Pateients Waiting Up To 12 Hours For Treatment A&E - Covid Pressures

[The Samaritan]

The gov needs to step in before it becomes a bigger problem in the whole of the UK

https://metro.co.uk/2022/04/06/mult...o-stay-away-due-to-extreme-pressure-16414366/

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[HERTS P&D]

And another thread.

Andy

 

[Justin Passing]

Ooooh, someone needs to go and do some SLAPPING DOWN. Bound to make it all better.

 

[Mottie]

The gov needs to step in before it becomes a bigger problem in the whole of the UK

https://metro.co.uk/2022/04/06/mult...o-stay-away-due-to-extreme-pressure-16414366/

.

Part of the problem is that more than half of the people in A&E don't need to be there in the first place and I'm not including those 'visitors' that are not registered with a GP or those that are registered but don't want to wait for an appointment with a GP. Most A&E visitors could go to their GP, a pharmacist, a poly clinic or their local minor injuries unit. I had a cut on my hand this week that needed stitches. If I'd had gone to my local A&E, by the time I'd have been triaged, I'd probably have had a 4 or 5 hour wait, minimum. I went to a minor injuries unit and was in and out in less than 30 minutes. While I was there, a lady came in with a problem with her toenail that she'd had for over a month. She was given short shrift and told that it wasn't an 'injury' so they couldn't treat her. She was told to see a chiropodist - she was most affronted by that and went off muttering about the 'bloody NHS'!

 

[Deleted member 292770]

week last sunday I sat with my sister at about 11am in A&e while she sat there literally dying.
took her about 2 1/2 hours to be called in, By the time I returned at 7:30 to find out what was happening because nobody was answering the phones , a lot of the people were still there from the morning and the estimated waiting time was 16 hours.
incidentally 95% of the people had no mask on.

 

[Deleted member 292770]

While I sat with my sister in A&e , her visibly losing life before my eyes, I went to the desk to voice my concern and asked if it would be quicker and safer for my sister if I went up the road and phoned for an ambulance.
“there aren’t any ambulances” was the reply.
I counted 8 empty ambulances parked outside.

 

[denso13]

I counted 8 empty ambulances parked outside.

If they were empty then the ambulance staff were inside the hospital. That would mean there were none available. Unless you think the NHS were a part of some big ambulance conspiracy of course.

 

[Mottie]

If they were empty then the ambulance staff were inside the hospital. That would mean there were none available. Unless you think the NHS were a part of some big ambulance conspiracy of course.

Yeah, if the A&E was full, the ambulance staff wouldn't be able to discharge those patients so they can be there for a considerable time. Ambulances are not a taxi service who just drop off a patient at the doors of A&E!

 

[Notch7]

And another thread.

Andy

You just can’t wait for another Keitai instalment

 

[Notch7]

week last sunday I sat with my sister at about 11am in A&e while she sat there literally dying.
took her about 2 1/2 hours to be called in, By the time I returned at 7:30 to find out what was happening because nobody was answering the phones , a lot of the people were still there from the morning and the estimated waiting time was 16 hours.
incidentally 95% of the people had no mask on.

I’m sorry to hear about your sister, I hope she is ok now

 

[Mottie]

week last sunday I sat with my sister at about 11am in A&e while she sat there literally dying.
took her about 2 1/2 hours to be called in, By the time I returned at 7:30 to find out what was happening because nobody was answering the phones , a lot of the people were still there from the morning and the estimated waiting time was 16 hours.
incidentally 95% of the people had no mask on.

Sorry to hear that. Wasn't she triaged? Did she die?

 

[ajohn]

GP's are probably not helping. I'm not sure how many practices have done what our local one did some time ago. A more or less over night change. It went from having a chance of getting an appointment same day or next to generally having to wait a week or several days. No more super long queues in the surgery. Waiting time reduced. It wouldn't surprise me if some appointments get cancelled. In some ways the same problem as A&E really plus comments at their end that they are not emergency services. People are inclined to want rapid responses for what ever they feel is wrong with them. The only way they could get near to that was very short periods actually with a doctor. I had an unusually long wait once and the GP told me why. Previous patient had some really bad news - he can't speed that up. Given a large queue as things were some need more time than others. To speed things up as you may have heard we need more GP's.

A&E - many know what the problems are with some people who turn up there. They aren't emergencies or accidents in some cases. Some people may have noticed problems that do need checking quickly. Parked up ambulances may have people in them. Some could be taken in and stuck in corridors some will be in them as they have stuff to keep people alive. Some will be in use due to covid. When called out for that some may find they don't get taken in. Whole area understaffed again and kept under tight cost controls. I have no idea how they decide how big a hospital needs to be or the various parts of it. A&E's get shut and work transferred to some where else which can mean significant travel time. Cost savings.

I remember talking to some one who said give the NHS more money and they will just spend it. I said when you get to need it don't complain about the service you receive. While the main problem is the gov costs must be controlled but as you may have noticed taking more out of people's pay packets isn't popular.

This may surprise some. I wondered about it a while ago
https://www.kingsfund.org.uk/projects/nhs-in-a-nutshell/how-nhs-funded

 

[Deleted member 292770]

Sorry to hear that. Wasn't she triaged? Did she die?

2 1/2 hours to be triaged. The trend seems to be get triaged then dumped back in the waiting room . thankfully that didn’t happen.
She’s recovering now.

 

[ajohn]

week last sunday I sat with my sister at about 11am in A&e while she sat there literally dying.
took her about 2 1/2 hours to be called in, By the time I returned at 7:30 to find out what was happening because nobody was answering the phones , a lot of the people were still there from the morning and the estimated waiting time was 16 hours.
incidentally 95% of the people had no mask on.

That's sad to here. When I have been in A&E they can finish up choosing who they treat and when. No choice when packed and we have to hope they get it right. Sometimes if too busy people may not get treated soon enough as they have to make choices.

 

[Mottie]

2 1/2 hours to be triaged. The trend seems to be get triaged then dumped back in the waiting room . thankfully that didn’t happen.
She’s recovering now.

Well, she wasn't 'literally' dying then, was she? Triage worked for her as presumably patients in more of a critical need of treatment than her were triaged up the list. Then again, I suppose if you want to stretch a point, we're all 'literally' dying just by being alive! What was she literally dying of?