How can A&E waiting time be made shorter?

[Ms Macbeth 74]

No they are not you go in get a ticket and wait ./ No one sees you till your ticket comes up no matter what is wrong with you.

 

As tinfoilhat pointed out they do if you are brought in by ambulance, or are obviously seriously unwell. Several years ago my GP called an ambulance for my husband, after I rang to see if he could see a doctor urgently. I told the receptionist his symptoms, and it was on record that he'd had heart surgery in the past, so the GP sensibly ordered an emergency ambulance. My OH was wheeled into A&E, triaged immediately, and seen by a series of doctors fairly quickly. As they couldn't diagnose his problem he was sent to a ward, after a couple of weeks a wonderful consultant (who just wouldn't give up) managed to establish what was wrong, more heart surgery followed and although he's nearing 70 he's in pretty good shape.

 

Much more recently, one Sunday I suddenly lost the sight in one eye, and although my family tried to persuade me to go to A&E I was initially reluctant. So I rang 111, who advised me I needed to be seen. I realised my condition was neither an accident or an emergency, but my sight loss could have been the sign something else was wrong. I was there for a good couple of hours, and was eventually seen by a helpful doctor. She wasn't an eye specialist, so I was referred to the eye clinic at the Hallamshire the following Monday. Eventually I had to have an operation to repair my eye, its not perfect but better than it was.

 

Both of those experiences ended up being dealt with in the right way IMO. Early triage is surely one answer. Cases must always be seen in order of urgency, and if that means that someone with a minor, non life threatening injury has to wait indefinitely, so be it.

[newcomer01 10]

Great story MsMcBeth and I am glad that you were sorted.But initial comments were how to reduce waiting times in A & E

[spider1 11]

So if I walk in with acute chest pains or a stab wound I just wait? I went into A&E with a very bad asthma attack and low oxygen saturation - no queue for me!

 

No you would not be treat as a walk up to the desk type patient as 99 percnt are ./ This is an admitance by ambulance case as it should be keep things in perspective. If you went in and fell to the floor dying they would not ignore you :loopy:

[Ms Macbeth 74]

Great story MsMcBeth and I am glad that you were sorted.But initial comments were how to reduce waiting times in A & E

 

My last paragraph suggested fast triage as one way to speed up genuine cases. If triage is carried out as soon as someone enters A&E, and cases are properly prioritised, the real accident and emergency cases should be seen more quickly. I'm really not worried if anyone who is there for a non emergency, non life threatening condition has to wait as they probably shouldn't be there in the first place.

 

I believe there are too many people who don't fit the category taking up time that should be devoted to those who need it. However, some people complain they can't see a GP when they need to, in my doctor's surgery they publish numbers of people who haven't bothered to turn up for booked appointments with a GP or practice nurse. Last month there were over 80 of those, and thats not unusual. Perhaps if those people were more responsible and let the surgery know, others could get appointments and not feel their only option is hospital A&E.

[Obelix 11]

No they dont a/e is you go in go to desk get your ticket and wait your turn / Are you getting confused with minor injuries clinic./ You couldnt jump the que if you were prince charles ..

 

Oh you can. Walk into A&E with acute severe chest pains and a shortness of breath and I guarantee you will be at the very front of the queue very quickly, jumping over those with less severe compliants. It's called medical triage.

[tinfoilhat 11]

No you would not be treat as a walk up to the desk type patient as 99 percnt are ./ This is an admitance by ambulance case as it should be keep things in perspective. If you went in and fell to the floor dying they would not ignore you :loopy:

 

I'll say it slowly.

 

Yes. You. Would. Be. Treated. As. A. Priority.

 

I walked into an A&E and ASSESSED and whizzed through. When you went to A&E had you suffered a head injury, blackouts or were confused?

[V.Rossi 10]

No you would not be treat as a walk up to the desk type patient as 99 percnt are ./ This is an admitance by ambulance case as it should be keep things in perspective. If you went in and fell to the floor dying they would not ignore you :loopy:

 

Hmmmmm, not entirely sure that to be the case, they might think you were a little to drunk to stand? I recently went in with a ruptured bowel (Can be fatal if not sorted quickly) and was stood in reception bent over in absolute agony whilst others of the more inebriated species got called through well before me and certainly many of them arrived a long time after me, all walking around reception shouting at one another and making a scene. I suppose it's pretty on par with how the entire country is becoming. Anyone with an alcohol, drug or similar problem take complete priority above anyone else.

[rossyrooney 12]

When I lost sight in my right eye a couple of years ago my wife rang our medical centre and they told her to take me to R.H.H. Eye Clinic, I was seen within minutes and was "fast tracked" to see no less than five specialists in the eight hours I was there.

 

They diagnosed a T.I.A. (A mini stroke) which has left me blind in my right eye but which has not affected my mobility or speech.

 

The System is in place at A&E departments but is snowed under by the amount of people attending.

 

Perhaps we should lobby the government to re open the Hallamshire A&E.

[spilldig 188]

It's not the amount of money. It's the principle of healthcare being free at the point of use. Once we do away with that principle we are on a very slippery slope.

 

Well I was going to point out the error in spider 1 s thinking, but you just did it. Thank's.

[stressconsul 10]

No they dont a/e is you go in go to desk get your ticket and wait your turn / Are you getting confused with minor injuries clinic./ You couldnt jump the que if you were prince charles .. May be you go by ambulance if you have a cold do you. :hihi:

 

I have never been given a ticket at A&E. They make a decision when you will be seen, based on your symptoms. so the heart attack patient gets seen before the broken toe patient.

[AGB1 10]

I have never been given a ticket at A&E. They make a decision when you will be seen, based on your symptoms. so the heart attack patient gets seen before the broken toe patient.

 

Everyone is right ...if you walk-in to A&E and book in via reception, you will wait in a queue to book in, then wait to be triaged. The receptionists are told to alert nursing staff to patients with shortness of breath, chest pains or those who 'look unwell' but otherwise you will wait your turn to be triaged....and then from the nurse triage you are seen in priority order by a doctor.

 

Interestingly an A&E full of drunks and minor injuries is easy, usually quick work (for example the patient who came to A&E with a verruca, or the one I saw with a haemorrhoid).

 

It's the older, frail patients with multiple co-morbidites who take ages to sort out, then languish in the department for hours because there are no bed who are the ones who slow everything down and mean you're waiting for ages in the waiting room.

If I could change one thing, it would be empowering paramedics to be able to not bring idiots in who dial an ambulance when they don't need one.

[Ms Macbeth 74]

Quick question, why would someone travel to A & E to have a verruca or a haemorrhoid looked at? GP or walk in for both, or for the haemmorhoid, just buy ointment from a pharmacy, unless of course it's been left too long. Common sense seems to have gone out of fashion.