So my Saturday was ruined as I ended up having to spend six hours in A and E

Still waters · 23-06-2019 11:21AM

My last time was cellulitis in my face, excruciating pain, face swelled to twice the size after getting hit with a slate at work and needing 15 stitches on my head, my appearance alone was enough to get me in and on antibiotics straight away, I spent the week in hospital with it, it was more than enough for me

I've had the need for stitches several times since and my doctor has stitched me up, unless its hanging off I'm not going to A&E

Stop moaning ffs · 23-06-2019 11:22AM

Pro tip if you ever break any bones and live in Dublin.

The mater have a rapid injury clinic in Smithfield. At the top of the square opposite the cobblestone.
It’s really swank and you’ll be seen in no time regardless if you’re on a medical card or have insurance.
It’s a completely different experience than the hellish waiting rooms of the mater proper or Beaumont or James’

shesty · 23-06-2019 11:23AM

SmartinMartin wrote: »

Private A&E for me, fcuk the cost it's worth every penny. The last time I did damage was on a Saturday evening, I waited til Monday morning and went to the mater.

We have private health insurance.A punctured lung won't wait.
The instant he was x-rayed, he was sent to straight to A&E, waited ten mins, was called and treated.But hanging around for a bed took two days.
They then tried to get him to sign for his insurance to cover the bed.We have semi-private insurance.He was placed on a high-dependency ward of 10 beds due to his problem.Not even near semi-private.
Total scam.

Stop moaning ffs · 23-06-2019 11:24AM

shesty wrote: »

We have private health insurance.A punctured lung won't wait.
The instant he was x-rayed, he was sent to straight to A&E, waited ten mins, was called and treated.But hanging around for a bed took two days.
They then tried to get him to sign for his insurance to cover the bed.We have semi-private insurance.He was placed on a high-dependency ward of 10 beds due to his problem.Not even near semi-private.
Total scam.

My mates a nurse and says the same about insurance being a scam. It makes no difference at all you get the same care according to him and he’s in the job 20 years.

heroics · 23-06-2019 11:25AM

St Vincent’s A&E about 3 weeks ago on a Thursday. Hurt ankle playing football. Got in about 9pm. Triaged about 9:15 x-rayed by 10 and saw doctor about 11ish. Wasn’t broken just tendons so let go home with painkillers about 11:30.

Busy night in there. Must have been about 10 others with sports injuries. Couple of ankles, 2 dislocated shoulders by the looks of them and a bunch of finger injuries. Mix of sports too soccer GAA and Tag from the kit.

As well as that a bunch of people who was hard to identify what was wrong. Steady stream of ambulances as well.

All the staff I interacted with were great.

23-06-2019 11:25AM

Last time was in February with my grandmother as she had a very bad kidney infection (only has one kidney and is 95). Was in there for hours. She didn’t get into a ward until the evening after.

Last time (and only time) I was admitted myself was when I was a teenager and dislocated my kneecap. Was horrendous! Arrived at 6pm, was lying on a trolly with a dislocated kneecap until about 1 in the morning. They could only give me a small bit of morphine as I was too young, did nothing. Brought me for an X-ray while my kneecap was still dislocated and had to manoeuvre it around, will never forget the pain! Finally got sedated and they popped it back in. Was in a cast for 6 weeks after.

Both times were in Tralee general (hell).

banie01 · 23-06-2019 11:28AM

shesty wrote: »

We have private health insurance.A punctured lung won't wait.
The instant he was x-rayed, he was sent to straight to A&E, waited ten mins, was called and treated.But hanging around for a bed took two days.
They then tried to get him to sign for his insurance to cover the bed.We have semi-private insurance.He was placed on a high-dependency ward of 10 beds due to his problem.Not even near semi-private.
Total scam.

I'm in the strange position of having a medical card due to a long term illness aswell as HI thru work.
Same situation on my last admission, finally got into a bed @2days after admission.
2 bed semi private room, when someone from admissions comes up to get me to sign the Laya form.
Said nope, was admitted as a public patient and happy to stay that way.
30 mins later I was moved to another bed on the surgical assessment unit.

HI is great for accessing queue jumping for tests and treatment but IMHO serves no real benefit when admitted to an acute hospital.

Pissartist · 23-06-2019 11:29AM

Stop moaning ffs wrote: »

My mates a nurse and says the same about insurance being a scam. It makes no difference at all you get the same care according to him and he’s in the job 20 years.

A male nurse, not sure I could do that myself

Eire Go Brach · 23-06-2019 11:30AM

About 2 months ago. Last time 20 years ago.
Arrive at the desk. Got a taxi up.
Said my heart feels weird pain in shoulder.
Sit down. Full of all sorts. Drunks and Junkies. Quite busy it was Thursday night. I’m like this is of a waste of time. Going to be here for hours. When I see the nurse I’m out of here.

About 5 minutes later. I’m called to the nurse. Nice casual chat about how I feel. Sticks an ecg on me. “Your not imagine this” he said to me. The look on his face.
Boom all hell breaks lose. I’m wheeled outside. Nurse’s and doctors around me.
“Your heart is beating very fast. You can only sustain this for a short period then you can go into cardiac arrest. We need to put you to sleep and shock you. And we need to do it now”
I’m like WTF.
All in all between getting to the hospital and knocked out and shocked was probably less than 15 minutes.

My heart went into VT. It was going 228 beats. Possibly for 3 hours. My naivety could have killed me and I kept thinking it would go away. I’m healthy enough.

Stop moaning ffs · 23-06-2019 11:31AM

Pissartist wrote: »

A male nurse, not sure I could do that myself

It’s a thankless burn out job. He’s told me horror stories. Mostly about patients families being absolute bastards.
They should be all paid treble what they get. They do the real work.

Sardonicat · 23-06-2019 11:33AM

shesty wrote: »

We have private health insurance.A punctured lung won't wait.
The instant he was x-rayed, he was sent to straight to A&E, waited ten mins, was called and treated.But hanging around for a bed took two days.
They then tried to get him to sign for his insurance to cover the bed.We have semi-private insurance.He was placed on a high-dependency ward of 10 beds due to his problem.Not even near semi-private.
Total scam.

If you need to be on a high dependency unit then that's where you'll be. The type of insurance you have does not dictate the level of care required. And 'semi-private' is just health insurance jargon for a ward. It doesn't mean sharing with only one other person. It means you are not covered for a private room. The number of people still taken in by that phrase is baffling to me.

El_Duderino 09 · 23-06-2019 11:35AM

mikemac2 wrote: »

This thread is a great advertisement for health insurance that can get you into the private clinics *shudder*

I was hoping it's an advertisement for paying the tax to fund the public services we want to have.

Both cases require everyone to some more money on health care

Sardonicat · 23-06-2019 11:36AM

Eire Go Brach wrote: »

About 2 months ago. Last time 20 years ago.
Arrive at the desk. Got a taxi up.
Said my heart feels weird pain in shoulder.
Sit down. Full of all sorts. Drunks and Junkies. Quite busy it was Thursday night. I’m like this is of a waste of time. Going to be here for hours. When I see the nurse I’m out of here.

About 5 minutes later. I’m called to the nurse. Nice casual chat about how I feel. Sticks an ecg on me. “Your not imagine this” he said to me. The look on his face.
Boom all hell breaks lose. I’m wheeled outside. Nurse’s and doctors around me.
“Your heart is beating very fast. You can only sustain this for a short period then you can go into cardiac arrest. We need to put you to sleep and shock you. And we need to do it now”
I’m like WTF.
All in all between getting to the hospital and knocked out and shocked was probably less than 15 minutes.

My heart went into VT. It was going 228 beats. Possibly for 3 hours. My naivety could have killed me and I kept thinking it would go away. I’m healthy enough.

That was a close call! Glad they got to you in time. Hope you're OK.

LirW · 23-06-2019 11:36AM

Was late last year, I had a gynaecological emergency and went into the Rotunda, not pregnant though but I was quite literally bleeding close to unconsciousness.
Was seen after 8 hours by some young condescending piece of sh1t doctor. I have a history of gyn issues but he managed to be incredibly dismissive of them.
Was fine then.
What was interesting, it was only the same 10 women waiting in the A&E, at various stages of pregnancy. You had the odd lady in labour coming in and they were just moved to the ward straight away. But it wasn't busy or anything, was actually really quiet, I swear it was really only 10 women. But they all waited 8-10 hours, god knows what they were doing in A&E.

JustJoe7240 · 23-06-2019 11:38AM

Yourmama wrote: »

Makes no difference in a&e tbh. Friend of mine was left waiting 12 hours to be seen and vhi policy wasn't making the process any quicker

spurious wrote: »

Does it make a difference queueing in A&E? It didn't for me, nor do I think it should.

Went in with abdominal pain, eventually turned out to be a 'burst appendix'. Waited from 1pm to 9pm to be seen, lots of nomadic folk up supporting some young one who had got a bent finger somehow. They were hogging loads of seats. A young man who was propping up the wall (because they had taken the seats) suddenly became very grey in the face and slipped to the floor. Out burst a battleaxe style older nurse and shifted the supportive friends and we all got a bit of peace. Young man got whisked away.

I ended up getting treated with IV antibiotics and admitted for 10 days.

Was referring to having access to the Swiftcare Clinic

Mad_maxx · 23-06-2019 11:39AM

AMKC wrote: »

Not fun I can tell ye. I did get to see some interesting and strange characters do. One lad must have thought he was in the cinema as he was stuffing himself with crisps and bars but was also making a constants throat noise but was hard to tell what was wrong wit him. Maybe something to do with breeding or throat but eating crap and then going for a smoke will not help that.
Another poor women came in with her husband with a bleeding forehead as something had exploded in front of her. She was there after me and got seen to before which only seemed right. Then there was a couple with there young son who looked to me in agony poor kid Something to do with his belly althogh after seeing the nurse he was a little better and asking for a McDonalds. I hope he got sorted. There was another kid about 12 who looked like he had broke his wrist playing football. He was there with his parents. There was also a young one there with a denim mini on that must have had her day ruined too. She was with her mum. I think she had got dizzy and fainted during the day. She had one of them things on her arm that put on you to take blood. They were there before me but seemed to be gone or at least must have got to go see a doctor after I had been called.
There was also a few lads there on crutches.
One had his wife bring him a sandwiche and some cake and not long after got out. He was there at least 6 hours as well do.
As for me well a big dog decided my hand looked like a nice sandwiche.

When was the last time you people were in A and E?

How many dozen travellers were there?

Doesn't matter if only grandma Julia was in with bunion trouble, the entire extended family must show up en masse and walk around with faces suggesting 9-11 just happened

facehugger99 · 23-06-2019 11:40AM

6 hours isn't too bad.

Brother spent 14 hours there with a broken ankle 3 weeks ago.

kneemos · 23-06-2019 11:43AM

Programme on More4 the other night about. Dublin Hospital.
Only got the tail end of it but they were going through the chart of all the people waiting in A+E. The times they had been waiting were all twenty, twenty four, twenty two hours.
The folk in corridors were the lucky ones,the rest were left sitting in a chair for this time.

Conor Bourke · 23-06-2019 11:46AM

Stop moaning ffs wrote: »

Just on that. GPs always refer you to A&E.
Anyone know why that is? Always wondered

Because the primary care services are not well enough equipped to deal with many things that probably could be managed in the community or if you have an issue which requires specialist expertise and it’s too urgent to wait for an outpatient clinic, you’ve to go to the hospital via ED.

SeaFields · 23-06-2019 11:50AM

Eire Go Brach wrote: »

About 2 months ago. Last time 20 years ago.
Arrive at the desk. Got a taxi up.
Said my heart feels weird pain in shoulder.
Sit down. Full of all sorts. Drunks and Junkies. Quite busy it was Thursday night. I’m like this is of a waste of time. Going to be here for hours. When I see the nurse I’m out of here.

About 5 minutes later. I’m called to the nurse. Nice casual chat about how I feel. Sticks an ecg on me. “Your not imagine this” he said to me. The look on his face.
Boom all hell breaks lose. I’m wheeled outside. Nurse’s and doctors around me.
“Your heart is beating very fast. You can only sustain this for a short period then you can go into cardiac arrest. We need to put you to sleep and shock you. And we need to do it now”
I’m like WTF.
All in all between getting to the hospital and knocked out and shocked was probably less than 15 minutes.

My heart went into VT. It was going 228 beats. Possibly for 3 hours. My naivety could have killed me and I kept thinking it would go away. I’m healthy enough.

My father had a similar experience a few years back. Similar symptoms. His GP sent him to CUH a+e and my brother drove him there. The nurse stuck him on the ECG but said looks like nothing, probably indigestion and sent him back to the waiting area. He was going to head away rather than wait when a doctor came running out shouting his name. He was having a heart attack. Chaos starts.... All worked out fine thankfully.

banie01 · 23-06-2019 11:52AM

Cornelius Crow wrote: »

Because the primary care services are not well enough equipped to deal with many things that probably could be managed in the community or if you have an issue which requires specialist expertise and it’s too urgent to wait for an outpatient clinic, you’ve to go to the hospital via ED.

This.

I would hope that the development and integration of the primary care centres will help address that.
I'd also hope that better IT integration between GPs and HSE will help alleviate the push for referral from GP clinics.
For example, if you have Blood Tests in Hospital your GP usually cannot see those results, however if your GP has ordered tests via the HSE they are usually available on the hospital's system.

Also simple things like seeking a 2nd opinion, if a patient presents with symptoms that a GP is unsure of, they are dispatched to A+E.
A more appropriate system would be a phone call to the specialist clinic a chat about symptoms and presentation and either an appointment to the specialist clinic or confirmation of the need to refer.

Many of those steps are currently being implemented in the NHS with a good degree of success.

Mad_maxx · 23-06-2019 11:56AM

Cornelius Crow wrote: »

Because the primary care services are not well enough equipped to deal with many things that probably could be managed in the community or if you have an issue which requires specialist expertise and it’s too urgent to wait for an outpatient clinic, you’ve to go to the hospital via ED.

One of the big differences between Ireland and many other Western European nations is how minimal a service the GP sector provide, bar treating the common cold, they do fcuk all other than a box ticking check exercise on the way to hospital, this places huge pressure on hospitals, GP s in other countries have xray machines, here the expenditure begins with a stethoscope and ends with a handful of magazines in the waiting room

The GP lobby need tackling

th283 · 23-06-2019 12:00PM

Last time I was there was 3 years ago, I badly cut a couple of fingers. Sat there for an hour and a half with my hand pumping, then got seen by a nurse who put a temporary bandage on them and said she’d give me painkillers. Now I was fit to pass out between pain and blood loss and she hands me a little plastic shot glass of calpol! said that was all she could give at the moment! So back out to the waiting room for another 2 hours before being finally seen by a doctor, only to be told that they don’t do complicated stitches in that hospital anymore and to go to another hospital 3 hours away! So 4 hours in the first hospital, 3 hour drive and 3 hours in the second!

branie2 · 23-06-2019 12:01PM

Sorry to read that

I hope you're OK now

beveragelady · 23-06-2019 12:05PM

I was once advised by a member of the medical profession that if you get shot in the carpark of Limerick regional insist that somebody takes you somewhere else for treatment. Anywhere else, it doesn't matter.

I somehow forgot this advice and landed myself in Limerick regional A&E one Sunday a few years ago with an ankle injury. I drove myself in and managed to park and everything, even though I couldn't really walk. I waited for ages then a very unpleasant lady came and took me down to the Xray place. She walked very quickly, stopping to glare impatiently at me when I lagged behind and rolling her eyes when I pointed out that it's hard to hurry when you can't walk properly. When we reached the place she manhandled me onto a bed thing and grabbed my ankle and tried to turn it around to an optimal angle. The pain was excruciating. I yelped, and to my utter mortification, started tearing up. She was fuming. I was in the full of my health apart from the injury, usually well able to fight my corner and notoriously resistant to authority but she made me feel like a bold child. Horrible to think of her dealing with anybody vulnerable.

Anyway, she barked at me a few times and the xrays were taken. A few hours later I was sent home with a painkiller, a strapped up ankle and one crutch, having been told it definitely wasn't broken.

A few weeks later it was still very sore and swollen so I had it looked at again through different channels. Yup. Badly broken, coming apart, loose pieces of bone floating about. The orthopedic surgeon reckoned that there was no way it would have looked ok in that first xray, the break was so bad. He couldn't believe that they had sent me off with only one crutch to drive myself home. I had surgery and was off work for six weeks.

I recently had cause to get an ambulance out to the house for a friend. The medic recommended a night's observation in hospital but said it was up to us. We asked which hospital and she said "Limerick regional." I asked "Not Galway?" and she said "No, I'm afraid not." We declined the the offer of a ride in an ambulance and she nodded in agreement.

I would perform an appendectomy on myself before I'd land in Limerick regional again.

tscul32 · 23-06-2019 12:11PM

Last time was 2 years ago in England when the 5yo broke his arm getting off a stool in a coffee shop in legoland. The first aid staff gave us directions to the hospital. Myself and the lad went in, about 15 mins to be talked to and sent to the paediatric section. Then about 30 mins for triage, 10 mins for cray, back for an hours wait for doc. About 2.5 hrs all in, charged me nothing and I left with a CD of his xrays. I was delighted, but the amount of parents giving out that it was a busy evening and that they were waiting so long. I just told them they should try a&e in Ireland some time. The fracture clinic in temple street when we got home was 4-5 hours both times (cast on, cast off).

AMKC · 23-06-2019 12:12PM

Pauliedragon wrote: »

6 hours? You must have got the VIP treatment. A friends elderly mother had a bad fall recently busted face and arm. 11 hours only to be told the face had healed too much to stitch it up so she'll hace a scar now.

That's terrible. No VIB treatment just waited my turn and would have waited 6 more if it meant an old person or someone badly injured person had to be taken in first. I have no problem with that especially old people getting seen to first.

shesty wrote: »

In January with a baby....I nearly cried at the "waiting time - 7 hours" handwritten (scribbled) on the whiteboard in Temple St waiting room.

Three years ago in Beaumont A&E in November with himself.He punctured a lung (discovered after he went to Beaumont).Carnage didn't begin to describe it.Two days on a trolley with a tube in his chest before being moved to a ward (and he was lucky...he had a trolley).In those two days his trolley was swapped for other trolleys three times-some trolleys apparently have better mattresses or ...I don't know...up and down functionality...than other trolleys.You couldn't write this crap.The porters will always give you more information than the medical staff.The place was overflowing with elderly people in those chairs they stick in every free corner of the place, winter season was in full swing.I was very angry by the end of it.

That sounds absolutely terrible. Elderly people should not have to wait long. They should be seen to quickly.

facehugger99 wrote: »

6 hours isn't too bad.

Brother spent 14 hours there with a broken ankle 3 weeks ago.

Oh I agree 6 hours is not that bad.

sugarman wrote: »

6hrs is quick!

Last month I was 21hrs waiting and 14hrs the time prior to that. Nightmare.

Jeez that's terrible. Not fun.

Mad_maxx wrote: »

How many dozen travellers were there?

Doesn't matter if only grandma Julia was in with bunion trouble, the entire extended family must show up en masse and walk around with faces suggesting 9-11 just happened

Well one lad did come in just before I got seen too and looked like he had burns to the side of his face. Not nice. As for travellers none thankfully. It was quiet enough for the time and was moving fairly quick up until 8pm when it slowed down.

Canis Lupus · 23-06-2019 12:19PM

3 times here in Australia due to a recurring infection during chemo. Each time I got right through with no waiting as they'd to treat my elevated temps/accelerated HR as top of the list due to the fact that I'd no immune system.

Apart from being a few steps away from being genuinely critically ill it was a pleasant experience. Each time I went there was a good few beds occupied by obviously drunk, drugged and/or homeless/mental health issues type people. Didn't spend any time in the waiting room though, I gleaned this from the shouting and puking from these people and the police/other nurses talking

Tough aul job dealing with that all the time I imagine.

robyntmorton · 23-06-2019 12:21PM

I've been one of those patients who has been seen immediately. Registration to triage in 10 minutes. Triage to cardiac resus in 10 seconds. My resting heart rate at the time was 153, and went up from there with any activity. Severe sepsis, and 5 weeks in hospital.

Most recently in Feb, I joined the Sunday afternoon sports injury queue in Vincent's with damage to my arm after a cycling accident (no cars or pedestrians harmed). Name was called for triage before I even completed registration. Was triaged as reasonably urgent (approx 1 hour) and was seen by doctor after about 75 minutes. A couple of hours of back and forth between doc and xray decided it was inconclusive as swelling may have been holding everything, and was put in a wrist splint and sling, with a 2 week follow up to orthopedics. About 4 hours all told, to find out a couple of weeks later it was clear on xray.

c.p.w.g.w · 23-06-2019 12:24PM

Was in Oz many years ago, got bit by a dog. Went to A&E to get it checked and get a shot. Was in and out within 2 hours. Was apologize to by 5 different staff for the delay, but there had been a big fire and they were very busy dealing with that. A nurse from Galway and a Dr from cork treated me

So my Saturday was ruined as I ended up having to spend six hours in A and E

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