Does anyone know what time of day is usually the quietest in A & E?

[bodiddly]

DS hurt his arm/shoulder earlier today when he fell off a stool but it doesn't appear swollen or dislocated. We have given him calpol and decided that if he wakes up in the night in a lot of pain or is still complaining in the morning then we may take him to A&E. Is first thing in the morning usually the quietest time as we don't want to make him sit there in pain for hours if at all possible? He has gone to sleep ok but has obviously been in pain today at times. It is difficult to tell whether there is anything wrong though as there are times when he is brave and brushes off falls etc and other times he is a total wimp when he sees a minor scratch or spot on his leg!

I think I would just have to go through NHS Direct. I can only imagine that they would suggest we go to A&E in case it needs an x-ray but I will try them in the morning. I live near 2 main hospitals ... do they give you an idea on waiting time if you phone them before you go? I seem to remember The Whittington used to give you a vague idea if you rang them.

The worst time IMO is about 7.30pm when parents get frightened their child can't make it through the night without medical attention. We have speciliast children's A&E btw; adults always seems to be busy.

DD was in A&E 10 days ago on a backboard - we arrived around 6.30pm, no queue (altho she was priority but there were only a couple of people in anyway).

Similarly last year when she got clipped in the face by a horse's hoof we got there about 7.10pm and again no-one around.

Of course this time of year there are lots of new doctors on....

I tried 9am on a Sunday morning, thinking it would be quiet. I found everyone else had had the same thought! We had to wait hours!

I tried 9am on a Sunday morning, thinking it would be quiet. I found everyone else had had the same thought! We had to wait hours!

thanks DontNeedAnything, the nearest walk in centre is about 12 miles away and says it refers to another for x-rays most of the time and the other says it has a reduced service on bank holidays. So, I think I will wait until he wakes up and either call NHS direct or head straight to A&E at one of the hospitals.

sounds as if there isn't a good time in that case! fingers crossed he will wake up in the morning with no pain!!

Our A&E department has a separate childrens waiting area and treatment section (and staff).
We have taken DD in the morning (fell off the bed) and twice at night (extremely high temp and complaining neck was hurting the most recentl, and bronchilitis at 3 mnts old the first time) and both times were relatively quiet.

thanks for your advice everyone. He woke up at about 7am still in pain so I phoned NHS Direct and then took him to Barnet A&E as they have a children's area there. We were there 4.5 hours in total with him screaming hysterically through about 3 of the hours! It was a total nightmare. The long and the short of it is that they can't see anything on the x-ray but the doctor is convinced there is something fractured or wrong as he is too young to be holding it in the way he is without reason. He will not move it at all. They tried to give him a sling but by that stage he was soooo hysterical they gave up so they have told us to give calpol and nurofen on tap and take him to the fracture clinic on Wednesday. He said that it is very difficult to see problems at that age especially when they don't co-operate with x-rays (he had to be physically pinned down!). Oh joy ... we have to do it all over again and worse yet this time he will probably be even more difficult as he now associates the hospital/doctor with pain! Any suggestions on how to keep him calm would be gratefully received ... or valium donations for me!

Poor ds and poor you having to wait for 4.5 hours.

Good luck on Wednesday at the fracture clinic, can't think of anything helpful I am afraid, our dd was very calm about the whole thing and enjoyed the attention she got from the sling. Otherwise we would have bribed her and got her sister to wear a sling too!

they gave up on the sling after he threw it across the room! It was all a bit unlike him as he was screaming and hitting me. I can't say I am looking forward to Wednesday. With any luck it will be miraculously better by then.

they will be much more skilled at the fracture clinic. they will be able to examine him without hurting him and will be able to diagnose quickly.

take some bubbles-bubble blowing very good distraction for these things. take some of his favourite books and toys and some of his favourite snacks. try and play up the adenture side of things!

thanks ... wish me luck. I was hoping it was getting better but he still isn't using it so it is off to the fracture clinic in the morning. He knows he is going and has promised he won't cry etc but somehow after Monday's performance I somehow doubt it.

Any news bodiddly?

yes, turns out he has a fractured humerus .. right at the top of the arm near the shoulder. he resolutely refused to let them put him in a sling so they are just letting him get on with it as he is holding his arm by his side anyway - he has to go back in 3 weeks so they can re-examine him. sooooo a visit to elc was in order as he was fairly well behaved thanks to a great doctor and no nasty arm squeezing! luckily they backed off over the sling or there would have been HUGE tantrums.

poor little mite.

I am glad that you have a diagnosis though.