hmmmmmmmmmmm

Sagaris

I had similar when I worked in A&E Tygermoth - I was a receptionist and all the complaints (and there were many!) were directed at us.

One night we were having a terrible time, bad car crashes, asthma/heart attacks, serious assaults - majors was full to bursting. An idiot who had been waiting to have his 6 week old stitches removed (although he'd been given a clinic appointment to have them taken out) kept hassling us and was getting more and more abusive - it was 1am in the morning by now! The head receptionist (a bit of a dragon) got fed up with him, and he came up to the desk to give us a bit more abuse - she stepped out and grabbed him by the arm, dragged him into majors and showed him ond of the car crash victims being very aggressively resuscitated - and said 'There you are - THAT'S an emergency - what do you think?' He went very quiet and scuttled away - I assume he went to the GP after all. Possibly not the best way to have handled the situation, but it sorted him out!

vicki83

2 weeks ago i woke in the middle of the night and my lip was about 3 times its normal size, ive had allergies before but at 4am it never occurred to me that this is what it was so I phoned NHSD and the nurse phoned back within 10 minutes and asked me if i was aware i was talking funny TBH i still think I was half asleep the next thing I know she's sending an ambulance and I'm thinking woah overreaction love......the ambulance took me in with sirens and lights and i was given all sorts of via IV and it all passed in a bit of a blur.

When I eventually came out of my sleep bubble it was 4pm in the afternoon my dad was sat at the side of me looking v worried and my first words were 'they've overreacted a bit haven't they!' and he went mental! Apparently by the time I'd got to hospital the swelling was down my neck and I couldn't swallow properly and they got the intubation tray out ready.....needless to say I am very grateful for the woman I spoke to at NHSD who insisted on an ambulance because I wanted to get a taxi as like many other people on this thread I am of the 'leave the ambulances for the really sick'.

I now carry antihistamines with me every where and I have to go to an allergy clinic to find out what caused it. Whilst I was in a&e my dad said there were people kicking off left right and centre and one woman had come in because she had a sore throat after 4 hours of her shouting and swearing at the staff was given 2 paracetamol and sent home. Once on the ward there was a woman who kept disappearing and they had to keep ringing the police to bring her back!
I have the up most respect for medical staff especially those that work in a&e because nobody should have to put up with the abuse and misuse of services that some people seem to think they are entitled to regardless of if anyone else is in a worse situation than themselves.....that's me off my soap box!

Tygermoth

vicki83 - glad you made a full recovery.

I should mention that the world seems split into two types of people where A&E (or ambulances) are concerned.

1. Better be careful and call an ambulance/go to A&E anyway

2. I am not ill enough for ambulance/go to A&E

The 2. Are normally the ones that need the care!

I have had people call ambulances for the silliest of reasons (one lady felt as she paid taxes the ambulance could take her to her hair appointment.....an emergency?! of course it was an emergency.. she was late for the appointment).

On the flip side have people walk in to A&E after taking a taxi with massive stab wounds as they did not want to take an ambulance away from 'someone who might need it'


([FONT=&quot]I should apologise to the OP at this point, Sorry for taking your thread off topic... also in no way am I suggesting you of being anything like any of the people I have discussed. [/FONT]. )

heretolearn_2

ha, I was a number 2. Somehow I managed to drive home one-handed in so much agony with broken wrist that I was crying the whole way (bad enough to need an operation to put a plate in), and then sat at home with a pack of frozen peas sitting on it to numb it/reduce the swelling, telling myself it was just a bad sprain. It wasn't until my OH got home an hour or so later that he then dragged me off to A&E.

loulou123

My husband suffered 2 separate collapsed lungs a few years ago and on the 2nd occasion was adament he wasn't "wasting" an ambulance, when he could go In a taxi!

We went via taxi, and when he walked into a&e and the reception heard what was wrong he was whisked straight into resuscitation - his lung had collapsed and his heart was in distress.....from just a glance at him tho he looked fine - walking etc. About 50% of the people waiting in a&e started to moan that be "clearly wasn't that ill" and he "proberly knew one of the staff!" couldn't believe people could be so rude, especially when he was suffering a medical emergency, just because he wasn't limping!

I would never moan about the wait in a&e, I'm just glad that I'm capable of wanting to moan sometimes, as the patients you dont see (who are really poorly) would love to be one of those well enough to wait for treatment.

jackie_w

hi,

I think the hospital dealt with the situation in the proper way. Your breathing wasn't affected, you werent in any danger.

my son has a nut allergy and I have to carry antihistamine and an epi pen with me. there have been a few occasions where he has had hives, been sick had diahorrea and sweats but hasn't eaten an nuts (the reactions have always for some strange reason happened first thing in the morning) and I've never been seen by a hospital for that.
They are only interested if his face or lips start to swell or if his lips turn a different colour, if his voice starts to sound hoarse or he stops breathing (thankfully the stopping breathing has never happened).

[Deleted User]

So glad it worked out all right for your hubby loulou.

I had a minor MI in November. Life has been ever so slightly stressful lately and last week I was feeling worse and worse. The previous evening I had pains in my left arm and chest, took a couple of hours for the GTN to work but it did eventually. After another blow up with the iffy landlord I am trying to deal with, it all started up again the next night. I was driven to A&E. I am an ex nurse so I was very clear with the receptionist, and the nursing staff that I was pretty sure I wasn't having another heart attack but I was feeling a bit unwell and thought it was probably more sensible to get it checked out than leave it.

So u've guessed it.., I was taken straight to majors, assessed, dripped up and transferred to an assessment ward. I was highly embarrassed because it did seem like I was wasting resources that shouldn't be wasted but I could see the staff's point, if u've had one MI.., things need to be checked out. I hadn't thought it was possible for me to be having an MI last November lol., so what do I know? It turned out to be angina .., so I was discharged the next day. I was told to go back anytime I had similiar symptoms because they did need assessing but as to whether I will, I don't know. I felt unwell, but obviously I wasn't.., and I could have stopped someone who is seriously ill getting a bed when I didn't really really need it.

It can sometimes be difficult to decide if u really need to use up A&E time or a bed. BUT

I agree with the suggestions made here, anyone with allergy problems should be aware that u can go to an all night supermarket and get over the counter stuff that will help with all but the most severe symptoms. My son can get it quite badly.., I get medication from the doctor, have shop bought stuff available if needed and its pretty easy to find a 24 hour supermarket with a smart phone. If u'd have been having breathing problems, its a different matter of course but u showed no signs of this. The allergy reaction was confined to a rash, albeit a very uncomfortable one.

Mrs.W_2

Most late night corner shops sell at least one form of antihistamine tablets. My local corner shop does.

Best advice; Buy one of those little silver pill capsules that attach to your keychain, and keep all your emergency tabs close!

Twice last year unexpected allergy reactions, that would not respond to the meds I had on me (my handbag is med heavy!), had me in A&E.

Last Nov - in reaction to being a passenger in a car that, unbeknownst to me, was regularly used to transport dogs - I had an instant asthma attack, I could not talk, had to scrawl a note asking to be driven to A&E. Luckily, the driver told reception what was happening after I lurched in through the door, because my vision went grey and I passed out.

After a few hours, I was well enough to go home. The people I saw in adjoining cubicles need the time and attention of A&E staff a great deal more than me!

While I was waiting to be given the ok to go home, a lady in her 70's who'd broken her leg had me in tears. She kept apologising for 'being silly'!

My major feeling about using A&E is guilt. Huge guilt! At my age, I ought to know to ask the questions I need answers to in order to live healthly.

OP, carry your meds! Allergies only worsen with age.

vicki83

so i'm not the only one who avoids a&e at all costs! i used to have very bad asthma attacks and always thought if i just sit quietly and take my inhaler it will pass and i will be well enough to go to gp in the morning (why do these things always happen at night!) i remember one time that i thought ok this isn't getting better and i tried to phone a taxi and they kept putting the phone down on me because i couldn't get my breath and they must have thought i was trying to make a dirty phone call :rotfl:had no credit on my phone to text anybody so had to put on facebook for someone to ring me.....my friend 300 miles away rung me and had to phone the ambulance for me and i don't remember anything past opening the door to the paramedic i was out of it for over 24 hours with all the steroids i was given and apparently didn't even recognise my own dad at one point!