Fabulous A&E

The weird thing is, I hear just as many complaints about this one as I do praise. Yet I have had to go there a few times over the years, for my son and myself, and my sister also, and our treatment has been amazing. The place is spotless, although old. The staff are welcoming, and it's painted in beautiful colours. I have heard people say it is dirty, I can't think where they have been looking. I have never had to wait very long. their system of getting you in is efficient - they virtually nag you with phone calls to remind you - and A&E has a very good reputation. I think part of the problem is that people feel rough and irritable when they go there - and (almost) everyone feels they should be prioritised.

Illness is a dreadful inconvenience. People want to blame someone or something else for their illness and the inconvenience it causes to their lives, so they blame the hospital. I came to that conclusion from watching ex-fil.

Hurray, someone's happy!
Mine isn't, but they should all be excellent, don't you think?
That's the problem with privatisation and competition. Hospitals get fined for missing their targets, which means they have less money to do the jobs they have to do.

Thanks durhamjen, for the link. My hospital's figures look excellent, I don't think I shall ever move!

www.hulldailymail.co.uk/Surprise-inspection-Hull-Royal-Infirmary/story-25951210-detail/story.html

"http://www.hulldailymail.co.uk/Surprise-inspection-Hull-Royal-Infirmary/story-25951210-detail/story.html"

Wasn't you, was it, vampire?

Do you not think, grannyactivist, that that's what the GP is for? It's good that you did it, but wrong that you should have to.

Sadly our local A&E has been the worst performing in England on a number of occasions. The figures don't seem to take into account the fact that the next closest A&E has been closed down so our hospital is treating people that would have normally gone there, also it is a trauma centre so major road accidents tend to be diverted here. The air ambulances fly over our house and seem to be from all over the West Midlands. It must be very demoralising for all the staff, who, on the rare occasions any family have had to use the service have always been unfailingly kind and helpful.

My mum went for her scan today and reported herself very pleased with the speed of service and the way she was looked after. She tends to fixate on one aspect of her medical problems and so it's difficult (I think) for the doctors to get an accurate picture of her health; so I wrote a very detailed letter to her consultant outlining her relevant past medical history and specifying her current symptoms. Mum said she gave it to him and he told her that in the light of his 'new knowledge' he was going to ask her to return for further tests. RESULT!!

I have serious doubts about these targets and the emphasis on whether they are being missed, especially when they are published in isolation without regards to local circumstances or indeed quality of care. A statistical snapshot, not "a true and fair view".

Pleased about that, grannyactivist. It's only 79.8% at mine.
Have to go for an ultrasound on Friday, so I hope it's more efficient than that where I am going. It's a cottage hospital that does not have an A&E and half the urgent care has just been closed. Hope they haven't got rid of the machine and forgotten to tell me!

durhamjen 93.1% are seen in under 4 hours at my mother's A&E department. In fact we were seen much quicker than that because we were actually walking out of the doors after she had received treatment (blood tests, X-Rays, height/weight measurements, blood pressure and diagnostic interview) in only three hours.
Still waiting for the phone call to say how the scan went today.

Two weeks ago, I had reason to visit an out-of-hours centre in Berkshire because I had forgotten to take my steroid tablets with me. The place was pin-dropping quiet at a time when A&Es were bursting at the seams and I wondered why more people weren't making use of what seemed to be an efficient out-of-hours service.

Fortunately you went before you found out the figures for her A&E, grannyactivist.

My mother was referred to A&E by her GP last Monday and I arrived in Manchester just in time to accompany her there. We got to the hospital at about 2.45 and left at 5.45 and my mother was like a caged lion throughout. After registering at reception and handing in her notes we sat in the waiting room and a short time later someone arriving later than my mum was called through. My mum was on her feet in a flash and most indignantly on her way to let the receptionist know that she'd been overlooked when I intercepted her and explained the triage system to her. She had no prior concept of it and although she understood that there needed to be some way of prioritising treatment I could see that she still felt miffed. She had X-Rays and spent quite a long time with the doctor and waiting for medication, so I thought 3 hours was very reasonable, but she wittered on about how long it took for ages afterwards. She's back today for a CT scan and my brother has taken her so I'm sure he's probably getting an earful right now.

Want to see how your local A&E is doing?

www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-25055444

Anyone living in London, try not to need A&E next Thursday. Or your GP, even, as he or she might be driving the ambulance.

pulsetoday.msgfocus.com/c/12ffLKOqU9qQkE2G3TJjXr6U

The doctor advised A&E for DH yesterday evening. She rang for an ambulance which she said would arrive within half an hour - which it did. As ever the paramedics were a lovely cheerful pair who made the whole thing seem almost enjoyable. A&E didn't seem over stressed and when I eventually left I expected to find the waiting room packed, but there were only about half a dozen people waiting.

Its nearly impossible to know how reasonable a/e waiting times are without knowing exactly what conditions others have gone in with and their general health, which of course we should never be told.

It would help perhaps if a/n could produce more public information about the scale on which they assess urgency and non urgency and publish weekly lists of how this affected waiting lists.

It might provide a bit more objectivity for patients who are waiting to be seen, to think about how urgent their condition is against that of others.

They had no right to glare! Surely it is obvious, that if someone is rushed off to treatment, they have the greater need.

I took DH to A&E one Sunday morning last year as he was unable to pass water. He was taken to a cubicle and catheterised within half an hour. When we walked out of cubicles 3hrs later there were still several people in the waiting area that had arrived roughly the same time as us. DH did get a few glares

It does depend on the nature of your problem.

We have had nothing but good experiences with A&E, not many,but all positive,sadly we are not experiencing the same with follow up from GP's or ordinary experience with GP's. but swings and roundabouts come to mind. In emergency we have never been let down.

I do wonder sometimes at people's attitude and ungratefulness to the NHS . 3 years ago my mother was in this hospital for 5 weeks and at the same time my stepfather for 5 months.

I had to spend practically all day, everyday with mother as she has Alzheimer's. I could not fault her care, nor that of my step father, who is a very rude man.

The hospital is served by a very good bus service so I often got into conversations with people. So many of them complained and moaned, and whenever I praised the care the would say " you must be lucky then"

Made be realise just what NHS staff have to put up with.

Ouch littleflo, I do hope you get a good night's sleep

It's great to read your positive comments about A&E and the NHS

That must be uncomfortable, littleflo. I do hope you get a good night's sleep. Shoulders can be a right b****r!! Sympathy.

Thank you for the good wishes. I am sure my experience is more typical than the ones that reach the headlines.

I am nursing a fractured shoulder but, thankfully, very little pain.