I wasn't great last weekend but didn't want to go to A&E, so decided to wait until Monday to speak to the GP. On phoning the GP they said to go to A&E.... So I should have done that in the first place really 🙄
I completely underestimated the lengths they go to in order to avoid any patients breaching their time targets and separating red and green zones (those who might have coronavirus and those who probably don't, or don't have any symptoms). I had nothing with me but my phone and a charger so thought I'd record some observations... So here goes 😉ðŸ’ðŸ’
Sat in a and e by myself in my powerchair.
On entering the automatic doors there is a nurse dressed with a full face visor, face mask, gloves and head covering. She backs away as you enter and asks what has brought you here. You have to tell her from 2 metres away, which is terrible for confidentiality. Because one of my symptoms was shortness of breath she took my temp and chatted to reception to check if I should be sent to the covid side or not. I was allowed through to the reception queue on the non covid side. Whilst I waited in the queue, three patients entered the covid side, given face masks on their way in.
Having heard why the three people in front of me were here and finally made it to the front of the queue, I then had to shout out my name, dob, symptoms and next of kin before being told to discuss my symptoms again with a man sat further around rsceotion
Again because I had mentioned shortness of breath, they were discussing whether or not I should be on the covid side.
I sat in my chair in the waiting area, waiting to be triaged. It wasn't long then before I got called in to see a nurse and a doctor. The nurse took some details, not all of them, then they did my obs, said I need a heart trace
.. Ecg... And to wait in reception again.
I am still here waiting.
I have seen people come here and be sent to urgent care instead, be brought here by ambulance and sent to ambulatory care, little babies taken into covid side and two people come to visit someone in covid resus.
Lots of people come in here, being sent by their gp for an assessment, but then coming to a and e instead of the assessment unit... Which is all the way around the hospital building in main reception.
The nurse on entry duty has cleaned the Vending machine, had a few mins to sit down but that's all. She not only deals with everyone who enters the doors but also the ambulance arrivals here, phoning wards and other units for people to get to the right place, directs patients to the right units from here and phones for porters.
I was called into a second room where there were 2 nurses ready to do an ecg on me. They lifted my bra up to stick the pads on and put some on my arms and legs too. Took my temperature... Again. Then sent me back to the waiting room.
A while later a lady asked me to make my way over to the ambulatory something unit... Go to the traffic lights and turn left, then into main reception.
By the time I had managed to get to main reception, past the road works, over all the crossings and bumps and tried to recognise something on the mass of signs in there I had no idea where I was going.
So I headed for reception who phoned the place they thought it would be, ambulatory emergency care unit. That unit said I hadn't been referred there so reception said it must be amra and to go there. So I headed down into the basement and made for amra. Arriving there I wasn't on their list either. Thankfully the staff were more helpful and spent an age phoning around the hospital only to discover that instead of referring me to the ambulatory emergency care unit, they had discharged me. They got that sorted and gave me a card with the name of the unit written on, along with easy directions.... Left, left, right. When I got there, they didn't have my name still. So I explained the whole saga and they accepted my referral. They had my ecg paperwork here with no name or paperwork attached.
So now it is nearly four hours after I got to the hospital and I have just had three bottles of blood taken. From my hand.
I saw a sign saying there is an hour wait after seeing nurses for bloods and triage to see a doctor. I need a wee but can't go here because the toilet isn't suitable as it is an ambulatory unit. I told the nurses I will hold it in until I leave here, but in reality I don't know if that will be possible for another hour.
My husband has offered to come to the hospital with me but only patients are allowed anywhere so that isn't any good. I am expecting them to tell me everything is OK after all this palaver and a day at the hospital. I joked with the nurses triaging me that the time aat here is a nice break from having 3 children with autism at home not coping well with lock down. Really I woukd obviously rather be at home. Having a wee.
I have seen St John's ambulance bringing patients into hospital, junior doctors working as nurses, a lady with a continuous cough sent here by her gp taken into a private side room incase she has covid because there are lots of false negative results apparently. I hope she was negative because I was sat by her for a good while.
In the time I am sat here I have seen samples been picked up twice.
Blood results apparently take 90mins. I have been 30mins so far.
Collection has been made 3 times now. 45mins after my bloods. Worked out bloods are collected every 15mins.
I have seen a prisoner being escorted out of the hospital by 5 police officers. I have been escorted by a porter to xray and finally managed to nip into a disabled loo!
I have had to ask the xray room allocater to help me undress and redress for my chest xray. She had to go put on a face shield, apron and gloves to do it. I am still waiting to see what any of my results are if I need a repeat blood test I will be here until atleast 6.30pm now. The receptionist here had a call from main reception trying to ask if a patient is here in this ward. She just said no and refused to try and look on their computer to find the patient. Charming.
After an hour of waiting, the Dr finally calls me back in to tell me that I haven't had a heart attack, I haven't had a stroke. Well... I coukd have told her that at 10.30am and not wasted a whole day here picking up god only knows what germs and bugs from other people! Apparently everything is OK. So I will try and get an appointment to see my gp tomorrow or Wednesday to ask about everything that is going on and refuse to be sent to a and e. When you push gently onto my feet or lower legs, you leave dents that stay there for more than 2 minutes. Surely that can't be right? I wake up like that at 38years of age. Literally it is like having feet covered in memory foam, but less comfortable.
So I have found my way back to reception in the main building, grabbed a lemon drizzle nakd bar and a bottle of coke zero. Only to realise I can't drink the bottle of coke zero because I don't have a straw. It is a miracle I managed to even open the thing at all. I usually ask someone so I don't hurt my arm, but the lady in there didn't seem the kind to ask for any sort of help. Now I am sat waiting for my husband to pick me up. I have a good view through the glass doors, but am not setting off the automatic opening. I am away from anyone, but, so many people keep coming ridiculously close to me to gel their hands. Social distancing people!
Only a short insight, but the nurses really do work hard with doctors appearing now and then to sign things and ask the odd question.
#NHS #carers #clapforcarers #coronavirus #observations #covid19 #A&E #chronicillness #thankyou #socialdistancing
No comments:
Post a Comment