[Closed] When to go to A&E

Why is everybody focussing on the E of A&E? It is for Accidents as well as Emergencies. The clue is in the name.

exactly this

it's busy at certain times maybe but no more clogged than a busy GPs surgery
there's some media led panic rather than real world experience being spouted here.. as per

And if A+E is clogged then you can thank NHS direct for sending pretty much every single call ever there..

You've started well by posting on the STW, this is ALWAYS the first action to take. Next you should Google the symptons, there's lots of advice out there on other websites (not as useful as STW though).

Once you've gathered lots of opinions, the next step is to take a photo of your injury and post here (I can't believe you haven't done this already). The combined wisdom of STW can then expertly diagnose the problem.

As I Ache has shown, Doctors (be they GPs, working at A and E or walk-in centres) know jack-sh*t about mtb injuries. let the experts on STW help.

It might also help to buy a pair of X-ray specs, so that you can have a look inside (they're also great for looking through ladies skirts - you can see their legs and everything!!)

+1 A&E is for potential life or death situations.

So where/how do you make the call if you, a lameman hasn't had any medical training at all?

So you bugger your knee, you should wait, make an appointment for the GP then get a referral to the hospital bypassing A&E which is for 'emergencies and life and death situations'?

Or should you mitigate any further damage to your injury and go to A&E?

Wouldn't it be better for the health of the NHS as a whole to nip/sort the issue now than spend countless future appointments where the health professional says 'we should really have caught this sooner'?

People at the gate/at the front line will always moan about the obvious timewasters but what if a problem wasn't seen soon enough and wastes more time further down the line in regular surgery hours/wards?

Possibly a broken scaphoid, its worth getting an xray JIC.

So you bugger your knee, you should wait, make an appointment for the GP then get a referral to the hospital bypassing A&E which is for 'emergencies and life and death situations'?

Or should you mitigate any further damage to your injury and go to A&E?

or, you could go straight to a walk in clinic.

Which would be the same as seeing the GP. You'd either be pushed to A&E or given a referral to wait.

Was it an accident and is it an emergency? If the answer to that is no, dont go. Minor injuries unit is where you want to go. They do x-rays there too, but the wait isnt as long.

So where/how do you make the call if you, a lameman hasn't had any medical training at all?

So you bugger your knee, you should wait, make an appointment for the GP then get a referral to the hospital bypassing A+E which is for 'emergencies and life and death situations'?

Or should you mitigate any further damage to your injury and go to A+E?

Wouldn't it be better for the health of the NHS as a whole to nip/sort the issue now than spend countless future appointments where the health professional says 'we should really have caught this sooner'?

People at the gate/at the front line will always moan about the obvious timewasters but what if a problem wasn't seen soon enough and wastes more time further down the line in regular surgery hours/wards?

I see it as being similar to calling out Mountain Rescue. If you think you might die or become permanently injured if you don't, or if your injuries, by going untreated, could lead to further complications eg potential for internal bleeding then go to A+E.

Don't think you need any training for this. Just some common sense and a bit of life experience.

Which would be the same as seeing the GP. You'd either be pushed to A&E or given a referral to wait.

Not sure which one you're talking about but pretty all the minor injuries units or walk in clinics around my neck of the woods (London) will x-ray limbs and treat as required for fractures and refer you to an Orthopaedic Dept if it's serious enough to require surgery.

It's nothing like seeing a GP, I've yet to see a GP who will x-ray then treat a fractured hand/wrist.

Why is everybody focussing on the E of A&E? It is for Accidents as well as Emergencies. The clue is in the name.

That's exactly why they're changing the names to Emergency departments as so many people think just like that. "Oh it's an accident I cut my finger that means A&E".

So where/how do you make the call if you,

NHS Direct?

IME they'll almost certainly tell you to go to A&E, so when you get to A&E you can say they told you to come.

I've had a few trips to A&E through pushing the limits a bit too often, generally they've been positive when I say I've been out doing something active rather than drinking or being off my head on something but that could be a reflection of my local A&E

I tend to go to my GP if I want some meds or referring for something, from my experience they're not usually up to speed on the kind of stuff I need

I have a good sports physio that I see for checking some stuff out, it costs but its not loads and chances are I'm going to be back for treatment too, and they're used to seeing sports injuries (well mine is), and because I keep going back I get some kind of continuity

Not sure which one you're talking about but pretty all the minor injuries units or walk in clinics around my neck of the woods (London) will x-ray limbs and treat as required for fractures and refer you to an Orthopaedic Dept if it's serious enough to require surgery.

It's nothing like seeing a GP, I've yet to see a GP who will x-ray then treat a fractured hand/wrist.

In the same way A&E on a Saturday night will be exclusively treating pissed people who've glassed each other, or shagging injuries incurred round the back of a kebab house, On a Saturday afternoon they tend to be treating sporting injuries on blokes who are old enough to know better

Just go then, in some muddy cycling gear to make it look convincing, you'll be able to fit right in. Everyone else will be in football/rugby kits

there's some media led panic rather than real world experience being spouted here.

I do this for a living so you can't get much real world experience than that.

OP.. do the jam jar test.. then maybe post a few pics of your hand/wrist

It's A AND E, not A OR E...

[url= http://www.know-who-to-turn-to.com/minor_injuries_clinic2.html ]For Paladin[/url]

What you need to do is apply triage to the services. If you can get to a minor injuries unit at say 10'o'clock on a Tuesday morning it'll be pretty quiet. I wouldn't go to A+E when it's busy even if I was dead.

I do this for a living so you can't get much real world experience than that.

I know that

That's exactly why they're changing the names to Emergency departments as so many people think just like that

Fair enough, If there really is a crisis then that's a good idea.. and does everywhere now have a walk in centre..?
And why are people that really [i]shouldn't[/i] be at a hospital even being entertained..?
Where do I go if I need my hand or head stitching, if cuts are a waste of time..?
I'm confused..

samuri - Member

Can you make your own way to A&E?

You probably don't need A&E then.

Ooh now that's obviously not right. I needed a bunch of stitches in my hand, but I could walk so I went to A&E under my own power- no reason to inconvenience anyone else, certainly not a blue light job.

glupton1976 - Member
It's A AND E, not A OR E...

Where do you go if there is an Emergency that isn't an Accident? Say if somebody stabbed you on purpose or if you decided to jump off the top of a car park? Would you just turn them around and say 'No, there was no accident you have to go and see your GP or trek to the other side of town to the horrible Minor Injuries unit in the middle of a shitty council estate?'

Fair enough, If there really is a crisis then that's a good idea.. and does everywhere now have a walk in centre..?

They've been rolling them out for over 10 years so many areas do yes.

Ooh now that's obviously not right. I needed a bunch of stitches in my hand, but I could walk so I went to A&E under my own power- no reason to inconvenience anyone else, certainly not a blue light job.

Depending on the severity a minor injuries could have dealt with that.

so basically the role and definition is changing/has changed and has been split into sub-sections..?

fair enough

What you need to do is apply triage to the services

So minor injuries about now would be good,

Save the A&E for when you really need it, you don't want to get a rep with the triage nurse!

I've found minor injury units very good: used them for my last two bike injuries, both this year, two seperate units (Horsham & Caterham) and with only half hour wait max before initially seen. Both involved x-rays being done: 1st thing nothing broken, just ligament damage, 2nd comminuted distal radius fracture (Broken wrist).

Where do you go if there is an Emergency that isn't an Accident? Say if somebody stabbed you on purpose or if you decided to jump off the top of a car park? Would you just turn them around and say 'No, there was no accident you have to go and see your GP or trek to the other side of town to the horrible Minor Injuries unit in the middle of a shitty council estate?'

In both of those cases you'd probably spend very little time if any in A&E. You probably bypass them and go to an acute receiving unit/ surgery/morgue or some such other thing. There are lots of other ways to access hospital care other than going to A&E.

My local minor injuries unit is in the old A&E dept of the local hospital.

Just for everybodys reference you can use this to find where your nearest MIU apparently is.

http://www.nhs.uk/service-search

Interestingly when I select MIU it searches for exactly the same thing as if I put A&E, Urgent Care Services. I know for a fact that there is a MIU closer to me than the second hospital on the list. What are people supposed to do if the NHS is giving them the wrong info?

One of our local a and e units is next door to each other on the same hospital site, while waiting outside for a lift, it was surprising how many people visited a and e and then saw the queue and went into minor injuries and on another day obviously ansd e was quiet so they trooped into there, strange how some could walk quiite happily accross the car park then within feet of the door and once inside started to limp/moan, talk loudly about what their injury was/is.

Phoned GP for advice they told me to go to A&E.

No point going to minor injuries when its internal, they won't have any scanning equipment.

This is exactly what the doctor said.

But after reading this thread I've opted for amputation instead.

If I use I_Ache's link to look for my nearest MIU it tells me that the closest one is Crowborough War Memorial MIU in Sussex. I live in Edinburgh....

[i]OP.. do the jam jar test.. then maybe post a few pics of your hand/wrist [/i]

this is brilliant advice. I think if Dave can fill a jam jar there's clearly nothing wrong with his hand.

this is brilliant advice. I think if Dave can fill a jam jar there's clearly nothing wrong with his hand.

A new sprain has appeared elsewhere now.

Drac - Moderator

Depending on the severity a minor injuries could have dealt with that.

They said "What are you doing here? Go next door to A&E, you crazy fool. And stop bleeding on our floor" 🙂 I'd have gone to minor injuries when I broke my hip but luckily my dad took over and delivered me to A&E. Hard to argue under the circumstances.

Judging by some of the replies and advice/crap being spouted on this thread, I'm surprised some of you make it to work on your own or are even able to wipe your own arse!

glupton1976 - Member
If I use I_Ache's link to look for my nearest MIU it tells me that the closest one is Crowborough War Memorial MIU in Sussex. I live in Edinburgh....

That was my point. How can anybody in the profession lecture normal people about them going to the correct place if the NHS is giving us the wrong information.

Hmmm checked that link too and it gives me an MIU in Sussex, which admittedly is piss poor as I'm in Durham.

Plenty other avenues to find out that info though.

Judging by some of the replies and advice/crap being spouted on this thread, I'm surprised some of you make it to work on your own or are even able to wipe your own arse!

oooh what a tough guy.. I'm all of a dither 😳

It's homoerotic macho toss like that which has caused irreversible and debilitating damage to my knee..
If you've really hurt yourself, go [i]somewhere[/i] and get it checked out, especially if you're not as young as you used to be like many here..

So my local minor injury unit is [i]within[/i] my local A&E......

Dr Gray's Hospital (Within A&E Department)
Pluscarden Road, Elgin IV30 1SN
Open 24 hours seven days a week

.....so you still have to go to A&E, although NHS Grampian also say this....

TURN TO YOUR MINOR INJURIES UNIT.

If you require urgent care for a minor injury, you should attend your local Minor Injury Unit.
Most are open 24 hours a day.
You can be treated for a range of ailments including sprains, burns and simple fractures.
If your injury happened a few days ago, or if it’s an old injury that has got worse again, please turn to your GP for advice.
To find your local Minor Injury Unit click here

So if you have a sprain, you need to go to A&E...

I didn't even know about these MIUs. My nearest is apparently in Barry about 30 mins drive away from most of the population of this area, whereas the main hospital is quite handy for most of us.

Still, I'm happy to have one - a place you can just walk in, wait and get x-rayed would be fantastic.

A question for the medics then - if I go to A&E at a quiet time, and am prepared to wait until everyone with a serious issue is seen to, is it still a drain on resources?

Paladin it's a unit off the A&E you go the the hospital, book in and it's passed to triage and then they treat you in the relevant department. Many A&E departments are adding on Minor Injuries for those that turn up with small issues that can be dealt with without taking up vital resources.

A question for the medics then - if I go to A&E at a quiet time, and am prepared to wait until everyone with a serious issue is seen to, is it still a drain on resources?

Just because the waiting room is quiet does not mean they are not busy.

effing hell there is some tosh spouted on here (HORA) - go to A&E, and explaine what happened. You must get scaphoid related injuries ruled out ASAP as they can develop nasty side effects. The docs/triage nurse will not mind this. IF a walk in clinic is availble without a weeks notice use this, but make sure there is a doc who can asses fully. Scaphoid injuries cannot wait..

Most are open 24 hours a day.

Nottingham city doesn't have a minor injuries unit that is open 24 hours a day. If the provision is like that in a major city, I can't see it being great in more rural areas.

An injury sustained at 9pm that requires stitches therefore requires a trip to A&E where you sit under the condescending posters asking if you should be somewhere else as if you'd really choose to visit A&E when you had another option!

A ?scaphoid will need an x-ray, and then a cast, and then usually another x-ray, and then usually another cast because they are not sure, it could be the swelling, just to be safe... Mabe another X-ray... They really can be a pain in the arse*. For the record, I'm in the job, and from personal experience I'd go to a decent A&E, with a good book, on a weekday early morning and be relaxed about the wait. (waiting is good, means you aren't that poorly). The exception would be if the local WIC had imaging and I was confident of the quality of the clinicians working there. Either way, you will probably end up with a short arm cast and a fracture clinic referral.

Just because the waiting room is quiet does not mean they are not busy

Of course - but if they are busy, and I've got a minor or old injury, then I'll wait until they aren't busy - surely? Does me sitting in the waiting room cause extra pressure? (Genuine question, not rhetoric!)

For the record, I'm in the job, and from personal experience I'd go to a decent A&E, with a good book, on a weekday early morning and be relaxed about the wait.

That's a decent answer I think, ta.