Firstly it's not a rant…But

I'm in a A&E dept and have been for over an hour. There has not been another person in the waiting room for over an hour but still have not been seen. It's a really small hospital and thought if I come down early I would get seen pretty quickly.

Is this normal?

You never know what could be happening elsewhere in the hospital. Sit tight and they'll get to you at some point. It's fairly obvious that it's not an emergency or you would have gone straight to them.

Yes. Small hospital = not many staff on duty. One serious case = all the staff tied up. Thats one possibility. Serious cases don't go into the waiting room – they go straight into the main dept.

give it another 3hrs before your seen.

you can still type. its clearly not an emergency.

We're all in the back watching you on the CCTV camera, sniggering at you having booked in with a 'foreign body' and reading your posts on STW.

No it's not an emergency.

I asked the question at reception and was seen within 30secs.

I love our NHS.

No it's not an emergency.

What are you doing at an accident and emergency department then? Genuine question, I've always been intrigued as to why people turn up if even they think it's not an emergency..

+1

Might have been an accident, but then again it's called Accident & Emergency, not Accident or Emergency.

It actually stands for Anything and Everything….

oxnop – if its not an emergency, firstly why are you there? and they prioritise everyone, so if you're not bleeding to death be prepared to wait.

I went the other week to see if my wrist was broken after a nasty fall. 3 hour wait, but thats normal.

I took a blow to my head on Wednesday and have been deaf in my left ear since. Couldn't get into my Doc's and was advised by nhs direct to go to A&E on Wednesday but didn't want to go whilst I knew it would be busy.

So maybe emergency to some people but to me it's not.

The last time I went to A&E I had fractured my spine from being knocked over by a 4×4 whilst on my bike. The time before that I'd been climbing in Italy for 3 weeks and was coughing up blood – Id lost 2.5 stone during my trip I ended up having double pneumonia they were emergencies. Both times I didn't go to hospital on my own accord – I hate the places.

Does that answer your question Dr?

I find turning up in an ambulance with the blues and twos on means you get seen straight away 😉

That's an accident so fulfills the criteria… could also be a sign of a base of skull fracture and may earn you a CT of your head – depending on wht they find in your ears.

Still remarkable that you could wait to 3 days though but when it's an hour in the department you wondering if it's normal.

A+E – Alcohol and Exuberance

Oh and it would have been quieter on Wednesday as people or at work, bank holiday weekends are the busiest time. And for once I'm off on a bank holiday weekend. Well apart from the 4 hours I'm going in for later to looking after some jockies.

Oh and it would have been quieter on Wednesday as people or at work

How could it have been quieter, given the poster said there was no-one else there?

I'll echo the amusement of "3 days of your time" seems less than "1 hour of ours"?!

Oh well – to be honest it does seem like you warrant being there, given head injury etc.

Hospitals are keen to change the name from A+E to ED (emergency department) as not all accidents are emergencies!
Hope you're alright none the less!

DrP

You clearly don't consider it an emergency, that is probably obvious to them as well, only times I have been when I was in clear distress it took no time, when I was walking wounded and not in obvious distress (doc told me to go, he thought I had broken my wrist, I didn't, he was right 🙂 ) it has taken a while, never been alone waiting though…

and the diagnosis was?

Don't think he heard you, try the other side? 😉
(hopes it isn't actually too serious now he has typed that…)

I always take a book by a writer like Vikram Seth or Mohammed Hanif. Not only does it pass the time but if you're lucky enough to be seen by a doctor from the Indian sub-continent you will be treated like a king.

No one in the waiting room, a classic whine. Treatment rooms could be full.

Yesterday in church Streton, 9.30 am a young lad about 20 standing and holding his chest outside the local Drs surgery, walked past him and he didnt look well, so walked back past him a few minutes latter and he was almost doubled up in agony, said he had been in a car crash that morning and had hurt his ribs etc,and was waiting for the surgery to open and as it hadnt opened was waiting for his dad.

His dad then turned up and took him off, where as i would have just rang an ambulance and waited with him,just in case.

Grade 2 open compound fracture of the radius and a disclocated hand/wrist and they rushed me in straight away.
Maybe you're just not that poorly.

😉

"if you're lucky enough to be seen by a doctor from the Indian sub-continent you will be treated like a king."

strangely, my doc has never concerned himself with my reading material.

Effin ell Oxnop, you know when you wish you'd never asked…

How did it happen, Hope yer alright pal btw…

Genuine question, I've always been intrigued as to why people turn up if even they think it's not an emergency..

They've probably called 'single point access' for advice and been dragged in by the ambulance crew who received it as a 'Cat A'. 😉

Genuine question, I've always been intrigued as to why people turn up if even they think it's not an emergency..

Well last couple of times I went neither was an emergency – the question is where else was I supposed to go to get my wrist x-rayed, or to get the big Stanley knife gash in my leg closed up?

Typical NHS attitude displayed by the Dr's, Nurses and Paramedics above no doubt. Bloody patients, pain in the arse all of them.

Patient Care? Patient, I Don't Care more like

bruneep – Member
and the diagnosis was?

perforated eardrum

fackit – Member
Effin ell Oxnop, you know when you wish you'd never asked…

How did it happen, Hope yer alright pal btw…

I have felt ok – I didn't tell Sarah until this morning (she made sure I went to A&E once she found out) but it's been really annoying whilst at work – i've felt strangely claustrophobic and a little odd since my hearing went.

I bought a jump bike on Monday (stupid i know @ 25) and had a slight accident on my first outing 😳

Are you out tomorrow Dave? (we are meeting in Hebden)

Well last couple of times I went neither was an emergency – the question is where else was I supposed to go to get my wrist x-rayed, or to get the big Stanley knife gash in my leg closed up?

Minor Injuries.

perforated eardrum

OW! Hope it mends soon.

Typical NHS attitude displayed by the Dr's, Nurses and Paramedics above no doubt. Bloody patients, pain in the arse all of them.

Nah! Genuinely ill patients are ok, time wasters are pains in the areas.

OW! Hope it mends soon.

I hope so too – we are flying to indonesia in 6 weeks and have lots of diving planned!

Well I've just spent an hour or so in Perth A and E with mr CM after a bikey fall and despite a 7 person RTA they saw him pretty quickly, stitched him up, dud some oher tests and apologised when we were leaving saying it wasn't usually that busy. Cracking service Id say 🙂

perforated eardrum

🙄

I've had a PE since I was a lad, you'll live.

Typical NHS attitude displayed

Where ??

Minor Injuries.

That's where I went with the Stanley knife – hadn't realised that was distinct enough and allowed. Could have gone there for the wrist too I discovered and would have done had I known, but they'd only recently opened and I didn't think they had x-ray – a month or two earlier I'd certainly not have had the option, so what would my alternative to A&E been then?

Once I was there for 6 hrs when a friend was seriously ill.

Myself after a car accident-I was checked within 15 minutes.

If they are busy then you will have to wait and if its not life theatening etc.

Read the womens magazine and readers digest form 2004?