Couple of months ago I waited in A&E for 2 hours before I got to triage. Thursday evening of half term. 10pm. Slow stream of customers with pans stuck on heads, drug overdoses, etc. Sign on the wall saying “we aim to see you within 15 minutes”.

But what was a bit bizarre was that I’d been seen by an out of hours gp in the same building and he’d sent me to A&E with stats of 91% 02 and 120bpm. When I say the same building, I mean the entrances are 50m apart.

As an outsider it’s baffling to access 111, gp phone, gp face to face, and still have to wait for 2 hours to see a nurse. And 5 minutes after sitting down with said nurse I was in resus being canulated and sticky pads shoved all over my chest. Cue 2 nights in hospital (chest infection, pneumonia, sepsis) and a very guilty wife (“its just a cough”).

Care was fab. Staff fantastic.
Even the food was ok ish! But where’s the joined up thinking? Really curious about the whole process really especially if the sepsis hadn’t have been caught early.

alric – Member
where are you?
can we get a database of A&E waiting times?
with best /worst visiting times?
currently deciding between waiting till morning on bank hol.
I always wear eye protection after getting a metal spilnterdug out of my eyeball

I wouldn’t waste your time, it’s a total lottery – some depts tend to be a bit better than others but for the most part they’re staffed and equipped based on previous data – the ‘lottery element’ is weather every kid in 40 miles has had a week off putting their heads in pans or whether a coach of old people has skid off the road 30 mins before you arrived.

I’ve never waited longer than 10 mins, but I’ve been ‘lucky’ enough to turn up in the process of bleeding out and a few years later with suspected meningitis – didn’t really seem to stop moving.

but I am hoping to get a bike stand soon, and I plan on getting into the habit of putting safety specs on whenever I put a bike in the stand.

Reeeeeeeeally? Do you put ear defenders on whenever you use a track pump too, in case they blow up?!

Broke my elbow two years ago. Tuesday morning and I went through A&E, X-ray and seen by nurse to have sling put on in less than forty fine minutes. I couldn’t believe how quick it was. Brilliant staff too

I’ll admit I’m a bit of a hypocrite, because I do not usually wear safety specs when I am working on my bikes, but I am hoping to get a bike stand soon, and I plan on getting into the habit of putting safety specs on whenever I put a bike in the stand.

That’s a piss-take…….. right?

and I plan on getting into the habit of putting safety specs on whenever I put a bike in the stand.

Wouldn’t you have to littetary wear goggles all the time if that’s your assessment of the risk when working on your bike?

Rich_S

It can be confusing but its simple if you look at the info provided.

It seems in your case that the GP failed to inform them you were coming, you should have been a priority with those symptoms. Of course I’m only basing that on your info.

A&E waiting times vary by a huge amount – I’ve waited three hours but also been seen in twenty minutes. Eight years ago I fell off when solo rock climbing in the Peak – broke my wrist; dislocated my elbow and fractured a couple of vertebrae. Walked 3Km back to car, mate drove me to A&E at Northern General in Sheffield.

I’m sat there shaking while people popped in and out of Triage. Given the amount of time they were in there the conversation must have been along the lines of: “You’ve scratched your finger, go to Boots and get some antiseptic wipes”. I must have looked so bad that people around me were going to the reception desk, pointing at me and saying “Can you get him seen to”! Once in Triage it was “What have you done?” “Fallen off when climbing” Within a couple of minutes I was on a stretcher with neck restraint and into A&E. Got given lots of very nice drugs – apparently my wife turned up just before I was going into theatre to sort the elbow out and I was totally gaga 😆

That’s a piss-take…….. right?

I agree it’s very risk averse and I’m not suggesting anyone else should do it, but I am fairly cack handed when it comes to doing anything with tools. I’ve had a couple of near misses where I’ve realised afterwards that it was a close call (one where an object did hit my eyeball while doing something quite innocuous on the face of it, although that occasion was not working on the bike).

So part of my reason for thinking I’ll use them for working on the bike is that I’m a bit of a klutz, and the other part is that I have already have safety spectacles from work in the tool chest, so it’s not going to cost me anything. The problem with just putting them on when there’s the obvious potential for something to fly up, like cutting a cable end, is that I would never remember/bother to put them on at that point: it’s simpler to use something like putting the bike in a stand as the trigger always then to put glasses on.

In many work environments people are required to wear eye protection at all times, regardless of whether the identified risk necessitating them exists all the time and in all areas of the workplace, and I guess it’s an approach I have become used to.

On the other hand, I will take risks that others wouldn’t, e.g. I like riding my road bikes without wearing a helmet.

In many work environments people are required to wear eye protection at all times

On offshore platforms and support vessels, you have to wear helmet, glasses, boiler suit and boots, as soon as you step out of the accommodation. Regardless of what work is taking place.

I tend to wear safety specs at home if I drilling or anything that kicks up dust and stuff.

UK’s top eye surgeon, when asked what steps people could take to look after their eyes, let out a deep sigh and said “wear protective glasses” when doing DIY.

Though it’s not just DIY – I cringe when I see someone using a tile cutter or an angle grinder without protection, even though they do it for a living.

@Drac – but that’s what is the most baffling about the process. I did actually have a note (handwritten) from the gp addressed to a&e with details of what he’d done and what he’d found (actually asking for chest X-ray). Handed it to the receptionist in a&e saying I felt a bit poorly – still waited 2 hours. Can the receptionist effectively overrule a medical professional?

Few weeks ago I still hadn’t shifted the chest infection so rang local gp for an urgent appointment. Got through on the phones at 8.01 am which is unheard of. First question I was asked “is it a medical emergency?”. Well, no. If it was, I’d be in a&e. But what I’m learning is that I’ve got to play the game otherwise all the 80-90 year olds get all the appointment slots.

A lot of public reeducation is needed but I’m sure you know that!

Can the receptionist effectively overrule a medical professional?

No, but a GP can ring ahead to say this guy is coming in he’s really not very well will you keep an eye out for him arriving.

If you want to get through A&E quick you’ve got to do it right. Knocked out, broke my back, ambulance trip with a stretcher and straight in 😀

Minor injuries, including broken bones, I find it’s a 3 to 4hr wait. Late evenings at weekends is an interesting experience.

Though I will say Merthyr A&E was pretty efficient with my broken fingers. Half an hour wait, x-ray, another half hour and then onto getting a cast fitted, and out. Streamlined process with BPW visitors.

Temp of 104, suspected unknown tropical disease: I seemed to race through the system. I guess no-one wanted me to be delayed in their department.

They did make me better for which I’m grateful.

If you want to get through A&E quick you’ve got to do it right. Knocked out, broke my back, ambulance trip with a stretcher and straight in

That’s the truth! Motorbike accident, out cold, ne-nar ne-nar, in through the fast lane, X-ray, checkover, home for supper.

Hobble in under my own steam, wait, wait, X-ray, wait, wait, it’s broken, wait wait, wheelchair, wait, nice pink cast, wait wait, we can’t find you any crutches, wait wait wait…..
😉

To be fair that was 2 different hospitals 15+ years apart and it probably wasn’t that much time difference but when you’re concussed time passes a lot quicker than when you’re hungry, casted and ready to go, but they’ve run out of crutches!
I never complain. I’ve been stitched, plastered (3 times) operated on (waiting for my third) and each time the service has been faultless. I love the NHS and I reckon it’s worth all my taxes just for that.

^ so you’re why our taxes are so high and NHS so over-stretched…

Drac – Moderator

Been triaged.. My requests for morphine were declined.

It dilates your pupils.[/quote]
😳 😆

Well it took an hour at 11am this morning to get an xray at milton keynes A&E. Was pretty quiet

Took two hours for me to be seen at Northallerton when I had my big off. Asked countless times if I could have some gauze or dressing to put on my wounds to prevent blood pissing everywhere. Finally went in to see the triage nurse, came back out and could hear the receptionist moaning about the blood on the floor and the seat.

That was the point I snapped and chewed her out. Pointed out that if she had got me what I’d asked for in the beginning there’d be a lot less blood all over the waiting room.

The actual medical staff were diamond, usually are. It’s the thick pitbulls behind the glass that’s usually the problem.

You are lucky to have an a and e where receptionists have time to look up. I occasionally attend blackburn hospital for mine and my families injuries, but mainly attend for professional reasons. They don’t have the luxury of time to criticise people waiting for treatment

Christmas Day: 8am.

Waiting time was measured in seconds as my backside hadn’t even hit the seat before being called in.

Got to see the doctors and nurses exchange Secret Santa gifts and everything.
Staff were awesome – as always.

Apprarently the wait the following day was 6hrs.

6 1/2 hours last night (into this morning) for my partner was taken in by the paramedics from work.
So was seen immediately but then the wait was a killer no docs apparently as they were all tied up with super urgent trauma stuff.

I’d been in since 2am was told at 7 am it maybe another 5 hours! My partner was very close to walking out! As she was feeling more ill just waiting around, eventually got out at 8.30 am not a fun night.

Ah, the pitbull…

Neighbour gave me a lift and waited, I told reception who I was, that the eye dept were expecting me and I’d make my own way there, thanks. Neighbour said afterwards that my name was called a bit later, she went to reception and said ‘he’s in the eye dept, they were expecting him’.

Pitbull wailed ‘But he hasn’t been triaged yet’.

Possible detached retina if anyone’s curious. Eye chap was pleasant, concerned, and spent a long time checking, then explained everything. Not actually a problem, but something to be aware of.

When it’s as bad as badlama says above, could driving to another hospital be a sensible option?

my partner was taken in by the paramedics from work. When it’s as bad as badlama says above, could driving to another hospital be a sensible option?

Only if you want to start again.

So was seen immediately

It makes no difference that she was taken in by ambulance.

Drac, my thinking is if they are dealing with something bigger than normal, probably they wouldn’t feel able to suggest going elsewhere.

They can suggest you go somewhere else but you’ll just end up waiting too. If it’s suitable for a walk in centre or minor injuries you will be seen quicker.