"Picnic Bag" for Hospital

I should have taken more than a few snacks when waiting at A&E with grandson (7) the other day - he’d tripped and banged his head on a brick wall at school - a hefty lump and apparently he’d blacked out very briefly - so although he did seem fine, 111 of course advised A&E.

He went through the few snacky things fairly quickly so after waiting for quite a while to see a dr (initial very thorough assessment by a nurse was actually fairly quick) Sod’s Law said that once I’d gone in search of something else for him, lo, his name was called. But I’d left him there to tell them that Granny would be back PDQ.

All Ok, thank goodness.

Always food and drink in a&e? No,not always and not always pillows and blankets. That's if you're the patient.
And for DH he needs his phone charger and his hearing aids charger.

I've just been given two appointments at a hospital for assessment and then a cataract op. As it is some distance from where I live I am getting transport. There will be five of us in the minibus all for the same op so I've been told to take a packed lunch and any drinks/snacks I need.

In reply to suggestions that there are café facilities in hospitals, here's my story. I was sent to A&E Ambulatory Care for a blood test. I'd seen my GP on a Friday morning about pain in my calf and she was concerned that a blood test sent from the surgery would not produce results until the following Monday morning, by which time I might be dead from an embolism! 🤔 So she contacted the local hospital and my son took me the 30 miles to get there. I grabbed a bottle of tap water and a cereal bar before we set off. We arrived about midday and I sent my son home.

Ambulatory Care appears to be an out patient clinic. There's a large waiting area and you go into a room for your treatment when your name is called. Thank goodness for the cereal bar! It was two hours before my name was called and I was scared they'd call me if I left the waiting area. Blood was taken and then I was back in the waiting area for my name to be called to get my results. Just typing this made me realise that straight after the blood samples were taken would've been the time to go to the café and get a coffee and a sandwich. That didn't occur to me and I waited, absolutely ravenous, for a further two hours before I was called in to hear from the physician associate that all my results were "plumb normal" and no DVT was likely. Hooray! However, she then had to get the results signed off by the doctor. That took another half hour.

Since my son had a half hour journey to come and pick me up, I finally repaired to the cafe for much needed sustenance while I waited!

The moral of the story? If you've got someone who'll stay with you, send them to the café to get food! If you're alone but mobile, choose your time to nip off for vital supplies. If in doubt ask someone if you have time to go to the café.

I've been at the A&R rather often with my children (now adults) for minor accidents, mostly sports-related. I usually grabbed a few drinks (juice, water) and a roll of biscuits in case things took very long. I always asked the nurses in attendence if any bloodwork would be done and if my child was allowed to have a snack. Except for one time it always was just X-rays, seeing the doctor and then the cast-room. But you better check to be sure, otherwise they could keep the patient overnight to do the bloodtests early in the morning.

Ali08

You'll be wanting special seats and a season ticket next!

Haha, sorry, I couldn't resist!

Unkind.

Google

NotAGran55

If I had an accident or emergency I don’t think I would stop to pack a picnic bag. I’d be keen to get myself or the patient there as soon as possible.

But to answer your question, Waitrose has a large selection of reusable bags. Other supermarkets are available.

www.waitrose.com/ecom/shop/browse/groceries/kitchen_dining_and_home/newsagents/reusable_bags

The small Waitrose insulated bags look great, I've ended up in A&E twice recently and would have had plenty of time to make a small meal before the ambulance came, but sadly didn't feel well enough!
When my husband was in hospital the food in the canteen was truly awful, I can honestly say that I wouldn't voluntarily have eaten any of it. There are usually coffee shops such as Costa but they often only have cake and expensive toasted paninis.
Personally if I had time I'd make a quick roll with ham or chicken and take some cherry tomatoes, satsumas and bottled water.

My sister in law was admitted to hospital as she had fallen twice. After first fall she left home with her emergency bag and her usual zipped up handbag to go to hospital. Unfortunately her mobile phone was trashed - don’t know what happened to it but it was unusable. We have got another updated phone but won’t be taking it into hospital. Also just left a £10 note in her handbag - no cards.

OldFrill

Theexwife

There is always food and drink available in an A&E. If there is time and inclination to pack a bag with food and drink then I would question the reason for going to an A&E.

Not every A&E visit is an emergency. My GP referred me to A&E and advised me to go home and pack an overnight bag before going.

There isn't always food available in an A&E.
There may be a drinks machine with chocolate or yogurt bars but that is all there is at ours. Even if the patient is NBM the person with them can get very hungry if waiting for 13 or 14 hours or more.

A trolley may come round with tea/coffee and sandwiches for patients but those accompanying the patient are not allowed any refreshments.

I wouldn't take hot food but taking a few cereal bars etc might be an idea. After all, it wouldn't be a good idea if the person with the patient started passing out from hunger.

Marydoll

Blossoming

You lot may be more out and about

Actually SheepIzzy many of us are not “out and about”, myself included, and also have complex drug routines.

You asked a question, I answered with what I thought was helpful information.

Same here Blossoming. Many of us have our life controlled by a drug regime and have considerable experience of being A&E There are nineteen drugs on my repeat (not boasting of course. 😉)
Therefore I always have a snack in my bag for emergencies.

Some drugs need to be taken with or after food too.

I have a grab bag that stands upright and was designed as a work/ lunch bag - lightly insulated ( keeps meds that need refrigeration cool) but looks like a small shopping bag/ large handbag. It came from TKMaxx- so may not be available now. It’s easy to throw essentials in when needed.
Contents -med list, phone and charger , water bottle, cereal bars, book or kindle, mini wash kit.

I disagree with those that say there is food and drink available to buy in A&E. This is not always the case.
Last year I accompanied someone to Minor injuries who said we had to go to A&E, though not a life threatening condition. We had around 10 hours at A&E and the only option was fairly warm water in a jug in the (very hot and stuffy) waiting room. I believe there is a cafe somewhere in the hospital but I could not leave the patient to wander round the hospital looking for it. In future I would definitely take something with me.

I believe there is a cafe somewhere in the hospital but I could not leave the patient to wander round the hospital looking for it. In future I would definitely take something with me.

That's right, it's not possible to leave the patient to go and search for food, especially if the café is in another building.
And going as an emergency might mean going straight from wherever you happen to be at the time which might not necessarily be home.

the last time we went I put some bags of crisps and some bottled water and a pack of biscuits (and some paracetamol) in a carrier bag! I think we stopped at KFC on the way home

Lots of good suggestions to make what can be an extremely stressful long wait a bit easier for everyone.

When I spent almost 12 hours in A&E with my mum I didn't want to eat and she wasn't allowed to. Our A&E has water coolers so I was able to get her (and me) water. I wasn't at home anyway when she was collected by ambulance, and I went straight to the hospital so any bag would have been sitting at home.
If someone has had a fall especially an elderly person one of the most common things they need is a hip operation, if you have fed them they will not be operated on and will wait in pain. So think carefully about how much food is actually needed. I certainly didn't feel hungry surrounded by sick people.

Glorianny

When I spent almost 12 hours in A&E with my mum I didn't want to eat and she wasn't allowed to. Our A&E has water coolers so I was able to get her (and me) water. I wasn't at home anyway when she was collected by ambulance, and I went straight to the hospital so any bag would have been sitting at home.
If someone has had a fall especially an elderly person one of the most common things they need is a hip operation, if you have fed them they will not be operated on and will wait in pain. So think carefully about how much food is actually needed. I certainly didn't feel hungry surrounded by sick people.

I would agree Glorianny after a 12-hour sit in A&E with people vomiting, bleeding and passing obnoxious fumes all stuck together like sardines the last thing on my mind was food.
The nurses did come round at 7.30 am and provided the overnight sitters with tea/coffee and toast and jam.DH partook as he had accompanied me and there was only water no vending machines for food.
What you say about elderly people is true they are better nil by mouth.

I wish I'd thought to take something with me when I was told by 111 to go to the'local'A&E, 20 miles away. No working water cooler or vending machines, after about 5 hours my daughter had to go out to an all night garage to get us a drink and herself something to eat. Glad she did as I still had another 5 hours to wait and was parched