I think I've had the misfortune to break a bone in my foot tonight, my son had taken me to ladybower to get me out of the house a bit,I am a carer for two people,one needs 24/7 care but nobody can send anyone to help me as yet, a nurse has been today and said I'm sorry I have no one to help you.
Now back to my foot, I think I have broken a bone, so when we came back I said to my son we'd better go to the Northern General to have it x-rayed before I go home,so thats what we did,now when we got there it was bursting at the seams with drunken blood soaked "England " fans, so when I got to the receptionist I said I have a card from the Sheffield carers society stating that I am a carer and that I've left my caree's at home,but in an emergency who to contact,so when I went to the triage nurse I tried to explain that I needed to get home as quickly as possible and she said well what have you done, so I told her and she just prodded my foot,she than said you'll be here for a long wait, about four hours, and I think this was about 8.30, so I said I can't wait that long so she said well why have you come, so I said look I have to get home and I tried to show her my carers card and she said"I haven't time to read that,if you can't put your weight on your foot, how do you expect to get home, so I said I'll have to get a taxi, will someone phone a taxi for me, and with that she went and and phoned a taxi then told me it would be five minutes and asked another woman to push me outside, which she did.
So thanks a lot to the Northern General hospital, I trust this nurses mother got her money back from the charm school that obviously her daughter failed
in, but more seriously,I probably do more nursing in one day than she does all week,I don't get any holidays, no pay, no respite,at the end of "her" day she gets to go home, I'm here 24/7, so how can I now take care of my caree's with what I think is a broken foot that has been left unattended.

Typical of the hospital full of drunken football fans, I would have sent the lot of the idiots home before they entered the door waisting hospital resources because they can't take there beer, drunken idiots.

Glad to see you got your foot sorted out in the end and keep the weight off it for a few days so it will heel quicker.:thumbsup:

I've only ever had bad experiences of the Northern General hospital. I don't understand how it can be so different to the Hallamshire where people are so friendly and helpful.

Sadly this is the way ahead for the NHS.
No morale, no solidarity, no pride.

Glad I left.

Good old NGH, drunks and druggies first, genuine injuries can wait.
Nothing changes. :confused:

Here we go again NHS bashing, I have been an observer of the forums for a long time and the amount of posts about the 'state' of Sheffields hospitals is astounding. Lets take a look from the nurses point of view Applegrim, although i admit she could have more friendly and approachable but her day has likely to has gone thus - since before and after the England match she will have been abused and threatened by drunken idiots demanding treatment, vomiting and chanting en-ger-lund, it was a sunny day so the amount of genuine trauma through the doors would have been very high indeed, sports injuries etc. The snake pass will have provided a high amount of serious rta/motercycle type injuries because motor-cyclists think they are invinvcible. The amount of people struggling to breathe because of the sun shine and high pollen count would have kept resus full. Then you have people demanding almost instant treatment from an over stretched service, with abusive relatives backing them up, and finaly the normal amount of summer saturday overdoses. I do emphathise with your situation Applegrim but when faced with treatment for someone who without intervention will be dead within the hour or someone with a sore foot who has responsibilities at home, the choice will always be the former.

The STH and the PCT's provide a good service to Sheffield and i might add the majority of South Yorkshire, under increasingly more red tape, less resources and unachieavable government targets. Not to mention constantly battling a public perception that they should be seen, treated and discharged NOW!

I'm sorry but my mum is a nurse at the Northern General and has been for about 20+ years now and she is a very good nurse and treats her patients with the same respect she would like to be treated!

If you have an issue with this certain nurse maybe you should put in a complaint, not all of the nurses, doctors or any other workers at the NGH are like her!

The workers at the A & E have a hard time especially at the weekends and now more as its the world cup and the alcohol is flowing, some are bound to be a little touchy I think I would be too.
My mum has always wanted me to be a nurse but I know there is no way I could do her Job, everyone who works in that environment has my respect!

And as for your foot if it is still no better ring prime care at Attercliffe, explain your circumstances - the fact you cant get to the hospital and they will probably send someone out to see you. Good luck and I hope you feel better soon :thumbsup:

Sorry but I have no sympathy for nurses who feel they have the 'right' to be rude to the public. Other people have to take abuse in their work too, and while nobody should have to take abuse, having taken it earlier in the day does not give a nurse the right to then go on and be rude to other patients.

The NGH casualty department can be horrific. I was left for over 12 hours in a corridor on a trolley when I had multiple injuries. Some of the nurses were helpful, one was downright offensive and when I challenged her rudeness she threatened to have me thrown out. Thankfully her superior tore a strip off her.

Sad part about this story is that the nurse dosen't know Applegrim as we know her and the kind of life she has to lead.

Yes exactly the nurse doesn't know so why should she have been treated any different from anyone else waiting hours to be seen?

I am in no way having a go at applegrim because I dont know her circumstances in full detail either.

The hospital is/should be run due to the seriousness of the injury or the length of time they have been waiting. People moan that druggies and drunks get preference over others but if applegrim had been seen before someone with a more serious injury just due to her circumstances there would be people moaning about that as well!

The NHS service will never be perfect and we all know that!

I went to the northern general with a broken hand. The nurses in a&e there made me feel like a social outcast by assuming that id been fighting. They even used the phrases "thats what they all say" when I explained what actually happened.

It wasnt even tongue in cheek, I could basically hear the condascending tuts as they left the examinations room.

I suppose they have every right to judge every person in a certain sex and age bracket.....

Between various nurses and a couple of doctors it took me about 3 months to persuade them I may have fractured a bone in my foot and to agree to x-ray it. X-ray showed I had and that because they ****** me about for so long I had adjusted the way I walked and fractured another one in the process.... useless.

Then again if you think about it, what can you expect 'For Free'.

Applegrim,

There are many ways of getting treatment without going to the A&E department.

Here is a full list
http://www.nhs.uk/England/NoAppointmentNeeded/Default.cmsx

For broken bones or fractures, the NHS site recommends going to your local Minor Injuries Unit. Telephone NHS Direct on 0845 4647 for the nearest location to you.

Best of all Minor Injuries Units don't do appointments and are likely to be able to treat you straight away without waiting for four hours.

Good Luck.

Right then applegrim.

A&E departments use a triage system to prioritise people in order of their clinical need. You were unlucky enough to sustain a relatively minor injury on a day where A&E had to deal with an unusually high number of patients.

If you'd gone to minor injuries at the Hallamshire you'd have had a long wait because it was heaving on Saturday afternoon. It also closes at 8pm so you may not have been seen at all.

You feel you should have been seen as a priority because you care for someone? It's not going to happen. It's like someone going in and saying "Oh, I've got kids you should see me first".

You compare your "nursing" to hers? It's worlds apart. You don't have the pleasure of dealing with life and death every day, seeing the very nasty underside of humanity in the face of vicious verbal and physical abuse, and having to work within government targets.

If I was involved in an accident I'd want to be treated at NGH over Rotherham, Barnsley, Donny or Chesterfield - they are the best at what they do.

Then again if you think about it, what can you expect 'For Free'.
Applegrim, the above wasn't directed towards you or your situation, i know what your situation is, and of all people that had to get that sort of nurse it had to be you:mad: :mad:

Hi, Don't know if this will help, but there are definitley 'peak' times for when A &E is busiest. I had to go a few weeks ago with a neck injury, after first seeing GP. I told him I didn't have time to sit in A&E all day and he said this time of the morning is usually quieter so I should go along.
I got there about 9:30am and was seen and gone by 10:30, so quite happy with that.
Maybe try again tomorrow?

Hello Applegrim :wave:

So sorry to hear about what happened to you. I do remember how kind you were when I visited your family in your lovely home. Please don't hesitate to PM me if I can do anything to help you out, I have finally passed my driving test (!) so I am available to help out with shopping or whatever else I could do.

All the best :)

Hi Applegrim,
So sorry to hear of the latest of a long string of bad luck that seems to happen to you, life has a way of kicking you when you're down, just climb to your knees and something else knocks you down.
I don't see how you can care for your family with a broken bone in your foot, how can you rest it ? How will you manage ? Wish I could help

hazel

Applegrim Im really sorry you found yourself in that situation but I have to agree with Dan999. I have worked in A&E and each patient is triaged and put into one of 4/5 categories according to how serious their injury is, worked out through different algorithms for every injury/ilness etc. Unfortunately you injured yourself on a day when A&E happened to be full of drunken football fans, most of which had minor injuries inluding yourself, so you had to expect a longer than average wait.Also you have no idea how many emergencies there had been, how many people were in resus, or were situations that could become life threatening. Add that to them having to meet government targets everyday whilst having nowhere near enough staff to cover shifts.
I cant excuse her attitude to you, she shouldnt have been abrupt but she had no idea you had two pople at home needing care, but then you could have got somebody to care for them, there are lots of care agencies that could send you somebody out.
As for saying that you probably do more nursing than her, I wouldnt be so quick to judge.A&E is an extremely emotionally and physically demanding department to work in and you see some awful things. Im sure you work incredible hard and credit to you, but that nurse doesnt just sit in triage all day, she rotates al through the day and after seeing your foot, she may have to go and resusitate somebody in a state you can only imagine.
Good luck with you're foot and I hope you find yourself a bit more support and respite in the near future xxx

Firstly I don't ever expect priority,I was given this card from the Sheffield Carer's society who must have thought that it might help in an emergency situation,now I have every sympathy with nurses who have to deal with drunken blood soaked people who in the name of their sport, batter each other sensless, it is scary,but
does that mean that a nurse, hasn't even the decency to even say sorry I can't help you, instead of I haven't time to read that.
Thank God all nurses aren't the same, because the following day I went to the minor injurys unit at the Hallamshire and each and everyone I came into contact with excelled at their job,and after diagnosing a mettitarsal break,I collapsed with a suspected TIA (stroke)and was admitted without further adoo,so although I never thought all nurses were the same, the ones at the Hallamshire
really do deserve repect,they were wonderful.

Sam 1984, no you're quite right I don't know how the NHS meets governments targets, or that there is nowhere near enough staff to cover shifts etc., but had she took the time to read this card, she would have found out that I wasn't swinging the lead,and that there were people waiting for me,and your comment that I should have got someone to care for my caree's as there are plenty of agency's that I could have used, well firstly I don't get a penny for caring,so It doesn't leave much room for care agency's, and secondly,these care agency's that would send someone out, could you tell me one that will cover for an appointment I have tomorrow, because even the social services can't find one.

Sam 1984, no you're quite right I don't know how the NHS meets governments targets, or that there is nowhere near enough staff to cover shifts etc., but had she took the time to read this card, she would have found out that I wasn't swinging the lead,and that there were people waiting for me,and your comment that I should have got someone to care for my caree's as there are plenty of agency's that I could have used, well firstly I don't get a penny for caring,so It doesn't leave much room for care agency's, and secondly,these care agency's that would send someone out, could you tell me one that will cover for an appointment I have tomorrow, because even the social services can't find one.

Other than Social Services [Social Services Access Team: (0114) 273 4908]
there is:

Leonard Cheshire agency Telephone: 0114 2369952
Fax: 0114 2620234
Email: mickley@ney.leonard-cheshire.org.uk

Adult Family Placement Service (AFPS)
(0114) 273 5275 or (0114) 273 5185.

These are both very good services but Im not sure you will be able to get help at such a short notice.Good luck

Applegrim - it might be worth raising it with PALS at the NGH, as I think the carers alert card is quite new, and they might need some educating about it. Unfortunately, it often takes a long time for information about these kind of things to filter down to frontline staff, but it needs to start somewhere (although I appreciate your time will be scarce).

How are you managing now, by the way?

The carers card is designed to alert ambulance crews or hospital staff to the fact that there are people dependant on you if something should happen to you - for instance, if you were killed or unconscious. I can assure you that both ambulance and hospital staff are aware of this scheme.

Hope you're back up and about and feeling better.

The carers card is designed to alert ambulance crews or hospital staff to the fact that there are people dependant on you if something should happen to you - for instance, if you were killed or unconscious. I can assure you that both ambulance and hospital staff are aware of this scheme.

Hope you're back up and about and feeling better.

Not this one by the looks of it. Isn't it quite distinctive?

Dunno, never seen one.

Teafan, thank you for your advice, I have now contacted PALS and hopefully they will look into it for me,as other carers will at some time probably need this service and a little understanding and help in this situation would go a long way,
as for me,I have my crutches now and I can hobble about a bit, but I can't use my foot very much as it's so swollen and bruised, I am told that it's called the "Beckham Bone" or I suppose now the "Rooney Bone" as they've both had it broken as well, although I don't think I'll be so mollycoddled as them unfortunately.

Here we go again NHS bashing, I have been an observer of the forums for a long time and the amount of posts about the 'state' of Sheffields hospitals is astounding. Lets take a look from the nurses point of view Applegrim, although i admit she could have more friendly and approachable but her day has likely to has gone thus - since before and after the England match she will have been abused and threatened by drunken idiots demanding treatment, vomiting and chanting en-ger-lund, it was a sunny day so the amount of genuine trauma through the doors would have been very high indeed, sports injuries etc. The snake pass will have provided a high amount of serious rta/motercycle type injuries because motor-cyclists think they are invinvcible. The amount of people struggling to breathe because of the sun shine and high pollen count would have kept resus full. Then you have people demanding almost instant treatment from an over stretched service, with abusive relatives backing them up, and finaly the normal amount of summer saturday overdoses. I do emphathise with your situation Applegrim but when faced with treatment for someone who without intervention will be dead within the hour or someone with a sore foot who has responsibilities at home, the choice will always be the former.

The STH and the PCT's provide a good service to Sheffield and i might add the majority of South Yorkshire, under increasingly more red tape, less resources and unachieavable government targets. Not to mention constantly battling a public perception that they should be seen, treated and discharged NOW!

Sorry, but what city were you in if you think it was sunny today?!!

Having said that, I agree with your points about the amount of stress nurses are under. Still no reason to be rude, but it is a mitigating factor.

Teafan, thank you for your advice, I have now contacted PALS and hopefully they will look into it for me,as other carers will at some time probably need this service and a little understanding and help in this situation would go a long way,
as for me,I have my crutches now and I can hobble about a bit, but I can't use my foot very much as it's so swollen and bruised, I am told that it's called the "Beckham Bone" or I suppose now the "Rooney Bone" as they've both had it broken as well, although I don't think I'll be so mollycoddled as them unfortunately.

Look on the brightside, you might be able to play in the world cup final if you get it sorted as quick as Rooney! :)

Sorry, but what city were you in if you think it was sunny today?!!

Having said that, I agree with your points about the amount of stress nurses are under. Still no reason to be rude, but it is a mitigating factor.

If you'd checked the date on the post it wasn't posted today, it was posted on 11th... which was Sunday and was rather sunny... unless you weren't in this city then?

OK, hands up for being a complete div - please accept my apologies! If I thought about it for one second I would have realised.

I'll get back in my box....:)

Hook, what a sight for sore eyes I'd make, it doesn't bare thinking about,mind you I wouldn't mind being a penny behind them,but I wish them well and hope they do their country proud tomorrow.

Hook, what a sight for sore eyes I'd make, it doesn't bare thinking about,mind you I wouldn't mind being a penny behind them,but I wish them well and hope they do their country proud tomorrow.

Touch wood!

However likewise, I'm sure they'd be wishing you well! Especially since both Beckham and Rooney have been through the pain you're going through at the moment! I hope things get better for you quickly! :)

Applegrim, judging from the reaction of all these people you're clearly a wonderful charitable person. You're absolutely right in saying that the nurse was wrong to be rude to you. But they are probably used to people giving them reasons to jump the queue that they simply can't honour. I'd personally say a single mother of 3 should get priority over you.....anyway her way of dealing with you was completely wrong.

As is is your bitchy response so you're no better in my eyes

I probably do more nursing in one day than she does all week,I don't get any holidays, no pay, no respite,at the end of "her" day she gets to go home, I'm here 24/7, so how can I now take care of my caree's with what I think is a broken foot that has been left unattended.

And in response to your love of the Hallamshire staff.......well i'm sure you had decided about your comparison between the lovely hallamshire and scummy NGH before you even went in