Wife has just informed me she’s been advised to go to local A&E by our surgery nurse for a check up after fainting a week ago…they want to rule certain things out as she’s not long ago had the Covid jab.

I’ve called the 2 hospital options (one in Covid hotspot Leicester) to find out if I can go in with her or not but drawn a blank…does anyone know if it’s ‘patient’ only or can they have someone wait with them in these Covid times? We go soon..

I took an elderly relative to A&E in Stockport recently and was told I could not go in

As you’re not going to want to let someone who has had a fainting episode drive themselves, I guess you just ask when you arrive.

edit – and take a good book to read while you’re sat waiting in the car. 😁

I took someone to A&E a few weeks ago, only one person was allowed in with them (patient was a child and it was in Scotland).

take a good book to read while you’re sat waiting in the car.

Yep – will do.
She has asked a friend to pick her up when she’s done as she wants me to go night riding as planned later – like I’ll be able to concentrate when she’s in hospital anyway.

I’m not having a go at you or your wife and hope she gets whatever treatment she needs….but I can’t help thinking that this is neither an Accident, nor an Emergency (as she fainted over a week ago).

Wonder what the A&E nurses think of the Surgery Nurses for this kind of referral?

I’m not having a go at you or your wife and hope she gets whatever treatment she needs….but I can’t help thinking that this is neither an Accident, nor an Emergency (as she fainted over a week ago).

We don’t know why she fainted, but she whacked her face quite hard on something – sink, bath or bathroom floor – want to check her eye socket…and for a potential blood clot (jab)

I’m not having a go at you or your wife and hope she gets whatever treatment she needs….

I’m not an doctorer or an nhs person but I’m pretty sure thats a fairly normal route in to hospital wher “waiting for an apointment” is not really an option. As above I’ve ended up delivering people to A&E with symtoms that can’t be immediately explained but tick boxes for some stuff that is best headed off ASAP such as blood clots and strokes. Pretty sure any A&E nurse wants to see you before you get whisked lying on a stretcher.

I’m not an doctorer or an nhs person but I’m pretty sure thats a fairly normal route in to hospital wher “waiting for an apointment” is not really an option.

ive been a patient – and being told by my surgery to take myself to A&E is quite normal when the attention or assessment you need is beyond the scope of what the GP can offer – It’s how and where hospitals makes decisions about whether to admit patients and to what department.

although this isnt in relation to something that has just happened there has been an accident and the GP is not in a position to say it’s not an emergency and potentially it is.

A&E is usually the right place. GP is spot on. A lot of hospitals have the outpatient ward / referral clinic adjacent to A&E and will triage in there if appropriate.
I was in last May, first time was in A&E and then ambulanced in with a complication a couple of days later. They put me straight into outpatients to check me out rather than the main A&E. The staff there will make sure there’s no immediate concerns and then probably sort follow up appointments if needed. OP will probably have to wait outside. My 2nd visit ended with 1:30am taxi home which wasn’t fun but kids were in bed.
Hope all heals well OP. Hospital isn’t fun but the staff are usually great.

I recently took my dad into hospital. Accompanied him to a walk in centre who then referred him straight onto an assessment unit at the hospital so avoiding A+E. I was allowed to take him in, but parked him in a chair and then had to leave. I’ve not seen him since (last Friday) although luckily he’s capable of doing video calls on his phone!

I think the rules are set by each Trust, so my local hospital might allow a partner, but yours might not. Not very helpful, sorry! 🤷‍♂️

I’m not an doctorer or an nhs person but I’m pretty sure thats a fairly normal route in to hospital wher “waiting for an apointment” is not really an option.

I am a doctorer and I endorse this message. It would have been better to go on the day it happened, mind. Unlikely to be vaccine-related I’d have thought but any unexplained loss of consciousness is worth investigating.

At our hospital you’re allowed a single named visitor on the wards. Don’t know about A&E though and clearly there will be variation nationally so suck it and see.

I had a bike accident a few months ago and no one was allowed in A&E with me.

Mate of mine fainted recently (low HR – very fit roadie/MTB’er) but smacked his head on the kitchen worktop. Concussion. A&E. Only down side is he’s has something similar over a year ago, but they have temporarily taken his driving license off him for 6 months.

Nope only the patient currently allowed in A&E unless it’s a minor, not sure in this instance if it’s 16 or 18 or under

Hope she gets sorted

I’m not an doctorer or an nhs person but I’m pretty sure thats a fairly normal route in to hospital wher “waiting for an apointment” is not really an option.

I am medically trained, I’d say the ship has sailed for going to an emergency department. Unless there was something more recently identified.

Anyway unless your wife needs some sort of support you can’t go in the department with her.

I work in A&E, and we would usually prefer if someone has been seen by a GP in community that they are then referred to the appropriate specialty, rather than being seen again by a (typically) junior doc and trying to work out what the plan from the initial consultation was. This is especially the case if it’s a few days on. If the concern is cvst it’s a pretty specialist diagnosis. GP can also request imaging if felt appropriate and the patient can then avoid the ED completely.

Cheers all.
Went to Leicester in the end. Couldn’t go in so dropped her off then picked her up 3.5 hrs later. She’s fine. Saw triage nurse initially then 3 other bods before facial X-ray. Couldn’t explain the faint but they were satisfied or wasn’t jab related. No clot and no broken bones 🙂

Good to hear she got properly looked at and has the all clear. Hope Thursday is less fraught.