To be horrified by NHS.

[StripeyKnickersSpottySocks]

I know how understaffed they are and I don't blame anyone in a&e (I work at same hospital), but am astounded by my dad's treatment tonight.

He's in his 60s, has been unable to keep any fluids or solids down for 3 days. So I took him to see his GP. He now also complaining f major pressure in his head and his blood vessels in his eyes are burst. Breathing now fast and in pain.

So GP says e needs admitting and rings hospital - no beds available so he's to go to a&e. GP says if I'm happy to take him it will be quicker than an ambulance. So I do.

I take the GP letetr to receptionist and explain he's to be admitted but there's no beds. She tells us to take a seat and wait to be triaged. I query this and say he doesn't need to see a nurse, has already seen GP, he needs a drip, anti emetics and other treatment. Am told everyone sees a nurse. Its 30 minutes before he's seen by a nurse! He's barely concious by now - a fact I've pointed out to the receptionist half way through our wait.

Nurse sends him straight into the main part of a&e. This was at 5:00pm. Not only are there no beds in the main hospital but there are no trolleys in a&e. Ill people are lined up on trolleys down the corridor on oxygen, drips, etc.

Dad is put on a plastic "school type" chair in the middle of a&e and has blood taken.

I then had to leave to get dd, so left him there with his girlfriend. Have texted his gf and she says he still on chair, still not been seen by Dr!!!

I know for a fact tehre are empty beds in that hospital, the maternity ward where I work has 20 empty beds. Obviously they can't admit him to mat wing - but they have in the past taken our empty beds over to the general side. Am so mad thet a sick OAP is having to sit on a chair for hours on a&e.

hope he gets sorted soon, kinda makes you understand why some elderly people (like my nan in law) start refusing to go to hospital when they're ill

Trouble is once the patient goes over 4 hours, they're in breach then so there is no financial urgency to get them sorted them as the trust will rationalise that another patient can be fast-tracked from breaching. So patients 4hrs+ might be left to wait.

Its for reasons like this my parents always ring an ambulance even if you have a car available since you do get prioritised over walk-in patients as the ambulance crews barge to the front of the queue (which is wrong in itself but you have to play the system at it's own game) and you need someone with you whose happy to raise the roof if you get neglected or detoriate whilst waiting. My Mum is particularly good at this - she ought to be a Patient's Friend in A & E.

Hope your Dad feels better soon.

ambulance call centres use triage priority ABC to determine clinical need type of response needed and staff and vehicle sent

not so sure wisdom of 999 call if not needed

Can I just add, in relation to Salbysea's post..... when a nurse triages or treats a patient, they do not take into account whether it is financially viable to do so i.e. whether they have been waiting 4+ hours. They do so on clinical assessment of need. They do their job, which is to care for the person to the best of their ability within the resources that the have. Nurses and staff on the front line are always targeted by people as the ones who provide crap care whereas nurses are often the only voice shouting up for patient care when the rest of the heirachy are looking at 'financial viability'...and yes, I am a nurse!

SKSS - just to add that I'm sorry that you felt your father's treatment was inadequate, I have been in your position and it is too frustrating for words. I hope he is now settled on the ward and more comfortable than previously. There are so many things about the NHS that should be better than they actually are... I hope your experience gets better and that your Dad recovers well.

Also, phoning an Ambulance when you don't need one should be a criminal offence...it's actions like this which contribute to the huge deficit of care within the NHS.......and it does not mean that you will be seen any quicker at all!

nope- BIBA you still get triaged .so clearly if ambulant,alert and vocal no queue jump

Who said that the ambulance wasn't needed?!

I didn't post details of my Dad's various medical ailments on here but, they are not frivolous calls when they are made and they are not made lightly. I wouldn't care to judge from someone's post how urgent an ambulance call was but evidently you can . Perhaps next time he can't breathe independently in the middle of the night, we should send him to get the bus instead of using a resource that could save his life.

SimpleSally - you inferred that an ambulance was not necessarily required by saying

' my parents always ring an ambulance even if you have a car available '

which sounds like a car would have been an appropriate form of transport also. I am sorry if i have interpreted this incorrectly and was only repling to how I read your statement. I am am sorry if this caused offence.

SalBySea - I quoted you in one of my previous posts but it was not you - apologies.

I had to take DD to GP a few weeks ago, and he called an ambulance to take her to Children's.

No special treatment once we got there, although she did get oxygen in the ambulance which I think was the point...

Am so sorry your dad isn't getting the treatment he needs/deserves.

Sat in A&E once for 4 hours. Had a back injury, no trolleys to put me on.

Finally had x-ray, told nothing broken, take pain killers etc.

Two weeks later - opps, you have 2 fractures L3 and L5.

And I work at this hospital as a nurse.