Using A & E to see a specialist?

jenniewb

Enterprise_1701C wrote: »

Personally I think they should have the right to say to minor cases that will simply heal or need no treatment, that they should just go and make an appointment with their GP.

They do- or they are supposed to if they are not currently. A&E are only there to patch you up and send you on your way with the advice to see your GP if it doesn't get better.
They are not there to treat, just patch up and make something safe or roadsworthy, you may find people getting scans and whatever to ensure something is safe (eg no broken bones beneath the surface after a big fall or RTA but there would need to be sound reason for a scan of that nature) and even if there is a break, the only "treatment" as such will be making sure it's safe and not likely to break further (so maybe a plaster cast) but in terms of repairing something which would require a specialist and the same for diagnosing something which is not immediate or life-and-death, you'll just get told to make an appointment with your GP so he/she can refer you and have wasted multiple hours in the process. A&E are simply not able to refer you, even if your condition is chronic and built up over time. Unless you are unsafe to go home (very bad pneumonia or something) they wont keep you in to treat you or operate on you but that really does fit the bill of it being an emergency.
If A&Es are treating things which are not life or death emergencies rather than just sticking a plaster on it (metaphorically or literally), then they are not sticking to the rules!


It also may be worth noting that quite a few A&Es also run a duty Doctor service. This is not the same as A&E and is basicly a GP based in a hospital and is designed for those who cannot get an appointment or are unable to get time away from work/child care..etc. They can prescribe things like antibiotics and longer term medication (which is unlike A&E), they can't do more than assess, I don't know if they can refer without your GPs agreement (because the funding for that referral has to come from your GPs surgery and they obviously would need the agreement of your GP first to do this- which would not be practical for many reasons. But can contact your GP with the information they have and possible suggestions. They are not the same as A&E but do sometimes sit within A&Es.

Red-Squirrel_2

ringo_24601 wrote: »

From what my wife's told me about life in A&E - you're better to see a GP than an A&E doctor, for many things. You won't access a specialist this way either (unless you actually need one to stop you dying).

Yeah, A&E is a great way to see a specialist cardiologist if you're having a heart attack, or a specialist neurosurgeon if you've had a massive head injury, or a specialist vascular surgeon if you've cut your foot off with a chainsaw.

Otherwise, what you're going to get is sent home and a letter to your GP advising them to refer you if needed!

Starrystarrynight1

Do you have an issue with your current GP, OP? Or have you just been listening to silly gossip? If you do have a problem with your current GP, then you should see about registering with an alternative practice whose catchment area you live in.

If you have something you don't feel a GP can deal with, you are going to need to discuss the issue in detail with a GP first. You might even need to follow a recognised path of initial treatments first before your GP will refer you to a hospital. I read recently that some areas have all their GP referrals sent to a special unit where they're reviewed and it is this unit who decides if the referral can then go forward to the hospital. If this is true, then I'd think as much pertinent information as possible would need to go with the referral.

I don't know about others, but I was quite angry to read your original post. A&E is busy enough without blatant time wasters. Please do not do this.

teddysmum

The checking of GPs' referrals was in the media, but I can't remember whether it was in the pipeline or just a recommendation.

textbook

GPs are ok for most things but when something serious and chronic but non-life threatening crops up, the UK system isn't great. It might be great in other areas. They are wonderful for many things.


In most countries you refer yourself to the specialist and preferably a recommended one and one who is specialised in your specific area of problem. Let me illustrate the this, I had prostatitis and was told by a load of Brits (I am British) but lived abroad so can compare our system with the ones abroad that NHS is a waste of time for the condition. You need to see a good urologist who takes an interest in the problem to get anywhere with this. In Britain this is a problem because GPs are not capable of helping you. If you get referred the chances are the urologist can't help you. So you go private well - it costs £170 to see a specialist pricately for 20 mins. What a waste of money! A guy I spoke to with this condition (living in the UK) said the medical system in Turkey is better, what he means is he paid £30 to see a specialist so he could see three before he made progress with his prostatitis. Because of the cost of going privately in the UK many Brits can't afford it. Can you see the problem I am trying to point out?


Prostatitis is just an example. There are many other conditions where it would be better for me take control and decide who to see about a medical issue, but find doing this challenging in the UK.

pmduk

In the UK you now have more choice over who you get referred to. (NHS Choose and Book) Using a GP means your referral should contain all necessary medical history and notes,

However, you are so fixated, I suspect that no matter what evidence is presented you'll have friends who know otherwise!

adandem

Red-Squirrel wrote: »

Yeah, A&E is a great way to see a specialist cardiologist if you're having a heart attack, or a specialist neurosurgeon if you've had a massive head injury, or a specialist vascular surgeon if you've cut your foot off with a chainsaw.

Otherwise, what you're going to get is sent home and a letter to your GP advising them to refer you if needed!

I was sent home from A&E and told to go back to GP over an Easter holiday a few years ago. Not wanting to cause any trouble, I went home with a bag of morphine for the pain.
I had to get a GP home visit as soon as they were open as o could barely move due to the pain. I was then admitted and required emergency surgery for an ovarian torsion and appendicitis. Both can be life threatening.
Needless to say I have little or no faith in my local A&E department and it's not always advisable to wait for a GP referral.

C_Mababejive

The real danger is that if a GP takes a conservative approach to your malady, it might get misdiagnosed due to the limits of the GPs knowledge and lack of diagnostic equipment. You might then advance and be in a worse position when finally diagnosed ie premature death.

All the kit is at the hospital.

Do you want to gamble?

GPs have their own budgets to manage. Maybe they are influenced by this?

LadyDee

In my area we are very fortunate to have an Urgent Care Centre for "urgent but not life-threatening" and if you can't wait to see a GP or get an appointment immediately it's invaluable.

Mainly staffed by specialist nurses but a qualified doctor is also on site.

I've had occasion to use it when I needed fast attention to a nasty wound which in all conscience I couldn't possibly call life-threatening, but certainly needed treatment quickly. Dealt with by nurse, GP is informed by the unit and follow-up care by my own surgery.

I can't speak highly enough of this service, and coupled with advice from a local pharmacist when needed, even GP visits are kept to a minimum.

Every town should have one.

C_Mababejive

Governments dont care who dies. It can sometimes make economic sense if certain groups die