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Original poster

Left A&E, Not sure I've done the right thing

172 replies

Perfect28 · 13/08/2022 21:59

My 17mo fell out of his pushchair head first on to concrete. about a minute before I said we don't need to strap him in he will be fine. Well he got excited and rocked forward. A massive bump and bruise came up quickly, we called 999 who said to go to hospital. We went and we were not even triaged in nearly two hours. Child seems normal, responsive, alert, no longer in obvious pain. We left and he is now asleep. I will sleep next to him and keep a close eye. Have read all the things to watch out for. Now lying here feeling awful. First it was my fault he wasn't strapped in (lesson well and truly learnt!!) But secondly for leaving before being seen. Advice welcome, and stories of bumped heads too!

The guilt is awful and I feel really anxious.

OP posts:
Qwettyiiop · 14/08/2022 11:42

All the holier than thou types on here are just nuts. So none of your kids ever had an accident from a moment of your inattention or forgetfulness? Or maybe it was you just didn't notice your kid had had an accident.

OnTheRunWithMannyMontana · 14/08/2022 11:43

InquiringMinds · 14/08/2022 11:40

OP not sure where you are but if you did that where we live in England, you would have police at your front door 😡 You cannot just leave emergency, you have to be discharged. We normally have a six hour or longer wait! Ring the hospital now!

Calm down and read the OP!! They weren't even triaged and she did not have to wait for a discharge.

Bloody scaremongering again!

Looneytune253 · 14/08/2022 11:54

InquiringMinds · 14/08/2022 11:40

OP not sure where you are but if you did that where we live in England, you would have police at your front door 😡 You cannot just leave emergency, you have to be discharged. We normally have a six hour or longer wait! Ring the hospital now!

That's not true at all. I've left a&e before with no further action. Don't be a drama queen and stop scaremongering

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InquiringMinds · 14/08/2022 11:58

It’s not a case of making her feel bad, in our area we are as adults not allowed to just leave Emergency without being discharged. We attempted to one night after not being seen for hours and thankfully a nurse spotted as and politely told us the police would be sent to our home if we just left. Head injuries especially are flagged.

Widily · 14/08/2022 11:59

InquiringMinds · 14/08/2022 11:58

It’s not a case of making her feel bad, in our area we are as adults not allowed to just leave Emergency without being discharged. We attempted to one night after not being seen for hours and thankfully a nurse spotted as and politely told us the police would be sent to our home if we just left. Head injuries especially are flagged.

I’ve worked in ED for many years.

This is utter bollocks

willingtolearn · 14/08/2022 13:44

@Widily

Totally agree.

There are circumstances where Police might be asked to follow up a patient who has left, but this is likely to be where there are genuine concerns for their welfare (and/or the welfare of others).

ShaneTwane · 14/08/2022 14:11

InquiringMinds · 14/08/2022 11:58

It’s not a case of making her feel bad, in our area we are as adults not allowed to just leave Emergency without being discharged. We attempted to one night after not being seen for hours and thankfully a nurse spotted as and politely told us the police would be sent to our home if we just left. Head injuries especially are flagged.

This is bollocks. A&E isn't a prison. You are free to leave any time you want to. It may be flagged to SS or a health visitor if it's a child with a particularly serious illness or injury, but then again if it was that serious they wouldn't be waiting for hours anyway.

Whattodooo90 · 14/08/2022 14:11

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Looneytune253 · 14/08/2022 14:42

InquiringMinds · 14/08/2022 11:58

It’s not a case of making her feel bad, in our area we are as adults not allowed to just leave Emergency without being discharged. We attempted to one night after not being seen for hours and thankfully a nurse spotted as and politely told us the police would be sent to our home if we just left. Head injuries especially are flagged.

You're talking absolute rubbish lol. Myself and a few others have told you categorically that it's not true but you still insist on it

Looneytune253 · 14/08/2022 14:43

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If it does get reported to health visitor (standard practice) or social services (doubtful) a quick phone call will sort it out and she can carry on with her normal business. The dramatics on here are crazy

Original poster
Perfect28 · 14/08/2022 15:22

Whattodoo that's so rude and completely not what I said.

OP posts:
wellhelloitsme · 14/08/2022 15:24

InquiringMinds · 14/08/2022 11:58

It’s not a case of making her feel bad, in our area we are as adults not allowed to just leave Emergency without being discharged. We attempted to one night after not being seen for hours and thankfully a nurse spotted as and politely told us the police would be sent to our home if we just left. Head injuries especially are flagged.

This literally isn't true.

Why are you stating something so confidently that is absolutely false?

Whatever happened to you on that one occasion, it's absolutely not NHS policy so it's bizarre you're saying it is...

mattressspring · 14/08/2022 15:57

InquiringMinds · 14/08/2022 11:58

It’s not a case of making her feel bad, in our area we are as adults not allowed to just leave Emergency without being discharged. We attempted to one night after not being seen for hours and thankfully a nurse spotted as and politely told us the police would be sent to our home if we just left. Head injuries especially are flagged.

Pish.

itsgettingweird · 14/08/2022 16:13

Most people would t even go to a and e in the first place.

I didn't for every bumped head ds had.

They literally check the child for signs of concussion (which you can do yourself) and give you a leaflet telling you to return if they have any signs of concussion!

itsgettingweird · 14/08/2022 16:16

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Seriously?

SS will ask op.

Op can say she misjudged his safety. He fell and worried so called 999. After 2 hours in a and e she realised her ds was fine and the hospital didn't try and prevent her leaving.

So rather than wait for a printed leaflet telling her what signs of concussion to look out for and being sent home - she went home and watched for signs of concussion.

Really no need to be so rude

RafaistheKingofClay · 14/08/2022 16:19

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Projecting much?

There's no reason why any parent whose child isn't at risk should be particularly worried by a routine referral that will almost certainly be closed as soon as it is opened. Assuming the OP doesn't have a long history of referrals that she isn't disclosing, then she's right, SS will just be doing their job to check that the child isn't at risk.

Triotriotrio · 17/08/2022 15:15

Bluelightbaby · 14/08/2022 00:26

What trust do you work for ? I’m frontline ambulance and this is not policy in our trust

Show quote history

Clearly not the same one as you. I just checked our paediatric policy and it is very clear about this. If you feel that the patient needs medical attention and the parents refuse it's a referral.

InquiringMinds · 17/08/2022 15:26

Widily · 14/08/2022 11:59

I’ve worked in ED for many years.

This is utter bollocks

Show quote history

@Widily My other half was with me and her the nurse say the same thing. Why the H do you think I would make that up?

We weren’t taking any chances. One of my closest friends is a neonatologist for the NHS at the same hospital and agreed with the nurse.

Having family in the force, I wasn’t going to do something illegal.

PinotPony · 17/08/2022 15:43

Illegal?! I'd love to know what legislation makes it a criminal offence to leave A&E. As some who works in a medico-legal setting, I can assure you this is simply not true regardless of what you were told by a nurse.

mattressspring · 17/08/2022 15:58

It's not illegal to leave hospital even when you are admitted, never mind when you are just waiting to be seen. If you have family in the force I'm sure they will be able to confirm this for you.

wellhelloitsme · 17/08/2022 15:59

@InquiringMinds

Having family in the force, I wasn’t going to do something illegal.

But it isn't illegal.

Why are you saying it is?

If someone 'in the force' has told you that, it's very worrying as it's absolutely not true.

InquiringMinds · 17/08/2022 16:01

@PinotPony I believe you and the other commentor, however, we were both exhausted and didn’t want to argue. We have never used that hospital’s A & E again. Feeling intimidated when in severe pain is not something I want to go through again. If it wasn’t for Mumsnet I wouldn’t have known she was lying. No idea why my friend backed her up.

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