111 booked Out of hours doctor at A&E

[Lacie86]

Hi,

Does this mean I will be waiting a long while in the hospital to be seen? Is this usually a shared doctor for anyone walking in and people that have appointments?

Throat infection that needs to be seen

Thanks

Just to add my partner is immunosuppressed and CEV so this is my worry. Do I take the risk? I know asking strangers isn’t the answer as some say but I’m trying to weigh it up here!

In my experience appointments are separate to walk ins.

Hope you feel better soon.

111 booking doesn’t mean you’ll be seen any quicker, I don’t think.

You’ll be triaged upon arrival and will wait from there. It depends on how busy the department is, staff capacity, seriousness of symptoms

Where we are the appointments section is separate.

Where I've been its separate but we wait together.

So usually I turn up and the waiting room is filled. But we get called earlier than the others that presented to a and e. So we get looks from the other patients as to why we were called first.

I’ve done this a couple of times with my daughter home from uni. Both times it was an appointment. Hardly anyone in waiting room and just a short wait

@MasonStreet

111 booking doesn’t mean you’ll be seen any quicker, I don’t think.

You’ll be triaged upon arrival and will wait from there. It depends on how busy the department is, staff capacity, seriousness of symptoms

It depends. At ours we have the OOH GP working in a room separate to the rest of A and E area but you go to a and e to book in. You wait together but are on different lists.

No it doesn't mean you are necessarily seen quicker as they triage walk ins. It does vary by area but where I used to live you turn up at your appointment time and hope for the best

Depends where you are. In my hospital you might skip triage but you’ll still wait in the queue with everyone else for the doctors, scans etc.

Whenever 111 have sent me to A&E for an out of hours GP, there’s been a separate list, but everyone waits together. They also told me I’d be seen eg ‘between 11 and 12’ - so they give you an appointment of sorts, but it’s not set in stone as there might be an emergency coming in during your slot so it’s somewhat flexible.

Here the OOO is in a completely separate area and you are seen around you appointment time (ish)

My experience in both Buckinghamshire and the North East is that although you go through the same main entrance as the A&E, the OOH GP service is completely separate and only for people who have an appointment. Double mask and plenty of good handwashing and you should be fine as you're unlikely to be crammed in a busy waiting room for OOH.

Thanks everyone. I got hold of the A&E department (Broomfield in Chelmsford) they told me it’s all the same waiting area and the designated time slot makes no difference it goes in order of severity of who needs to be seen first. bit worried now!

A throat infection that needs seen to is super important though. I understand your worries, my dh is also immunosuppressed.

We don't have community minor injuries or out of hours, ours is all within the a&e department of the county hospital. But I've just been to a hospital appointment and there wasn't a single soul in a&e so hopefully it's also quiet at yours.

At our hospital the OOH doctor has a room next to A&E so you check in at A&E but then go through.
Do you have FFP2 masks? There will likely be covid patients around, even if there is a red zone. When I was taken in with covid we had to wait in the normal queue first.

@TheCanyon yeah my doctor saw it yesterday and told me not to worry. My right tonsil is swollen and I still have spots on them (after antibiotics) and it’s been 3 weeks now no improvement… I called 111 because I don’t agree and I am worried and they said it won’t hurt to get a second opinion. I have found a out of hours facility about 30 mins away so will drive there first thing. If it becomes worse I will head to A&E instead tonight.

This hospital is generally known to be busy!

You need to be seen. Your partner will also be vulnerable to your throat infection/tonsillitis/virus/bacteria, so it needs to be assessed even if it turns out to not be an abscess.

@NeverDropYourMoonCup my doctor assessed it yesterday so I have been seen and bloods been taken (he acted like it wasn’t a big deal) just worried and want a second opinion. I do have health anxiety. I’ve had it for three weeks I am going to the walk in centre at 7am. If my symptoms worsen in the night I will be going straight there