Disgraceful comment.

Nurse!

He doesn’t know my situation unless he’s stalking me!

Been there. Done that :p

Really? You were left sitting with an “Accident” or an “Emergency” for 14-18 hours? And you lived to tell the tale?

Over 10 hours for my hubby.

I’m presuming your hubby was triaged? After which the nurse would have thought it suitable for your hubby to wait as there were sicker patients prioritised?
I know it’s not pleasant to have to wait, but the reality is that if you’re left waiting, you can safely say you don’t need to be there.

I dunno. I was chatting to a man in Beaumonts a and e who had been there ten hours after having a heart attack and presumably there pretty serious?

The diagnostic procedure for a heart attack is 2 blood tests, 8hours apart, an ECG and observation for the duration between the blood tests. Differential Treatment is also started, the patient is given two drugs either orally or IV as soon as the first blood test is taken.
Provided 2nd blood test shows significant signs of normalising, the patient may be discharged either home or to the cardiology service, depending on severity.

30 hrs been there done that

I’m sorry James but my husband had a life threatening condition. He was admitted to hospital after the 10 hours, spent a month in hosp and 6 months off work. You make general judgements u haven’t a clue about.

SPP, I hope your husband has made a full recovery.
If I can ask SPP, if your husband had been admitted to the hospital at hour 1, would it have meant he wouldn’t have remained to the hospital for a month? Possibly, but likely not.
A&E has a number of functions, it’s an access point for many health care services, but it also provides a treat and discharge service. That is, patient presents, patient is assessed, diagnosed, treated and discharged, or referred to the appropriate outpatient service or admitted.
The triage system is complicated, but the general gist is presentations which are emergencies, presentations that can become emergent (in the immediate future), presentations that can be discharged completely or to various OPD services, all the while presentations that are likely to require admission are assessed on an ongoing basis, and as soon as beds become available up house, the patient is admitted by the relevant service.
It’s not as simple as saying life threatening condition, as technically pretty much every condition has the possibility of becoming life threatening if not treated.
In saying that, I do appreciate, waiting shouldn’t be a factor, unfortunately, changes need to happen both in terms of how it is provided, but also in how it is used.

How long do you think is sufficient to wait with a broken foot.
Just wondering.

Depends on the type of fracture. Most fractures are treated with urgency as most have the potential to cause bleeds into the displaced cavity, becoming emergent instead of a simple relocation/stabilisation of the fracture.

I had to wait 7hours before with a broken foot.was in agony,but obviously wasn’t that serious as I’m still around.although it is a long wait.
I also worked with a German contractor who had and accident and broke two bones in his foot and sprained his hand.
He was travelling back to Germany the next day and opted to wait for his flight home and to be treated in Germany rather than wait in our A&E.
Hopefully this new A&E will work a bit better.

Yes the outcome would have been the same. But A and E is the only way to be seen by a relevant doctor here. My husband had received a letter previous to see a consultant in 18 months time (next available appointment). He would have died in the meantime. His case was urgent.

That’s gold standard treatment James? Not every A&e dept delivers that

Brenda, that’s most certainly not gold standard treatment, the fact is that if you are left waiting it is because someone requires care more urgently.

SPP I had a life threatening condition and was made to sit for two days for 14/12 hours ( sent home in between). I did not even have my obs checked once and when I developed chest pain ( was a pulmonary embolism ) it was suggested was my bra strap too tight. I had to drive with chest pain to Daisy Hill in Newry to secure treatment.
I’m a dual qualified healthcare professional and I couldn’t get adequate care what hope for others.
I hope your husband s doing okay.

I work in a and e James and that just isn’t true- have personal experience of it. No one is having a go I think about the staff it’s the lack of resources and systems which need to be improved.
I was appalled at the lack of care I received.

I have many years of working in a and e and have done a specialist qualification in it.
You cannot tell ppl who ARE suffering potentially life threatening conditions and left in the waiting rooms that it isn’t happening

Brenda, look at my comments, I didn’t say it wasn’t happening, I said if you are left waiting it is because there is someone more in need than you. It is a system of priority, that is what the entire HSE works on.

No way Sherlock!! I’ve worked in a and e for over 13 yrs! I don’t need to be told about Triage or anything else. You can’t squeeze every patient that needs it into Majors and you’re using resus to see walking wounded. It’s logistics. So don’t try and tell sick ppl they aren’t a priority. You’re meant to be an advocate for them

James I spent 30 hrs as i said above and getting lots of red thumbs now that doesn’t bother me but what does is a week before I spent 30 hrs in a&e my husband was diagnosed with a brain Tumor he was only out a week and referred 2. Beumont but while awaiting to see a nurosurgon in beumont ga had severe headaches and blurred vision so we went back to the mater he was admitted straight away but still no bloods done and we sat on small wooden seat for 30 hrs he eventually got a bed and they ran bloods it turned out it was. a matter of life and death his body stopped producing cortisone so he could have went in 2 a coma he is now steroid dependent and if misses a dose can be fatal he still has not got a date for to have the Tumor removed as beumont said their over budget and yet on the 31 st of October the Nuro surgeon said that Tumor needs to come out now because it is pressing on the optic nerves but here we are 6 mths later still waiting on surgery and in the mean time told he could go blind and all because the hospital is over budget I would never blame nurses they are under pressure but the government have a lot to answer for as I am living with him day in and out and all he wants to do is go back to work

Thanks Brenda. He’s doing ok. Just to echo your point, I think we all understand how triage works. It just could work a lot better. Nurses and doctors are doing amazing job in a and e but more resources needed.

Agree it wont make a difference for any day of the week. I was waiting 4 and half days for a bed in the special Care Unit. They should sort out the wards first before they sort out the A&E.