To wonder why was the hospital empty today?

[SpicyEnchiladas]

Can someone please explain this if they knew. We live in one of the highest areas of cases of covid in the north west, and are constantly told by the local papers about our hospitals not coping at all!

So my friend had a car accident on boxing day and although she wasn't visibly injured, she was taken to the hospital to check that she's fine as she was very shaken after that. She dreaded going with the medics and avoided going to the hospital for the fear of long queues and catching Covid! She was seen after 10 minutes, had her x-rays taken, two consultants checked on her and was done within an hour!! When she came back home she said that they were only a few patients inside and it all went smoothly. Much better than her experience in hospitals before Covid.

Today, I had to drop my mum off to the A&E for severe pain in head and ears. She was fainting and couldn't even walk but they didn't let me in with her as per the guidelines. TBH what's what we expected anyway. I left her after the nurse reassured me that they will keep a close eye on her in case if she faints again in the waiting area. I left and before getting in my car, I received a call asking me to return to the hospital as she will be transferred to the ambulatory care immediately. They said that it's fine to have me with her to provide company and reassurance as it's likely that she'll be there for a few hours.

We stayed for nearly 4 hours, during that time I've been in and out of the department to use the phone, move my car from the drop off area, go to the pharmacy... it was nearly empty!! Only a few nurses insight. I was actually a bit scared whilst walking to the hospital's pharmacy as it was all dark all the way. Very quiet and unusual!! There were 5 people in the ambulatory care and plenty of empty beds and patient rooms.
I noticed the same whilst passing other departments.

I'm not doubting that Covid is indeed straining the nhs, but can someone explain why was the hospital not busy and nearly empty on both occasions despite us being constantly told that a&e isn't coping in our town?

YABVU. You do realise they aren’t going to put covid patients in areas with Joe Public right? So of course you’re not going to see the overwhelmed parts

@DontBeShelfish it's not a post and run. It's children's bedtime for some people.

I must admit that I've learned so much from this website. But I can just never understand the amount of assumptions and attacks from some posters. Is that how you all behave in real life when someone asks a question? Very disturbing.

Some of you accused me of denying the whole Covid pandemic! Really? Where was that mentioned? My husband had Covid back in March and my sister last month. Both were at home and didn't need any medical intervention. I don't watch the news regularly, I stopped following Covid updates since the summer as it was affecting my mental health and increasing my anxiety. I didn't know that routine appointments are cancelled and other treatments have been put on hold. I'm not thick or naive. I just don't follow every detail and didn't need any hospital treatment since years ago.

My question has been answered. Can MN please close this thread. Thank you

[quote SpicyEnchiladas]@DontBeShelfish it's not a post and run. It's children's bedtime for some people.

I must admit that I've learned so much from this website. But I can just never understand the amount of assumptions and attacks from some posters. Is that how you all behave in real life when someone asks a question? Very disturbing.

Some of you accused me of denying the whole Covid pandemic! Really? Where was that mentioned? My husband had Covid back in March and my sister last month. Both were at home and didn't need any medical intervention. I don't watch the news regularly, I stopped following Covid updates since the summer as it was affecting my mental health and increasing my anxiety. I didn't know that routine appointments are cancelled and other treatments have been put on hold. I'm not thick or naive. I just don't follow every detail and didn't need any hospital treatment since years ago.

My question has been answered. Can MN please close this thread. Thank you[/quote]
Your not allowed to question anything on here op regarding Covid without being pounced upon and made out as a conspiracy theorist. We all have different opinions on the pandemic doesn't mean we don't believe in it.

You asked a valid question there really was no need in some of the shitty responses

KLAXON ALERT KLAXON ALERT

Usforthem's latest campaign is calling on members to obtain evidence of empty NHS hospitals and spread this misinformation. Such disrespectful behaviour towards our NHS medical staff.

mrshoho
I was going to say something similar. There's a big push to deny hospitals are struggling by people who want all schools open with no safety measures.

There's also a problem at the moment of fake HCP accounts on social media claiming their hospitals are empty too.

My question has been answered. Can MN please close this thread. Thank you

Why would (or even, why should) they close the thread?

Covid patients don’t go to A&E, they’re taken to Covid wards with a separate entrance so as to reduce the risk of spreading Covid. At our local hospital it’s a completely self contained part so you don’t accidentally wander into the Covid area when looking for the pharmacy. As pp have said you we’re there on bank holidays so no outpatients clinics, routine ops etc running.

I know Lola. I've got nothing else to do these days so I'm determined to call people out on this despicable carry on. What is their motivation? I just don't get it.

Can I just say thank you to all staff currently working in our hospitals. You are so appreciated and please take no notice of these people. We can see right through them.

Your experience is of one department- A&E. The only department where they are able to see and discharge people quickly. People aren’t attending with mouth ulcers, a leg that’s ached for 3 weeks, a sniffly nose and because they just want to check in on Facebook. People are actually using A&E for its purpose and it’s working well. End of.

I know Lola. I've got nothing else to do these days so I'm determined to call people out on this despicable carry on. What is their motivation? I just don't get it.
Their motivation is linked closely to covid denial groups and, if what I saw today is accurate, they appear to be getting PR and spin support from media companies linked to political groups. There seems to be a lot of astroturfing going on.

It's quite concerning how many people are buying it. Of course, just yesterday Boris johnson said (to quote as accurately as I can from memory) "the message is that schools are safe, it's just households mixing within schools that isn't safe", and people hear that and still claim they're safe.

@Xenia you might be right about the cancer patients being cancelled at you hospitals as they are at our but our trust is using the private hospital down to road for cancer patients as a COVID safe hospital so cancer patients aren't picking up COVID when they are having treatment and our GPS are running the same service that they have been doing all along not face to face appointments unless necessary just telephone or Video calls

@LolaSmiles

I know Lola. I've got nothing else to do these days so I'm determined to call people out on this despicable carry on. What is their motivation? I just don't get it. Their motivation is linked closely to covid denial groups and, if what I saw today is accurate, they appear to be getting PR and spin support from media companies linked to political groups. There seems to be a lot of astroturfing going on.

It's quite concerning how many people are buying it. Of course, just yesterday Boris johnson said (to quote as accurately as I can from memory) "the message is that schools are safe, it's just households mixing within schools that isn't safe", and people hear that and still claim they're safe.

The more I hear of this group the more I fail to see how they are doing all this in the name of their children's education. Is it financial gain?

People with covid should not go to A&E. It's not the gateway to the covid ward

@Xenia couldn’t agree more. I paid almost 2k in medical expenses last year because the nhs was too busy. Well fine, but please refund me the extortionate tax you take to provide with me one very limited service relating to one virus. That’s not an insurance policy I would take out at any cost at all, thanks.

[quote SpicyEnchiladas]@DontBeShelfish it's not a post and run. It's children's bedtime for some people.

I must admit that I've learned so much from this website. But I can just never understand the amount of assumptions and attacks from some posters. Is that how you all behave in real life when someone asks a question? Very disturbing.

Some of you accused me of denying the whole Covid pandemic! Really? Where was that mentioned? My husband had Covid back in March and my sister last month. Both were at home and didn't need any medical intervention. I don't watch the news regularly, I stopped following Covid updates since the summer as it was affecting my mental health and increasing my anxiety. I didn't know that routine appointments are cancelled and other treatments have been put on hold. I'm not thick or naive. I just don't follow every detail and didn't need any hospital treatment since years ago.

My question has been answered. Can MN please close this thread. Thank you[/quote]
Honestly, you're either as thick as mince or just a conspiracy theorist, which amounts to the same thing frankly.

"We had COVID but it wasn't that serious"
"Went to hospital and it was empty"
"Didn't reply straight away as putting kids to bed".

People like you are dangerous. You should be ashamed of yourself. You won't be, though. Too thick.

ACUs are typically filled by gp referral which isn't happening today.

The more I hear of this group the more I fail to see how they are doing all this in the name of their children's education. Is it financial gain?
I've not read up on them enough to confidently speculate, but I am growing concerned about how a so called grassroots movement managed to get an audience with senior members of the government regarding policy matters in education. It's definitely worth reading further because although I have a lot of criticism for the DfE's handling of education through this pandemic, I'm not convinced some of these groups are concerned with children's welfare at all.

My hospitals A&E has been unusually quiet since Covid. Before it never had under 120 patients at any one time. Yesterday at 2pm it had 42. The lowest I've ever seen. We are merged with the ward next door over Christmas. So very over staffed, and short notice annual leave has been allowed. No sign of adults needing help.

@Drowninginwashing I was messaging my colleagues on the night shift last night to bring a book. Though it is paediatrics

A few years ago my daughter worked in A & E. Someone came in because she had chewing gum caught in her hair. Those folk are staying away now so emergencies might well be seen quicker. Doesn't mean ICU isn't full or that there aren't wards full of Covid patients. Believe the NHS staff because they are telling you the truth and @xenia I wonder if you'll still be looking for a rebate if, God forbid, you catch covid and need the NHS to save your life?

@Toddlerteaplease

My hospitals A&E has been unusually quiet since Covid. Before it never had under 120 patients at any one time. Yesterday at 2pm it had 42. The lowest I've ever seen. We are merged with the ward next door over Christmas. So very over staffed, and short notice annual leave has been allowed. No sign of adults needing help.

Do you have a professional opinion as to why it's so quiet?

I spoke to my dsil today. Her ward is elective surgery so currently closed. She is in the vulnerable category so green zone only. Last night she was on a quiet ward, they kept expecting patients but none arrived.
As she is usually run off her feet it was some respite. The feeling here is that the hospital is preparing for an influx so keeping numbers down at the moment to allow for flexibility.