Idiots who should NOT be going to A&E

Doodldog very good points. I can't imagine how workers manage at all.

paperbackbutterfly.
A&E not interested? Have you made a complaint ?At 84 and as you state suffering pneumonia you ring 999 not go to a walk in which if yours is like in my area Minor Injuries.!

There is a general problem with the whole NHS that has come about because people think it’s their right to demand a service from the NHS whatever the cost in time and money.

If I had the power I’d first deal with people who have never listened to any advice on taking care of themselves and have eaten,drunk,smoked their way into an Emergency Department. Yes they can say they have paid their taxes and are owed something back but whatever they have paid wouldn’t cover the cost of one operation!

Next I’d stop GPs making hospital appointments for problems that years ago they would be able to diagnose and treat in surgery. I had a condition that I ended up sorting myself but only after I’d been given an appointment in an Allergy Clinic which was useless but cost ££££. If my GP had more time she could have helped me to resolve the problem myself.

We have used and abused the NHS and now it’s breaking under the strain and can no longer help those in real need.

Thank you annepl.

Someone mentioned toothache upthread. There is no pain like it, and often no emergency dentist. An untreated abscess can be a real emergency, as can other things that have gone untreated because people can't get GP appointments.

It may be the case that private services are available, but I would have no idea how to access them, and in any case, where does that leave people without the money to pay?

I am lucky enough not to have needed A&E for myself (once or twice for my children over the years), so I am not making these points to justify anything. I think that the whole thing is like a jigsaw, and cutbacks in one area impact on others, with A&E being the fallback. At least people know where it is, and that they will be seen.

Whatever 'should' happen, that is the bottom line. We need to have somewhere to go to get medical advice and/or treatment when we need it. How we organise that is a separate debate, but as it is, I really don't think that people always know what to do in non-emergency but urgent situations.

What cuts? There have been NO cuts in overall NHS spending, ever. Not even in real terms. But it's been wasted on overpaying some staff without any productivity improvements, and also on these stupid PFI arrangements. Crap financial management brought about by lack of competition.

Most places have an out of hours service which is run by GPs. If he was going on holiday then he knew the dates of departure therefore he should have got GP appointment before he booked to ensure it was ok and not used A and E as it was not an emergency.

We hear all the time that there is a shortage of doctors and nurses, and how difficult it is to get appointments, but until somebody addresses the fact that there are too many people living in this wonderful country of ours, then it can only get worse.
Having a pre-holiday check up is way out of order, as are the people who come to this country simply to get free hospital treatment.

Our A&E dept has a triage nurse who assesses all who arrive, and a GP who sees anyone sent by 111.

A&E accident and emergency!! Not for piddling appointments!!

You see whole families practically setting up camp armed with food and drinks, laughing and joking so they're obviously not in that desperate need. Half of them do turn up with minor problems that could probably be sorted at home or go to a walk in centre. Our surgery is diabolical, you can't even get through on the phone let alone get an appointment for weeks, but I would never turn up at A & E unless I really had to.

I haven't read the whole thread, but get the drift.
My recent experience with A&E was 2 days post op. violent vomiting and diarrhea - went through triage but still had to wait 2 hours. I was in a mess, literally.
I don't blame the staff- eventually I was readmitted for 5 days and had excellent care.
Maybe the triage system could be improved?

Unfortunately, this is the root of the problem and, unless Common Purpose is eradicated, there is just no point in sinking any more money into the NHS.

wikileaks.org/wiki/Common_purpose

I agree very much with sparklefizz re labour legacy....
The Tories left Labour an economy in good shape, then Labour got in and left an empty pot on departure from office, having sold off our gold reserves at a pittance to fund their largesse.
So, what with the financial crash, there was no option to make economies /years of austerity.
I recall the years of 15% interest on mortgages so don't talk to me about a Labour Government GagaJo! Folk have short memories when it suits them.
Labour also increased GP's salaries for no extra hours....so now more GP's are working part time + more women GP's means yet more part timers = less hours with patients. And I fully believe the public has unrealistic expectations of a service that's supposed to be for the unwell.
The things people visit GP's for these day are ridiculous! And paper cuts awaiting treatment in A&E, I've seen them all.
The public needs to start taking responsibility for themselves.

Agree with Chestnut, it would be beneficial to have someone at the door turfing out time wasters like the person needing a Wellperson check before travelling abroad. A&E is for the sick.

I agree, what a waste of resources this man appears to be. I cannot stand people who turn up at a&e for no good reason and sometimes by ambulance. I was sent to a&e by my GP. I drove myself and arrived. The nurse took me through and stated loudly that I didn’t look ill. The tone in her voice rather annoyed I dare turn up. She took blood and found very low oxygen levels. She couldn’t get the oxygen mask on fast enough and I was admitted. Stupid judgemental old cow!

Gagalo Have you honestly never heard anyone being told to go back where they came from, before Brexit? In the fifties, landladies, like yourself, put notices in the windows, “ no coloureds, no Irish ‘. You must have been walking around with ear plugs!

Blaming the US for your economic ills and healthcare issues from your government run situation? interesting.

The problem with doctors is that there aren't enough places on medicine courses. I personally know 3 people who had the required qualifications but none of them got a place at uni. At the same time there are plenty of overseas students paying a fortune for those places. We need to ensure that there are more places for UK wannabe doctors, and need to remove the required degree for nurses.

I think it is hard not to judge people we see as time wasters but we don't know the full story behind their "small cut" or their cough. There may be more to it than meets the eye or the person could have an underlying condition meaning something small to other people is a big deal for them.

And with people not collecting their pharmacy meds, at our hospital it takes so long to get them that most people will go to the hospital cafe to wait.

Oh come on Jishere! He would have had loads of time to sort out an appointment with his doctor.

We're trying to avoid hospital documentaries at the moment.

I don't blame you merlot.

I agree. If the guy has had heart problems and could not see his GP he was doing the correct thing in going to A and E rather than risk falling seriously I'll when abroad. Insurance would be expensive for anyone with previous or current health conditions and after Jan 31st he wouldn't be able to use an EHIC. A doctor might have advised him not to fly.We should not blame the patient for the fact the Tories have ruined our health service and there are not enough GPs.

Hamp75 you can get reasonably priced health checks from any of the many private walk-in health centres in most areas. We've used them and they're really not all that expensive at all. Anyone who can afford a holiday abroad can afford a once over by one of them. And its a lot more pleasant an experience than hanging about in A&E

In the US more and more people are seeking treatment at emergency rooms in hospitals for a variety of reasons- Some don't have insurance- Some could afford it but choose not to buy it- Others cannot afford it yet don't qualify for social service medical coverage because their income is higher than the determined poverty line which is unrealistically low- But even people that do buy insurance as well as those covered by social service seek treatment at the emergency rooms-

There are no 24 hour pharmacies or walk in clinics- Most of the walk in clinics have no radiology equipment or labs- They don't stitch wounds- They treat colds, flu earache and so forth and frequently advise people to go to the ER when they themselves have no idea what the matter might be-

Someone with substantial health coverage can develop a condition, with severe symptoms, but is made to wait 3 months to see a specialist, during which time they seek treatment in the ER, many times over, for their severe symptoms- And then on the day of their appointment with the specialist discover they aren't being seen by the specialist but the specialists nurse practitioner who relays information to the specialist who takes another month or more to respond-

I could go on ... And on ..

Thank you endlessstrife for pointing out that things in the NHS are the same whoever is in power. That is a real horse's mouth observation and to be valued as coming from experience. A little thought and knowledge would support the view as being inevitable.

We are too quick to scapegoat and vilify. It isn't helpful.

Yes Lilyflower someone else pointed out we had a Conservative government in the early eighties as well, true, but it’s never got better under Labour. I still think the NHS does a great job most of the time.