A&E

[happypig]

Last Wednesday I fell down the steps whilst trying to put the rubbish out and turned my ankle over. It swelled up to the size of a grapefruit and Mrs H said it might be broken so best to go and get the A&E to check it.
She dropped me down there and I expected to be a while so I took my kindle. Screens said average wait would be 2 hours.
I was seen by the triage nurse within 10 mins and sent to the x-ray machine. Called in for x-ray after 5 mins and sent back to wait for the doc to look at it. 10 mins later I was called in to see the doc; he looked at pics, examined my ankle and told me it wasn't broken but I had buggered the ligaments.
I waited longer for the taxi than the x-ray but was still home within an hour.

3 hours is a disgrace and you should get compensation and a new finger and someone should resign and stuff.

 

[CHAPPERS]

I got to sit in Hastings a&e for 9 hours on the night of Hastings Carnival (busiest night of the year). My missus had fallen and put a huge cut through her eyebrows that required stitches. Not priority because of all the tossers that had got themselves in fights that evening and it was a bit of a wait but they did a f***ing excellent job considering the shit they had to put up with(as did the paramedics).

 

[BigGully]

Last Wednesday I fell down the steps whilst trying to put the rubbish out and turned my ankle over. It swelled up to the size of a grapefruit and Mrs H said it might be broken so best to go and get the A&E to check it.
She dropped me down there and I expected to be a while so I took my kindle. Screens said average wait would be 2 hours.
I was seen by the triage nurse within 10 mins and sent to the x-ray machine. Called in for x-ray after 5 mins and sent back to wait for the doc to look at it. 10 mins later I was called in to see the doc; he looked at pics, examined my ankle and told me it wasn't broken but I had buggered the ligaments.
I waited longer for the taxi than the x-ray but was still home within an hour.

3 hours is a disgrace and you should get compensation and a new finger and someone should resign and stuff.

I am sorry I still cannot see why you felt it necessary to go to A&E for something that was always likely to be a sprain.

Surely manage the initial pain, maybe ice and an ibuprofen.

If you wake up during the night in severe pain and throbbing ( yeah I know ) then of course this is a likely indication of something A&E was needed for but until then it was always likely to settle down and although uncomfortable for a couple of days nothing within the NHS could actively progress your recovery.

But again you were clogging up the system, wasting taxpayers money and wasting a vital resource which is the NHS.

 

[EDS]

I am sorry I still cannot see why you felt it necessary to go to A&E for something that was always likely to be a sprain.

Surely manage the initial pain, maybe ice and an ibuprofen.

If you wake up during the night in severe pain and throbbing ( yeah I know ) then of course this is a likely indication of something A&E was needed for but until then it was always likely to settle down and although uncomfortable for a couple of days nothing within the NHS could actively progress your recovery.

But again you were clogging up the system, wasting taxpayers money and wasting a vital resource which is the NHS.

Disagree.

It is Accident and emergency and the person you quote obviously had an accident. The only time I would think they were out of order is if they had the bloody cheek to complain about the wait.

 

[upthealbion1970]

Disagree.

It is Accident and emergency and the person you quote obviously had an accident. The only time I would think they were out of order is if they had the bloody cheek to complain about the wait.

This can't be right, I'm going to agree with you

 

[supaseagull]

Trying to get the porsche out of the garage.

Oh that's ok...I thought he may have been tickling his brown ball pocket, got caught by his mum and in a panic, his sphincter contracted and ended up disclocating his finger. Stranger things have happened.

 

[BigGully]

Disagree.

It is Accident and emergency and the person you quote obviously had an accident. The only time I would think they were out of order is if they had the bloody cheek to complain about the wait.

A&E primary role is not to collate information regarding accidents, although it does, it is clearly there to treat/cure injury/illnesses.

My point was that if we take some time before clogging up A&E it would benefit us all.

A sprained ankle is NOT a good reason to seek care within the NHS system.

For a low level injury such as a twisted ankle, surely to administer some home pain relief such as ice, ibuprofen etc should be the initial action.

The likelihood would be a gradual improvement in his condition if it was just minor tissue or ligament damage, after all there is nothing within the NHS medical locker that would greatly progress his healing.

If later without weight bearing movement his pain becomes severe, it is then he would need to go to A&E.

I am not saying he didnt have the entitlement to go to A&E, I am saying it was a pointless visit that maybe with a different approach might have delivered a more positive experience for him and the A&E department.

 

[Woodchip]

My last trip to A&E was after I went over the handlebars of my mountain bike. I thought it was just a sprain. 40 minutes in the hospital, and I'd done triage, Xray, seen a doctor and was being put in a cast. Double fracture of the elbow which required surgery.

The fellow with the ankle done the right thing.

 

[BigGully]

My last trip to A&E was after I went over the handlebars of my mountain bike. I thought it was just a sprain. 40 minutes in the hospital, and I'd done triage, Xray, seen a doctor and was being put in a cast. Double fracture of the elbow which required surgery.

The fellow with the ankle done the right thing.

If you thought it was a sprain then I am guessing you didnt go to A&E ??

The subsequent pain was the final indicator that prompted you to then visit, thats exactly what I am advocating, or are you saying that you went to A&E with what you thought was a sprain, but wanted confirmation 'just in case' ??

If so then you are the very reason why generally a trip to A&E is not a very nice experience, the 'just in case' patient continues waste time and money, something the NHS could do without.

 

[El Sid]

How shit! Sat up there yesterday for 3 hours for a dislocated finger, it was bad too!

X-ray followed by being told I've been took off the list after an hour, sat in another room for an hour, popped back into place after another half hour, x-ray then a splint on my finger.

3 f***ing hours! To be honest, that's a joke.

I know what you mean. Just having to attend A&E is a horror story. Back in the good old days a district nurse would have cycled round to your house, stroked your brow and made you a cup of tea while you waited for an ambulance. Bit of gas and air for the journey, wrapped in a nice soft blanky. Matron waiting for you at the hospital door to wheel you in to a nice room. "Smoking or non-smoking, sir?", would be the first question as they settled you in. After your life saving operation you would have had at least a week in a private room recuperating.

Just can't get the staff these days. What on earth do we pay NI for?

 

[Drumstick]

As said Lewes Vic has a MINOR INJURYS unit which has all the gear x ray etc and you would have been quicker and those in a+e would have also got through quicker.

Everyone happy. The minor injury units need to be better advertised to the general public.

 

[happypig]

I am sorry I still cannot see why you felt it necessary to go to A&E for something that was always likely to be a sprain.

Because I'm not a Doctor and was concerned I might have broken it.

Surely manage the initial pain, maybe ice and an ibuprofen.

Tried that, the swelling was getting bigger and the pain was getting worse.

But again you were clogging up the system, wasting taxpayers money and wasting a vital resource which is the NHS.

It's the first time I've been to A&E for about 15 years, so I reckon I've paid enough taxes for the system to be able to absorb the cost.

 

[Kazenga <3]

I've been to A&E once. When I was about 14 I think, I tried to deliver a backhanded slap to my mate in an RE lesson. He ducked and my hand connected with the edge of the table. Bone in my hand leading up to the little finger broke and it swelled up in a ball the size of grape. Proper cool it was.

 

[BigGully]

As said Lewes Vic has a MINOR INJURYS unit which has all the gear x ray etc and you would have been quicker and those in a+e would have also got through quicker.

Everyone happy. The minor injury units need to be better advertised to the general public.

Oh please NOOO.............this would encourage those already with a low threshold to required NHS care to seek NHS assistance for even more benign injury's, maybe a long wait in a shabby A&E might already be some deterrent.

Its the 'mindset' that needs to change, not greater more efficient access for those self same people.

 

[albion534]

[MENTION=5101]BigGully[/MENTION]

Do you work for the NHS because you seem to think people who rarely go to the Accident and Emergancy ward with a potential broken bone is clogging up the time and bills for the NHS, why dont you get your cape on, and mask, and head down to west street to break up fights and stop people drinking far too much, meaning they have to have a bed for the night instead?

you can even call yourself Super Gull

 

[BigGully]

Because I'm not a Doctor and was concerned I might have broken it.



Tried that, the swelling was getting bigger and the pain was getting worse.



It's the first time I've been to A&E for about 15 years, so I reckon I've paid enough taxes for the system to be able to absorb the cost.

You had every entitlement to go and your previous history indicates that you are not the timewasters I refer to, however having played competitive sport for 20 years and after having many twisted swollen painful ligament damaged ankles, a trip to A&E would never be considered unless the pain became unbearable. As for your taxes, it is not meant to be wasted on ourselves or others that have no real serious injury, our taxes should be used for others or ourselves that might need critical care.

 

[BigGully]

[MENTION=5101]BigGully[/MENTION]

Do you work for the NHS because you seem to think people who rarely go to the Accident and Emergancy ward with a potential broken bone is clogging up the time and bills for the NHS, why dont you get your cape on, and mask, and head down to west street to break up fights and stop people drinking far too much, meaning they have to have a bed for the night instead?

you can even call yourself Super Gull

I think I got your gist, but you seemed to lose your way a wee bit on your joke ;-)

 

[PILTDOWN MAN]

How much did you have to pay? Free health care FREE!!!

Agree he should stop moaning but FREE HEALTH CARE. Where did you get that nugget from? Its hardly free, free at the point of need but we all pay a hefty bill for it in taxes.

 

[Deleted member 22389]

Too many people using the system, and not enough staffing unless someone wants to correct me.
My brother had an appointment booked for 10am. My brother did not get seen until 2pm.

 

[Poker Dunce]

One of the problems is the number of people who rock up to A&E because they can't get an appointment with their GP. You wouldn't believe the number of people who turn up with trivial issues but who, as they can't get to see their GP for 3 days, think they should go to A&E. They all get seen regardless. If you spent a day working at an A&E reception you would despair at some of the things people turn up with. Utterly ridiculous.