Idiots who should NOT be going to A&E

daisy boots
I broke my shoulder and am at present having physio on the Portuguese nhs at 5.40euro for one hour at a Santa CAsa de Misrecordia. The Santa CAsa works with the NHS although a charity, works well too.

Hope your treatment for your cancer goes well for you. Xx

A funny tale:
I managed (somehow, when cleaning) to get a large splinter up /behind my fingernail. I couldn't shift it. My lodger tried hard to remove it with tweezers, but no.

He insisted on taking me to the doctor's surgery. It's a large practice with several doctors. The receptionist 'didn't like the look of it', a doctor 'didn't have the right tools to remove it' so I was sent to A & E with a letter.

I felt a complete, utter fool! I was seen promptly (amazingly) as my finger and hand were swelling. The doctor actually wanted to numb my hand first! I said 'No thanks, it's fine, I've had four babies, just go for it!'

Can you imagine, if merlotgran was there, what she'd think about it!

Dangers in NOT going to A&E. Earlier this year, I tripped over backwards and fell down. Knew immediately that I had damaged my already painful back. As I was some distance from home, on a cold, frosty Sunday morning - I took some strong painkillers and managed eventually to get myself back home.
Assumed it was (as had been in the past) soft tissue injury and telephoned my GP practice to ask for some more strong painkillers.
Was in tears the following day, but when my daughter came by and suggested she take me to the local A&E - I actually told her I was 'too ill and in too much pain' to go to A& E.
My experience there was of long waits, uncomfortable seats, and I could not face that.
It was two months later that an MRI discovered I had actually had a stress fracture of the spine with that fall.
Mind you - when I did ask a Consultant what would have happened had I gone to hospital when I first did it I was told that I would have been kept in for a few days and probably had some sort of concrete injected into my spine. Was quite glad I had not gone!!!

CoolioC ouch poor you. Having done that 5 years ago I know how painful and awkward it is. My treatment was at San Andre Hospital Leiria which where I am having most of my cancer treatment. I have heard good things of Santa Casa de Misericorda. They do convalescence after hip replacements etc if you live alone or dont have anyone who can help you. I hope you soon have your arm and shoulder completely mobile.

Franbern perhaps your lack of treatment might have been fortuitous. My friend had cement injected into her spine for a stress fracture, not as a result of an injury, and a couple of days later she developed another fracture in the adjoining vertebra. She didn't have osteoporosis either! Was so painful she needed morphine for months.
Better add a disclaimer - am sure some have had cement injected with complete success!

Franbern After a bad fall I too felt too unwell to attend A and E. There must be something amiss when A and E is only either for wasters or for the desperate.

I feel inbetween about this, I have an artificial Heart valve and have had a couple of 'mini strokes'.
Before flying I have been advised to have a Cardio check up.
Last year my Mother died and I had to fly quickly to organise things.
I left a message on my Cardiologists phone and he called me back an hour later.
He told me to go to the Hospital that afternoon and 'bring a book' he knows me!
I waited about an hour and had an ECG and Ultrasound scan.
All ok, I felt happy about flying and knew there would be no problems with my health insurance if there was a problem.
I paid 7.20€ for the consultation my health insurance costs me 6.55€ a month.
I am quite a positive person and make jokes about clicking all the time and going through airport scanners, but it is important to get checked before flying.

Re GP appointments...phoned at 8.30am. Was leaving GP surgery by 10.00am having seen doctor.

I have recently had to our local minor injury clinic with a very badly cut finger (my fault as I didn’t stop cutting after cutting some towels and my finger got in the way) but there was quite a delay as a young lad who had injured his neck came in. He should have gone to A & E but his mother took him there because she didn’t want to misuse A & E.

I had to go back later n the week to have the dressing changed and this time the delay was caused by some one with chest pains going there. Some people are getting scared of going to A & E as they don’t want to be judged for wasting A & E time.

Yehbutnobut very unusual and very lucky. Perhaps you should tell us all where you live...or maybe not!

Having worked for a GP practice, it was sad how many people booked an appointment but failed to attend. And they could have cancelled the appointment, if needed to, by ringing the practice to cancel.

It not only wastes a doctor or nurses time but also the appointment could have been allocated to someone else. And it made my blood boil.

I wonder how many would feel if they were billed for missed appointment!

Following what I've just said, I have twice used the 111 service to ask for advice before heading to a doctor or A&E.

The one time I was advised to go to a local out of hours GP service (not the hospital A & E, fortunately) for a tetanus injection (I got bitten by a field mouse and didn't want to disturb a doctor or A&E if it wasn't necessary) and the second time I was advised to go A&E (symptoms pointed to a suspected appendicitis). The 111 helpline was very good and in the end I didn't feel as if I had wasted anyone's time unnecessarily.

Oh, and the next two times I did actually go to A&E - I split my forehead open and it was obvious I needed stitches (I had 6 in total - yes, it was a 'stitch-up'!).

The other time was when I sliced my finger open at a middle finger joint. It was obvious that it needed some attention because it wouldn't stay closed and I ended up getting a friend to drive me to A&E. The nurse had wanted to give me paper stitches but I advised it was on a joint and might not hold as I did a lot of typing and bending of my fingers. She gave me stitches, fortunately, because the next day at work they only just held the skin together when the skin tried to open up again!

Bitten by a fieldmouse. Thereby hangs a tail.

I live in France. I had a bad cough which was getting worse, I’m also asthmatic which complicates matters so I decided at 9pm to go online to get an appointment ASAP.
Saw GP at 9am the next morning.

Alexa ? When the cat caught a field mouse I rescued it from certain death. The mouse bit me in return. (I don't blame it though - poor thing was scared to death witless.

Here in Nottingham, the A & E department no longer has the triage system, which is really daft.

Good for you TwinLolly! i once went to A and E in the small hours because a baby squirrel bit me when I was out with my dogs. They see all sort of odd people in A and e.

i was in A & E because of kidney deydration problems.talking next to a lady who was in because she had bumped her shin on thecupboard door. why come here i said.? well dr's isnt open till tomorrow. i said this is not an emergency. just then a nurse walked by and she said you wasting our valuable time because of a bruise.ok i could see it was a bad bruise. so i said maybe you can put a cold compress on it ,,. then wait for your dr to open surgery, but for a bruise ,. another one says she makes up injuries just to be in A & E.. told her she taking up valuable time for those that really need treatment.she asked me why i was there ,told her because i collapsed (kidney only got 34 percent working). i do drink at least 6 litres a day but i actually need fluid in the arm to stop me losing consiousness.i will ask my doctor whether this could be done at the surgery

some people dont seem to recognise that some situations are acute medical emergencies, I guess because they are not usually caused by an accident.
this is what worries me. people may be put off going/ seeking medical advice because of a climate of blaming people for so-called wasting nhs time.