A&E waiting times

[Esceptico]

So it seems the governments solution to not meeting the 4 hour waiting target in A&E...is to change the target (no doubt to something they can achieve).

A sign of things to come under our glorious leader Boris? No doubt those that were frothing at the mouth over a stupid off the cuff comment by an ex Labour MP will be strangely silent on this obvious attempt by the Tories to escape scrutiny over their stewardship of the NHS.

[voyds9]

Shock news doctors and nurses can't see patients within 4 hours

It's Boris's fault

[Agammemnon]

A&E has a lot of timewasters- if someone who just wants a paracetamol & a plaster but won't pay for them at the chemist has a huge wait then I'm not fussed if it means the genuine cases get seen promptly.

[PositronicRay]

Peak times may be different. But I was in and out, butterfly stitches, tetanus, wound dressed so quickly car park charges didn't kick in. (30 mins free parking)

I repaid them in cake.

[Saleen836]

Waiting times are not helped with people not bothering to make an appointment with their GP,they just rock up at A&E knowing a few hours wait is better than 2-3 week wait to see their GP!

[pequod]

Saleen836 said:

Waiting times are not helped with people not bothering to make an appointment with their GP,they just rock up at A&E knowing a few hours wait is better than 2-3 week wait to see their GP!

I've heard this quoted a few times but I wonder if there is any independent evidence this is actually happening to such a degree that it is affecting the A&E Dept doing their job?

[Earthdweller]

From my professional experience of A&E over many years and the NHS in general

If you are brought in by Ambulance with major trauma or walk in with a serious problem you will receive world class care immediately

If you walk in with toothache or a minor ailment you will have to wait

Serious issues are prioritised

Quite rightly

[SlimJim16v]

The 4 hours is bks. It doesn't mean you're treated, just that someone has seen you. It's just bullst to make the statistics look better.

[anonymous-user]

Not A & E I know but today I had to go to my local hospital to have a chest Xray & bloods taken for tests (lingering chesty cough / mucus) there's a thread on here about it.

No appointments just turn up so I was prepared for a fair bit of waiting about.....not a bit of it, straight in for bloods no more than 30 seconds after sitting down - and no more than a 10 minute wait for Xray. Longest part of the whole procedure was finding a parking space!

[gregs656]

pequod said:

I've heard this quoted a few times but I wonder if there is any independent evidence this is actually happening to such a degree that it is affecting the A&E Dept doing their job?

I have a few friends who are paramedics and the general consensus seems to be that front line services are under immense pressure because access to non-emergency is patchy. Not just GPs etc either but mental health and social care, leading to people who probably ought not be in hospital blocking up A&E as the duty of care means they can't really go anywhere else.

[Brave Fart]

My recent experiences of A&E are that if you have a serious problem you get triaged and treated very quickly indeed. Now that may mean there's dozens of people waiting for beyond 4 hours, but none of them is in danger. Target waiting times for A&E should be scrapped, they tell us nothing, especially when the cause is our failing GP system, which is where the majority of people waiting in A&E should really be seen.

[Astacus]

My last experience of A&E I was called within about 2 mins of sitting down (because it was actually an E). Time before that I think I waited about 40 mins.

I think a lot of the criticism of A&E re extended waiting times is that, as said above there are lots of people who go when its not appropriate. My wife is a nurse. She wouldn't let me go to A&E when I pick axed my foot, because it wasn't serious enough

But then we do have a sort of intermediate injuries unit (or dhead who should be allowed near sharp objects unit in my case!)

Edited by Astacus on Thursday 16th January 00:11

[Esceptico]

Typical PH. Should have realised it would be the fault of people for getting injured and being sick rather than the government for underfunding the NHS.

I’m sure that the 30% of people waiting more than 4 hours will be relieved by the anecdotal tales of quick visits above. They are obviously injured/sick at the wrong time or wrong place.

[croyde]

Only quick visit I ever had was to a non London hospital.

I've waited 8 hours on a trolley after a heart attack. That was under Labour.

[Astacus]

Esceptico said:

Typical PH. Should have realised it would be the fault of people for getting injured and being sick rather than the government for underfunding the NHS.

I’m sure that the 30% of people waiting more than 4 hours will be relieved by the anecdotal tales of quick visits above. They are obviously injured/sick at the wrong time or wrong place.

You make the mistake of assuming that those 30% are those with serious life threatening injuries. I doubt it. Drs and Nurses are not idiots, despite the propaganda some like to stuff down our necks. These people are triaged.

[anonymous-user]

Properly finance social care to remove those in hospital that don't "need" to be there and there might just be more money and time available to deal with those that "do"?

[Kermit power]

pequod said:

Saleen836 said:

Waiting times are not helped with people not bothering to make an appointment with their GP,they just rock up at A&E knowing a few hours wait is better than 2-3 week wait to see their GP!

I've heard this quoted a few times but I wonder if there is any independent evidence this is actually happening to such a degree that it is affecting the A&E Dept doing their job?

It certainly does for my A&E doctor sister in law.

[Kermit power]

Esceptico said:

Typical PH. Should have realised it would be the fault of people for getting injured and being sick rather than the government for underfunding the NHS.

I’m sure that the 30% of people waiting more than 4 hours will be relieved by the anecdotal tales of quick visits above. They are obviously injured/sick at the wrong time or wrong place.

It's not "typical PH" at all. Talk to anyone who works in A&E and they'll tell you the place is having with people who not only don't need to be there, they don't need to be at a GP either.

[rscott]

pequod said:

Saleen836 said:

Waiting times are not helped with people not bothering to make an appointment with their GP,they just rock up at A&E knowing a few hours wait is better than 2-3 week wait to see their GP!

I've heard this quoted a few times but I wonder if there is any independent evidence this is actually happening to such a degree that it is affecting the A&E Dept doing their job?

Radio 4 had an interview with the chief executive of Colchester and Ipswich hospitals recently and his view was that the problem wasn't people who could (r should) have seen their GP or pharmacist, but simply that there are more people genuinely needing to attend A&E. Not helped by problems moving patients out of A&E after assessment/treatment - not enough capacity in other departments of the hospital and a lack of social care which would allow some to go home sooner.

[waynedear]

I think the set targets are not achievable, ‘here is your target, you have to make 9 beans 10’
My wife who will not go to hospital for love nor money said she felt unwell one evening last year and though she should go to hospital.
Triage nurse saw her within the hour, then the wait began, 7 hours.
As this particular hospitals senior inspection manager she could have told them who she was or asked to see a senior member of staff and she would have been seen.
She chose to wait her turn, the place was packed with people that did not need to be there, just eat we’re doing a roaring trade at the main door.
I believe the NHS, staff and hospital are doing the best they can, it’s the visitors that cause the problems.