise....how do you know?

My dad had a silent heart attack

He thought he felt a bit unwell in the morning before work and just thought oh well gotta go to work…

He ate breakfast and lunch before realising something was seriously wrong and he did physical work. If he had been someone who smoked or vape, I expect he have done that too.

You don’t know what people are in for

it was a heart attack and he had to have emergency bypass surgery, guess where the paramedics took him….

100% this.

Trust me, I wouldn't just go to A&E just because I felt like it. Or think lets forget about booking an appointment with the GP, I'd rather wait in A&E. It's far more sociable.
Err , I don't think so. 🤔

The point is you can't tell just by looking at someone. If they have hospital wristbands then clearly the actual medical professionals have decided very differently to you...likely because they've done more than just look at someone.

Correct. I went to A&E with my son when he broke his fingers. It was packed, mum's, dad's, granny's, aunties, and uncle Tom Cobbly and all.
A manager came out and called: Anyone who is not unwell and is not a carer/parent to a casualty waiting for treatment, please leave NOW.
About 30 people got up and left.
Thats the way to do it 😅

Don't worry, I understand you must be bored stiff. So you decided to start a thread.

These are two different problems.

1. Is A&E misused? Sure... sometimes. But often because there is no viable alternative. Our A&E does not hesitate to send you back home or tell you to get a GP appointment (lol... how?? Our GP is booked up apparently until 2032). But there is often no other option for infections, mental health issues, longer-term concerns that need blood work, etc etc etc plus all the situations listed here.
2. Can people eat and drink and walk around while also needing medical attention quicker than waiting weeks to years to see a GP? Of course they can. How odd that you can't think of any reasons for this to happen simultaneously.

Anecdotally I was in A&E with severe, hideous morning sickness that meant I was flagged up as dehydrated. If I didn't have something in my mouth I'd gag repeatedly. I paced around A&E for hours sucking on salt and vinegar potato chips and spitting them out (and crying) while waiting for them to put me on a drip. Am thrilled to know I was being judged that entire time by someone on social media.

Gosh OP, if only the NHS would employ you! You’d save them millions with your amazing insight into how ill strangers are and how to appropriately treat them based on just a few seconds of observation…