Would you pay??

PizzamanIRL · 03-06-2014 08:44PM

Why would you pay a debt collecting agency? That's just burning money. Ignore the letters that will come and the multiple 'final' warnings and keep your money.

Karl Stein · 03-06-2014 08:44PM

♫ Under the sea,
Under the sea,
There'll be no accusations,
Just friendly crustaceans!
Under the Seeeeeeeeeeeeea! ♫

kneemos · 03-06-2014 08:45PM

How do you sit in a waiting room for eight hours?Always amazed by people's stories of having to wait for incredible periods,what do you do for eight hours?that's a full working day ffs.

roadsmart · 03-06-2014 08:47PM

I had a very similar experience as you OP, I was knocked down by a car and ambulanced to hospital 2 years ago, placed on a trolley and 6 hours later I limped out of the place not having been seen after initial assessment. I was feckin sore for a few weeks afterwards! In the following months I got 4 demands for payment, but they stopped after I wrote a letter outlining the circumstances.

end of the road · 03-06-2014 08:48PM

smellmepower wrote: »

Nurse saw and assessed op,deemed him/her not to be a priority,so you wait.Don't see what the problem is.You were informed of the charge before you received services and took up the time of a nurse,so you should pay for it.

If you waited that long,you may as well have waited another while to see a doc if you were that worried.

no he shouldn't pay, he has payed all ready, via tax

Lord Trollington · 03-06-2014 08:50PM

kneemos wrote: »

How do you sit in a waiting room for eight hours?Always amazed by people's stories of having to wait for incredible periods,what do you do for eight hours?that's a full working day ffs.

I sat listening to the ramblings of an old lady behind me that had just about every ailment known to man. This time she wasn't there for herself, it was her sister.

No TV. Tea and Coffee vending machine was out of order. Managed to peak through the door into the A & E department and inside were many people on trollies in the corridor. none of these were admitted whilst I was there and seemed for the most part to have been laying there in the corridor for 6+ hours.

Many on drips ect.

One of the best healthcare systems in Europe.

looksee · 03-06-2014 08:55PM

kneemos wrote: »

How do you sit in a waiting room for eight hours?Always amazed by people's stories of having to wait for incredible periods,what do you do for eight hours?that's a full working day ffs.

You just sit, and sit, and maybe doze a bit if you are not feeling great, and sit some more, and gaze blankly at the silent tv. And continue to sit.

dizzymiss · 03-06-2014 08:56PM

I dont know what is worse? The fact that you went in with chest pain (regardless of triage, chedt pain gets or should get priority! Not everything shows up on ECG) and never saw a doctor or even after 8 hrs you never say a doctor and are being billed for it. An earlier poster mentioned you would have seen a doctor in the morning not at 5am, there are doctors in A&E all night. Just more after 9am.

Id fight it. Why would you pay for a service you never actually had use of.

Lord Trollington · 03-06-2014 09:12PM

This will be the 3rd time I've asked this question.

How long should I have waited to be seen by a doctor before it's deemed unacceptable in a developed country??

Smithwicks Man · 03-06-2014 09:15PM

Lord Trollington wrote: »

This will be the 3rd time I've asked this question.

How long should I have waited to be seen by a doctor before it's deemed unacceptable in a developed country??

That question is impossible to answer as it depends on the number and severity of other cases in the ER at the time.

But I've been in before where there seemed to be no emergencies and still had to wait over 5 hours.

Anything over 3-4 hours is a bit ridiculous imo.

dizzymiss · 03-06-2014 09:18PM

For chest pain, you should have been seen straight away, bypassing triage especially given the fact there's a strong history. So answering your question, you shouldnt have to have waited. We have always been told (im a nurse and have spent some time in an emergency dept), chest pain gets priority.

Dozen Wicked Words · 03-06-2014 09:22PM

Lord Trollington wrote: »

This will be the 3rd time I've asked this question.

How long should I have waited to be seen by a doctor before it's deemed unacceptable in a developed country??

You waited too long, the Irish health care system is going to sh*t but I'm not sure I quite follow your train of thought that night. You go to a and e without seeing gp/out of hours Dr service because presumably you are very worried about your health. Until the early hours, then what, the worry goes, impatience takes over and you feel happy enough to walk out and wait, several more hours to see a doctor privately?

Entirely up to you whether you choose to pay or not. Non payment isn't going to magically improve the system though.

Lord Trollington · 03-06-2014 09:29PM

Dozen Wicked Words wrote: »

You waited too long, the Irish health care system is going to sh*t but I'm not sure I quite follow your train of thought that night. You go to a and e without seeing gp/out of hours Dr service because presumably you are very worried about your health. Until the early hours, then what, the worry goes, impatience takes over and you feel happy enough to walk out and wait, several more hours to see a doctor privately?

Entirely up to you whether you choose to pay or not. Non payment isn't going to magically improve the system though.

What would you have done ??

Dozen Wicked Words · 03-06-2014 09:32PM

Lord Trollington wrote: »

What would you have done ??

If I was concerned about my heart as you say you were I would have waited, for as long as it took.

Lord Trollington · 03-06-2014 09:35PM

Not knowing how long more I had to wait, having waited almost 8hours already and was still alive I opted to go home and sort an appointment privately for 9.30 that morning.

StinkyMunkey · 03-06-2014 09:36PM

Dont go to A&E in Ireland if you can help it. Better off going to GP if you can wait till next day.

The health service in Ireland is a joke, not because of the doctors or nurses, or even the care you recieve. Its simply the wait times, ive had to misadventure of having to use A&E in Ireland on a number of occassions, and its nasty as fcuk. Dont get sick or have an accident at the weekends, A&E is at its worst at the weekends. People who work in hospitals work with the resources they have, they can only do thier best.

Id pay tbh, they prolly leave you waiting longer next time you in A&E if you dont.

Dozen Wicked Words · 03-06-2014 09:37PM

Lord Trollington wrote: »

Not knowing how long more I had to wait, having waited almost 8hours already and was still alive I opted to go home and sort an appointment privately for 9.30 that morning.

That's your choice and you were free to make it. I'm saying my health trumps impatience every time. Your still alive now thankfully so the hospital assessment was obviously correct that you could wait.

shruikan2553 · 03-06-2014 09:38PM

Dozen Wicked Words wrote: »

That's your choice and you were free to make it. I'm saying my health trumps impatience every time. Your still alive now thankfully so the hospital assessment was obviously correct that you could wait.

If they knew he was fine why could a nurse just tell him that he could go?

Lou.m · 03-06-2014 09:38PM

Lord Trollington wrote: »

Last month I had to go to A&E in a hospital in Dublin.

I had chest pain and an irregular heartbeat which I could feel in my chest.With a history of heart trouble in the family I get checked regularly so this came out of the blue so I decided to go to A&E to get it checked.

I checked in at reception and they stated there would be €100 charge. I agreed.

I was seen briefly by a triage nurse who took my blood pressure and done an ECG. I was told to go to waiting room and a doctor would see me. This was at 9.30pm.

Almost 8 hours later at 5am in the morning I had not been seen by a doctor so I went home and made an appointment in a private hospital with I paid for myself.

Received 2 letters since one from the hospital and one from a debt collecting agency looking for their €100 fee.

I don't think I should pay €100 for a pathetic service on top of my PRSI and tax I pay weekly on my wages.

Opinions??

Very sorry OP and I hope you are ok.

I think a lot of us are completely disillusioned with both the private and public health service now.

Just look at what is happening with our ambulance services.

What a pathetic service.

I don't think you should have to pay.

But I do think you should have put yourself first.

I would have badgered until I got seen.

Dozen Wicked Words · 03-06-2014 09:39PM

shruikan2553 wrote: »

If they knew he was fine why could a nurse just tell him that he could go?

We will never know what other tests they might have wanted to do because op didn't wait to find out.

Turtwig · 03-06-2014 09:56PM

Obviously every A&E is different but my experience of them has been that you usually see the triage nurse rather quickly. Once that's done you might be waiting 10 minutes or 10 hours. It's not nice to have to wait 10 hours but there's so many other factors that add to that. People there that could have gone to their GPs for instance. The principal one that pisses me off is the number of emergency doctors on duty. I was once in A&E. 2 Emergency Doctors were working. The entire A&E was being held together by nurses basically. A car accident occurred. You'd the 2 doctors fumbling around like mad in between others patients with other doctors coming and going from other places where they could spared trying to help them out. It was f**king mental!

I can only imagine how long someone with a broken bone that night would have had to wait.

Temptamperu · 03-06-2014 10:04PM

shruikan2553 wrote: »

If they knew he was fine why could a nurse just tell him that he could go?

Because she cant be sure he was alright, it could of been anything but it wasn't going to kill him, thus the wait.

looksee · 03-06-2014 10:11PM

Dozen Wicked Words wrote: »

We will never know what other tests they might have wanted to do because op didn't wait to find out.

It obviously was not an emergency - though the OP did not know that - and if they wanted to do more tests he could have come back for an out patients appointment. Someone had to have looked at the ecg to know he was not an emergency, so why not tell him he was ok to go?

If you have chest pains and you have been left sitting in A&E for 8 hours (or 5 in my case) and you are still alive, then you might as well go home because the chances are that you will do more harm with your blood pressure through the ceiling in A&E than getting a night's sleep and a routine check the next day.

You go to A&E because you think there is an emergency situation, we are told not to ignore chest pains and not to be afraid of 'making a fuss' - though I think they are UK ads :rolleyes:.

If you are healthy enough to sit in the waiting room for hours, you are healthy enough to go home and go to bed.

I have, in fairness, been into A&E on several occasions with irregular heart beat and been efficiently and properly treated. I just don't understand this business of establishing you are ok then leaving you to sit without any further information.

Beefy78 · 03-06-2014 10:23PM

That sort of wait is unacceptable in a country like this and no you shouldn't have to pay.

My one experience of A&E in this country would make me question the triarge process. I went to A&E at 5pm. Was assessed very quickly, put to the back of the line and eventually seen by a doctor 11 hours later. Within ten minutes of seeing me I was booked in for surgery for 9am the (now) same day.

Dozen Wicked Words · 03-06-2014 10:24PM

looksee wrote: »

It obviously was not an emergency - though the OP did not know that - and if they wanted to do more tests he could have come back for an out patients appointment. Someone had to have looked at the ecg to know he was not an emergency, so why not tell him he was ok to go?

If you have chest pains and you have been left sitting in A&E for 8 hours (or 5 in my case) and you are still alive, then you might as well go home because the chances are that you will do more harm with your blood pressure through the ceiling in A&E than getting a night's sleep and a routine check the next day.

You go to A&E because you think there is an emergency situation, we are told not to ignore chest pains and not to be afraid of 'making a fuss' - though I think they are UK ads :rolleyes:.

If you are healthy enough to sit in the waiting room for hours, you are healthy enough to go home and go to bed.

I have, in fairness, been into A&E on several occasions with irregular heart beat and been efficiently and properly treated. I just don't understand this business of establishing you are ok then leaving you to sit without any further information.

So they rule out one of a myriad of possible causes for what op thinks is chest pain, bad enough to bring him to A and E and that is sufficient to let him go? You can make that judgement call and do as op did and walk out. Do you think health care professionals should, without completing all examinations or tests they feel appropriate. How many legs would they have to stand on? None is my guess, and it wouldn't be the HSE or hospital, it would be the doctor or nurse who would lose their registration.

CL7 · 03-06-2014 10:36PM

Waited 8 hours and you never even got to see a doctor. I don't care if its the "reality of A & E" in Ireland, it's a joke. For crying out loud, keep your money in your pocket.

Bipolar Joe · 03-06-2014 10:44PM

Temptamperu wrote: »

its one of the best in europe but dont let facts get in the way of your opinion.

Let's say you have five pieces of shit in a row. Each one is smaller than the last. Even though one of them is smaller than all the others, it's still a piece of shit.

FunLover18 · 03-06-2014 10:56PM

Thoie · 03-06-2014 10:59PM

Dozen Wicked Words wrote: »

That's your choice and you were free to make it. I'm saying my health trumps impatience every time. Your still alive now thankfully so the hospital assessment was obviously correct that you could wait.

A few years ago I went to my GP with severe stomach pains - he was concerned about my appendix, so wrote me a letter and insisted I go straight to A&E. This was around 4pm. Went to A&E, and didn't even get triaged for a few hours, despite having given the letter in at reception. I spent the time doubled over, sweating, on the charming plastic chairs. I was eventually brought behind the magic doors - and shoved into what I can only describe as a holding pen with a bunch of junkies - still no bed/trolley, no-one passing by, no security. I sat there for a few more hours, but was seriously concerned for my personal safety (junkie A had pulled a knife on junkie B while I was sitting there). Having asked if there was anywhere safer I could stay, the answer was no. I reckoned if my appendix was going to burst there, no-one was going to notice anyway as no-one even stuck their head in the door for hours, so I fecked off home around 3am.

Turtwig wrote: »

It's not nice to have to wait 10 hours but there's so many other factors that add to that. People there that could have gone to their GPs for instance.

Having been to see your GP seems to make f*** all difference, except I think the €100 fee is waived.

Dozen Wicked Words · 03-06-2014 11:06PM

Thoie wrote: »

A few years ago I went to my GP with severe stomach pains - he was concerned about my appendix, so wrote me a letter and insisted I go straight to A&E. This was around 4pm. Went to A&E, and didn't even get triaged for a few hours, despite having given the letter in at reception. I spent the time doubled over, sweating, on the charming plastic chairs. I was eventually brought behind the magic doors - and shoved into what I can only describe as a holding pen with a bunch of junkies - still no bed/trolley, no-one passing by, no security. I sat there for a few more hours, but was seriously concerned for my personal safety (junkie A had pulled a knife on junkie B while I was sitting there). Having asked if there was anywhere safer I could stay, the answer was no. I reckoned if my appendix was going to burst there, no-one was going to notice anyway as no-one even stuck their head in the door for hours, so I fecked off home around 3am.

Having been to see your GP seems to make f*** all difference, except I think the €100 fee is waived.

What did you do after 3am, hopefully the pain went away?

I'll just repeat what I have said in various posts. Yes the Irish health system is on its knees, yes op and thousands of people each year wait too long to be seen. But no, I would not have left before being seen, and I would not self diagnose just because I didn't want to wait.

Oh and yes, fee is waived if you see gp/out of hours doc.

Would you pay??

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