You’d be surprised… the waiting room is clogged up with people who present no acute symptoms and just want something to do / attention, a lot of it is mental health issues. And they will wait 8+ hours, because triage pushes them to the back of queue, but they all have to be seen. Because, if there’s a chance that one of them is presenting with something serious and they’re turned away… law suit.
I don't doubt it, but even then a headache could mean so many different things, from a tension headache to a brain tumour or stroke. A sore arm could be nothing more than a bad bruise or early indication of a serious neurological condition.
Perhaps I have this wrong but the presenting symptoms can only be properly analysed for significance after a final diagnosis and followup, surely? Maybe that was done and all were non-serious, in which case those figures would be genuinely shocking.
I fine it hard to believe anyone could bear to be in a&e these days with nothing worse than a sore throat. As a walk-in they are likely to have to wait up to 12 hours to be seen.
True, First Mate. But I’ve worked in A&E and seen people turning up with heavy periods and headaches and even a sore arm. Then there’s the drunks and druggies who just want somewhere to kip.
All my comments are beside the point, tho, the original one being that closing GP surgeries during a strike could make the situation in the ED even worse than it is at this time of year. And they can’t turn anyone away.
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.