My experience of A&E

bugslett

fred246 wrote: »

The triage nurse said "wait to see the doctor". The OP said " no thanks. I am going home". In what way did the triage nurse get it wrong?

It does sound like a terrible booking in system with some small notice, I'd immediately have gone to reception as well, but I would also have waited for the other four patients to be seen as well.


Mr Bugs was in a care home and was rushed one Friday evening into hospital, Whiston near Liverpool. I had visions of chaos and a long wait, instead of which it was exceptionally clean, he was in a spacious side ward with four beds. He was the only occupant at 19.00 and a doctor came out and assessed him in around an hour and around two hours later he was taken to a ward. The two hours were fine, he was in a proper bed with people around.

I often wonder if it's where you are that makes the difference. I think the city centre hospitals are under too much pressure.

theoretica

Manxman_in_exile wrote: »

No - I think you are missing the point. If you'd read all my posts you would see that my main point is I don't believe I was appropriately triaged in E&A. (In fact I think they should have sent me to Minor Injuries and Urgent Treatment in the first place). Of course I do not know this, but it is what I think. But I may very well be mistaken.

The minor injuries near me would not have been right for you - it deals in injuries that are a step beyond the first aid box - cuts that need cleaning and stitches, the simpler sorts of broken bones, infected wounds... I believe it does not admit people to hospital beds. It does significantly reduce the Accidents at what was A&E, leaving it for Emergencies.

Murphybear

humptydumptybits wrote: »

It was Devon Doctors who saw my son and arranged for the emergency treatment he received. I couldn't have been more impressed. As the drama unfolded I was thinking everyone who moans about the NHS should see this. Perhaps we are particularly blessed in Devon? A friend was visiting from the city we come from and whilst here had a heart attack, not his first, and he was amazed at the level of care.

I had my knee replaced in the RD & E, their Orthopaedic Department was very impressive. It took 17 weeks from seeing the Consultant to having the op:D

Mrs_Ryan

Cyclizine wrote: »

This has nothing to do with what the OP did. The Emergency Department is for emergencies, as what you described was. If you'd tried to make a GP appointment, you'd've been told to go to the ED.

I was replying to a post that was in turn a reply to an earlier post...

euronorris

lincroft1710 wrote: »

I was told by a doctor I saw in A & E last year that if you ring 111 they nearly always advise you to go to A & E. He didn't seem to be impressed by the service.

Yes, I believe this happens frequently. We haven't had it happen, but they obviously follow a script of questions and if you answer yes to particular ones, their script tells you to head straight to A&E. In reality, a large number of those cases would have been better served by an out of hours GP appointment. But it's very difficult to be sure of that when you are triaging via the phone, so I guess they just err on the side of caution.


We've never had them send us to A&E, but they did send us to out of hours GP when DD (2.5) had croup earlier this year. She was struggling to breathe at one point and it was terrifying! So, whilst we didn't need A&E for her, if she hadn't improved quickly I would've simply called an ambulance! I can see how many parents would rush straight to A&E in those instances (and indeed in some cases, it IS required).


Additionally, I know there are plenty of people who go to A&E simply because they don't want to wait until the next day with their baby/toddler. But likewise, I know there are others who take them with good reason, not just a 'high fever that can be solved with calpol'. My sister ended up taking one of my nieces once as her fever had spiked so high, even with calpol and baby nurofen, that she was having febrile convulsions. So I just want to put it out there to people that not all parents are over reacting.

halogen

I have issues with my local 'emergency department' as well. I occasionally get episodes of uvitius/iritus and I need to quickly establish if it's inflammation and I need steroids or infection and I need antibiotics. I have been told by NHS24 to go to A&E when it happens.

My local emergency department seems convinced that specsavers can establish this and provide approprite medications, rather than me seeing the opthamologist in the hospital building, who has the right kit.

Specsavers simply send me on a 6 hour round trip to the eye hospital for a 3 hour wait and a 5 min assessment. This is a problem as public transport is rubbish and I can't drive if I can't see.

euronorris

Sadly our A&E department isn't open overnight anymore. Hasn't been for a couple of years now (I think), and I suspect that it is more a case of when it will close down completely, rather than if. We've, fortunately, never needed it but I dread to think of a time when we do and we have to go to Bristol instead. Depending on the time of day, all it takes is one accident on the M5 and traffic comes to a standstill, even via other routes to Bristol. There was a nasty accident last year - fuel tanker turned over spilling fuel over all three lanes of the motorway. All had to be resurfaced. Took all day. All roads and routes were completely gridlocked from about 7am until 10pm!

unforeseen

halogen wrote: »

I have issues with my local 'emergency department' as well. I occasionally get episodes of uvitius/iritus and I need to quickly establish if it's inflammation and I need steroids or infection and I need antibiotics. I have been told by NHS24 to go to A&E when it happens.

My local emergency department seems convinced that specsavers can establish this and provide approprite medications, rather than me seeing the opthamologist in the hospital building, who has the right kit.

Specsavers simply send me on a 6 hour round trip to the eye hospital for a 3 hour wait and a 5 min assessment. This is a problem as public transport is rubbish and I can't drive if I can't see.

I think the problem there is NHS24 rater than ED. It is a very rare ED that has an ophthalmologist on duty or even on call. The eye hospital is The place that will have the specialists that you need available for quick diagnosis.

EDs will only have consultants available for immediate life threatening problems such as Cardio etc.

humptydumptybits

unforeseen wrote: »

I think the problem there is NHS24 rater than ED. It is a very rare ED that has an ophthalmologist on duty or even on call. The eye hospital is The place that will have the specialists that you need available for quick diagnosis.

EDs will only have consultants available for immediate life threatening problems such as Cardio etc.

I think it depends on the hospital. When I had a sudden eye problem I phoned NHS24 and they said it could be my retina detaching and asked if there was anyone who could get me to A&E, I had so off we went. When we got there I was triaged and Registrar came down from ward and I was examined given advice and an appointment to see a Specialist as when they looked in my eye they could see it wasn't an emergency but if it had been an emergency I would have been admitted for surgery. The nearest eye hospital is 30 miles away. Actually thinking about it we went to the same hospital when one of our children had an eye problem and A&E doctor looked at it and said she needed a specialist and we were sent to the appropriate ward and she was admitted for surgery.


The A&E didn't have an ophthalmologist but could call on that department, same as when I went in with suspected heart attack the A&E doctor called someone down from the cardiology ward. I thought that was how it would work in most hospitals unless they don't actually have specialist for that specialism.

BananaRepublic

I went to Basingstoke hospital when I had suspected retinal detachment and they did not have an ophthalmologist available at 4 am. I believe Camberley did. Southampton has one during the day.