Idiots who should NOT be going to A&E

I can see why people think my post is judgemental but if you'd seen what A&E was like and heard the poor woman in the next cubicle describing to the nurse what had happened to her you'd probably feel the same as I did.

I obviously can't go into detail but he told us where he lived. It was a forty minute drive away and close to a large hospital so I suspect he may have been turned away from there in the past because why drive so far?

He wouldn't have been the only one in A&E helping to stretch resources to their limits. I just used him as an example because listening to him made me angry.

How about the increase in population overburdening the services?

Do watch "The Dirty War on the NHS". It was on ITV last night late. 17 December. Watch it on catchup. Shocking.

Elastic What's wrong with having some thing to look forward to? Surely that's irrelevant.

My MiL went to A&E with a hang nail. I kid you not! Her comment to me when I expressed horror ' but it's free and my finger hurt'. I was disappointed that the hospital staff didn't give her a telling off.

I know what you mean my neighbour went because she banged her hand on her daughters car because she thought she might if fractured it they should be charged for wasting hospital time

Wonder how long go he made the booking for his Tenerife trip? Bet it was longer than two or three weeks.

This is a bit too judgemental when you haven't got this mans medical history in front of you and you haven't got a clue how poorly he has been. Live and let live. Don't presume someone is an idiot because he hasn't gone to see his doctors which anything like mine is a nightmare to get an appointment and as choosen a&e to get some reassurance. My dad gets a clean bill of health with his heart condition yet he is fragile and feels poorly.What would you consider kids who get things stuck in there ears, up there noses?? !!!!!

@endlessstrife but the Tories were in charge in the early eighties as well ?

My son took a friend to A & E late one evening with severe stomach pains (turned out to be gall stones). The man sitting next to them was there because he hadn't had a bowel movement for 2 days! A quick visit to his local pharmacy would have likely solved his problem. Surely there should be some form of triage which would have directed him to the appropriate service?

Merlotgran that is exactly where private health care comes into play. He wanted an unnecessary checkup and there are umpteen private walk in clinics - some will come out to your home - who would have given him that for a pretty reasonable price. He didn't even need to wait for an appointment. It sounds like he could have afforded it. Maybe GPs and A&Es should have posters for the private services, those that are known to be reputable, around their waiting rooms?

The government has not cut the NHS budget
It’s increasing year on year.
GP salaries are excellent, but they want a better pension and don’t have the skills needed to manage their practices
The NHS is badly organised
Poorly managed and abused

It isn't pleasant to have to wait in a busy A&E but it's better than what may happen soon if some people get there way. It will be where is your insurance policy!
We are so fortunate to have the NHS but we will be kissing most of it goodbye if this Government has it's way.

Can't believe the people who appear to be unaware that the financial crisis was global and was to do with the subprime mortgage debacle in the US and greed.

Stop blaming others, the Labour Government was a long time ago and the present Government is happy to watch growing numbers of children in poverty, people in work in poverty, foodbanks right across the UK working all out to feed people. Poverty experienced by those in work is enormous.

As for charging drug users or drunk people to be treated! I can only presume that whoever suggested that has no knowledge of the causes of addiction and how mental health issues are often the cause. And as we have inadequate provision to assist people in crisis who are you going to blame for that? Presumable wait till someone else is in power and blame them.
Some of you voted for this and presume some of you have the funds to pay for private care. You do realise it's the same professionals you see whether you pay or not? And while NHS doctors are seeing Private patients who is caring for those on their list?
Rant over

The number of people, the 'I need this immediately, you have to fix it' attitude to the slightest off colour feeling along with the loss of GPs all adds up to strain on the service. I made an appointment with GP - 4 week wait. Received a message cancelling appointment. Made contact to make new appointment - 3 weeks after original appointment. I commented that would be a 7 week wait. Phone call about an hour later offering me cancellation appointment two hours later. My app wasn't urgent to me but had to be monitored. GP apologised, had been ill and yes I did need to be seen. I watch some of the A & E programmes. Amazes me how folk turn up with bruising, cuts, very minor problems that occured a couple of weeks ago. No one seems prepared to live through anything, everything has to be fixed. Do agree about the drunks/drugs customers causing mayhem. Some hospitals have police on duty in A & E to protect staff, standard security seems of no use. The pre holiday check should be ashamed.

I wonder if we would have so many social problems, such as addiction, mental illness and homelessness, if we lived in a fairer, kinder, less divisive and dysfunctional society? This impacts heavily on our health services.

Why can't we be more compassionate and less judgmental on here?

Maybe the name should be changed to Emergency drop the accident bit it may emphasis why you should go there and also anyone taking part in activities likely to required treatment and possibly air ambulance call out should carry insurance? I am thinking mountain biking, climbing etc. Just saying......

Please watch, Dirty War on the NHS. Usually after a shocking and controversial programme is shown on TV the newspapers, tv, and radio are full of it and people talking about it all over the place. What’s going on? I have seen nothing so far today. Where are all the comments about John Pilgers film “Dirty War on the NHS”. I found it a real eye opener, l recommend you watch it and make your own mind up.

The NHS is a great institution and we should be grateful. I know GP surgeries are run on a very tight budget but some are just badly managed. I’m lucky to have a very organised and efficient surgery. We have a email ‘ ask the dr’ facility. You email your problem or request and a GP replies within an hour. They will call you at your request or email you back, and you get an appointment to see a GP that same day if necessary, after assessment of the problem. It’s a wonderful system and time wasters are sifted out.
Regarding misuse of A&E, I think people who abuse it should be charged a fee.

A few years ago, DH and I waited in our local hospital with our DS, who has learning difficulties, for an ambulance to take him to our nearest major hospital. We waited seven hours. During that time, we heard the nurse talking to a 'patient' in the next cubicle. She said that he had already been there that morning, and that there was nothing wrong. He sounded either drunk or under the influence of something. When eventually DS was transferred to an ambulance, the driver apologised, saying that many call outs were unnecessary, and that the aforesaid man regularly called them out, often more than once a day. They had been to court about it, but it turned out that they are obliged to go as there is always a chance that there really is something wrong. True, but frustrating for the staff.

Having worked in A&E nothing would shock me anymore - the things people will turn up for include toothache, because they can’t get a doctors appointment “so I thought I’d come here instead” - to a young girl requesting the morning after pill - when asked when she last had unprotected sex her reply was “oh no I need it for tomorrow as I’m going out tonight”. I tell you I could write a book on the many stupid things people turn up for in A&E

merlotgran I’m pleased your DH is ok. I can imagine how relieved you are. I very occasionally do some Bank work in A&E mainly because I can prescribe and honestly I could write a book. What amazes me is the number of patients who aren’t even registered with a GP and use A&E as we would use our GP. Actually that’s not correct, some of the minor issues they come in with we wouldn’t dream of going to the GP. They want free Paracetamol and something for their corns (I’m not joking) but not from me or anyone else in A&E. Nobody can be turned away. I agree the GP shortage isn’t helping but the numbers of doctors wanting to be a GP has dropped such a lot recently. The amount of paperwork and red tape puts them off. Most prefer to work in hospitals now and once a doctor reaches Consultant level there’s more opportunities such as private work. This is why GP surgeries are relying more on Nurse Practitioners. I usually work 2 mornings a week (I am supposed to be retired) and can see anything up to 20 patients on a particularly busy morning.

Everyone here- the system is BROKEN. I sat on the Board for 10 years of the ONLY Foundation Trust in the NW to have 2 consecutive CQC ratings of OUTSTANDING. Salford Royal- it took 8 years to do this, a journey of changing practice to caring for the patient experience , safety and quality. Mortality rates and infection rates among the lowest in the country. We have since taken over 4 other hospitals in the NW and taken them from being rated inadequate to Good in 2 years. HOW through amazing leadership and changing of cultures, expecting practices to be among the best, expecting patient focus to be top class and holding our staff to account for that. Staff are motivated to achieve and be apart of this. (17000 staff! ). Other Trusts need to let highly paid inadequate senior staff go!- don't just deploy them elsewhere ( well if the unions let you). Productivity and efficiency changes need to be expected and staff held to account. They all do an amazing job but not all perform well. The whole system needs an ALL party review - choices need to be made about what the NHS provides. GPs need holding to account- don't forget GPs are small business managers and make their own profits out of the system! When the NHS STOPS being a political football changes for the better will be made!

Having worked in A&E for nearly 40years, I could write a book. I think it stopped being accident and emergency years ago and became anything and everything !!1

My memories of the Blair government tickingbird are tarnished by him taking us into the Iraq war, but one indisputable fact was that the NHS has never worked as well as when he was in power, whatever you look at, access to care, waiting times and so on. Check the stats.

Kitnsimon - do understand your feelings about people who attend A&E with what, you perceive, as self inflicted conditions. However, if you put a charge on these, then where does it end......What about those who have to attend with sports injuries? or illnesses brought about through years of smoking? And not forgetting those people whose conditions may at the least be exacerbated by a poor diet? Should all of these also be charged a fee at point of use?
When I tried to run for a bus, and stupidly waved my walking stick to attract the attention of the driver - and fell over - does that count as self-inflicted.
Stop blaming the victims, (ie. those feeling they need to use A&E).
Let's look at who really are to blame - those who have sold of so much of our NHS to private companies, put Hospital Trusts into millions of pounds of debt with involving them in the funding of private hospitals and medical centres, under-funded training of all medical staff, and austerity (for the many - but not the few), which is the cause of so many mental health conditions.