I'm always monaing about the NHS: today I'm going to PRAISE A&E

[Jimjams2]

Details in a thread here , but this week I have had to take ds1 up to A&E twice. He is 7 years old and has severe autism. He can't talk and certainly can't wait. The staff were wonderful. We were given real VIP treatment. No waiting. Today we were called through before I'd even finished giving our details to the receptionist. We didn't have to ask- we were just given the extra help.

The nursing sister helping us today has an autistic child herself (I've met her a few times) and she was brilliant. She even donned a lead apron and helped me and dh hold him down for some x-rays- which went well beyond the call of duty I thought.

We've been told we can go back anytime and he'll be seen immediately by a senior consultant.

Truly, they were excellent.

Glad to read of a positive experience. I hope your DS is better.

Message withdrawn

Oh JJ, thats brilliant.

Sorry DS has had to make the trip in the first place though.

Excellent news Jimjams - as a nurse i'm always mortified when people come up with "horror" stories of NHS. I suspect your VIP treatment was solely due to Senior Nurses personal experience of a child with SN though - I know it has affected how I work. But whatever, get helpful treatment where you can, its still good to hear.

They were great on Friday as well when she wasn't there. The triage nurse put us highest priority without us having to ask, and the consultant was lovely on Friday as well.

I think our A&E must be pretty good - they've been good with ds2 and ds3 as well in the past, but ds1 was defintiely given star treatment. Understanding the whole inability to wait thing really helped.

JJ, I have been following the other thread and was so impressed with the standard of care you got at A&E - what a difference it must make!

We didn't even wwait for an x ray- walked from A&E- straight in (which I was pleased about as there was a sign up saying "recovery area- please be queit" and had visions of giving someone a nightmare coming round from a GA.

he did whip back someone's cubicle curtain- I was too busy trying to shut it to work out whether they were having anything embarrassing done to them!

Oh JJ - I've been e-mailing you non-stop about my school dilemma and I didn't realise you were going through this. I'm sorry - I rarely look at the Health threads (I'm crossing every part of my body as I type that). Hope DS1 recovers and doesn't need any more treatment, but great that hospital staff were so sensitive. If I had a pound for the number of times medical people have shaken toys in DS2's face to try to distract him I'd be a wealthy woman...

Don't be daft sphil! - DS1 hasn't slowed down at all- once he gets out of the hospital he seems to quite enjoy his visits there iyswim. He was quite keen to go back yesterday! Seems to think its a day out

I was so grateful to the nurse for saying "distraction doesn't generally work" because like you I've had years of fixed grin trying to get someone to stop waving a toy in his face. The way she did it- over her shoulder whilst wrestling with ds1 was just great as well.

Still hobbling this morning, although less swollen I think.

I think it should be a rule that every A+E dept should employ someone who has an autistic child . Glad he seems to be on the mend. Pmsl about him wanting to go back - do you think he's after another Mcdonalds?

Btw, video is nearly done - sorry haven't sent any yet but am dependent on DH to download and he's away atm. Had a brilliant 'teasing' interaction with a 16 month old boy with Down Syndrome at playgroup today - made me realise (again) how different DS2's communication is.

Well done to the A&E staff. I'm glad mini-JJ is on the mend too.

I'm glad it went as well as poss in the circumstances and hope ds1 feels better soon.

Do you think the NHS is starting to 'get it'? My ds is having a GA for dental treatment tomorrow and I've received a letter this morning from the consultant community paediatrician asking me to ring her if I would like her to arrange blood tests while he is unconscious to save him future trauma. Apparently the school nurse thought it might be a good opportunity to check iron levels etc as his diet is quite limited. Am still stunned at their efficiency and forward-thinking!

Phoned straight away to say "yes PLEASE" as I still remember the last blood test he had . And he's twice as big now.

They also automatically put him first on the list for tomorrow without me having to ask, which was nice.

Just read your other thread and what a relief it must have been to come across someone who was so understanding of the problems you face with your ds. Feel like she deserves some sort of reward

Pixel all the best for tomorrow. Sounds like you've got a good bunch of people looking after your ds

Thank you .

oh that's good pixel.

ds1 still hobbling, but swelling is going down and he is moving better on it, so its healing. Phew.

Glad it's you who had a positive experience, JJ (sounds all wrong but YKWIM).

Jimjams, we may be getting a childrens a&e at D hosp. Hope the staff you saw work there if it goes through!

Oh I saw that, about the children's hospital. Would be good.

Well, ds is now minus 7 teeth after a day I never want to repeat. Suffice to say, that by the time the anesthetist came in and said "oh I see ds is second on the list" I was at the end of my tether. I said (through gritted teeth no doubt ) that I had been promised he would be first, and I must have looked a bit grim because the next thing I knew ds was first again. Perhaps they just couldn't wait to get rid of us!