Oh dear, I've just received a text from NHS Trust asking about my recent visit to A&E....i may be some time with this, don't worry I'm not going to have a go at the staff, they couldn't do any more than they were doing, A&E is broken and there are people being paid a lot of money to fix it.
A&E experience questionnaire - British Heart Fou...
A&E experience questionnaire
Written by
Andytheextransporter
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The big hospital in my health board had to get the government involved as they found A&E was running at 230% capacity - obviously well over what it was designed for. It was the staff who self referred because they knew they were struggling.
Sometimes these things (questionnaires etc) are helpful for gathering evidence to show help is needed - so be totally honest!
I was and not in a nasty kind of way, just pointed out my personal experience 👍
The trouble is that people are being forced into A and E as they can't get help earlier on in the process so things worsen and A and E is the result.
The numbers on here that can't get to see their GP's is extraordinary even though they have known health problems. Those that as yet merely have concerns and niggles can forget breaking into what passes as the GP system.
That's why I'm up early this morning, need to get a GP appointment but you have to either ring or use the app at 8am, if you can't get through by 8.05 it closes down, it's ridiculous, in the past when I've been to get bloods done the waiting room is empty 🤷♂️
Being next door to Doc Martin country as you can see on the TV, we are fortunate in having GP's where you just walk into the surgery to get treated immediately or if there is an accident on the harbour the Doc will sprint there immediately, always assuming he isn't passing by chance anyway. Home visits are the norm. Everything is perfect. I must wake from this dream soon.
In the meantime hope you get your appointment. Collapsing on their doorstep might be effective.
😂😂 Wakey wakey
Sounds a lot like our GP service. I rang yesterday at 8am on the dot and was 28th in the queue!!! All the very best. Jan xxx
I rang mine 8am bang on, sent me a link to book appointment and itt kept throwing me out, when I finally sorted it no appointments left 🤷♂️
I've given up trying to book anything online and I gave up trying to get an appointment yesterday. Haven't been to our surgery since the 'carpal tunnel cock up of 2022'!! I'll just learn to live with this chest infection I've had for 3 weeks!! xxx
If you've got a chest infection you need to get it sorted ASAP, if you can't get to see GP then I think you should get to A&E.... I know I know but a chest infection is not good with a heart condition.......stating the bl@#£y obvious.
Ref my reply earlier, rang GP at 8am they sent me a link to a Web site, that kept crashing and eventually came up with no appointments left for today 😡😡
So, Plan B. Collapsing on their doorstep? I suggest lots of moaning and perhaps the odd scream or two. Do you have access to fake blood?
Seriously, It is beyond a joke. Many people just aren't well enough to continually battle with their GP so they end up going to AandE
I live literally 5mins walk from GP, so I'm gonna ring back (well I already have, continually engaged), think I feel a stroll down there coming on.
Got through to GP, secretary told me to ring 111 as they had slots that the secretary couldn't allocate and tell them I had rang GP and secretary said to refer me back, did that and am now waiting for a call back from GP.
How ridiculous. When I walked into my GP surgery last month to make an appointment (they simply don't answer the phones), the first available one was a fortnight ahead. And that was with "any doctor". My preferred doctor had nothing available for at least 6 weeks. When I did see the doctor he was worse than useless, so I might as well not have bothered.
Do you want to enroll in my "How to see a GP' acting scenario?
In it I will show how prospective patients can collapse dramatically on the steps of the GP surgery at an opportune time and how to moan and scream and shudder convincingly. For every enrolment a free sachet of fake blood will be provided with instructions as to the best time to liberally apply it. Guaranteed results!
Discounts for members of this forum.
😂😂😂😂 Count me in, although the GP has rang me back and I'm in at 4.30 😂😂
But you want to see them again don't you? So the acting scenario, to be carried out during your consultation is perfect for ensuring you are on the GP's speed dial. Tip, don't get any of the fake blood over the GP's clothes.
I'll try 😂😂
Have you a PowerPoint presentation you can share!!!!😂😂😂!! xxxx
😂😂
Randomly I've just had mine come through as well
Oh oh..... Don't mention the noisy ward 😁
The noisy ward wasn't in A&E
I wasn't in A&E long just a couple of hours before my Cardic Arrest and I don't remember anything after that
Well you wouldn't lol
sat there 7pm to 930am last visit had a X-ray told I had hay fever and sent home got worse called 911 and I was put on amoxicillin . Then 2 days later the hospital had another look at my X-ray I was told I had pneumonia
Bit of a difference.... Hey fever to pneumonia, hope your OK now 👍
I kept telling the doctor I can’t breathe I have no oxygen in my lungs but nope he wouldn’t have it , I’m good now the amoxicillin helped
Thank you
Fantastic👌
Was seeing a gp at my surgery only a young chap was treating me for heartburn & indigestion for 6wk. Wieght was ballooning even a trip to a&e sent home again with af diagnosis i'd already had. Went to see am older gp at surgery had an ecg called an ambulance straight away heart failure pulmonary oedema. Now struggling to get ejection to improve. Damage might now be done
It's a joke, and not a funny one.
I had one of those, best to be honest but objective.
Oh god yes, no point embellishing the facts.
Hi, I didn’t comment on the staff when I filled one in, quite the opposite, I did comment on the culture and the lack of leadership. J
Hello 
I am always getting those as well as one's from Doctors and so on I never fill them in
Also there was always this same Doctor in A&E if you got him you knew he would keep you in but the best thing before he had even started to look at you and let's say finish he would give you a paper to fill in on how well he had done and a pen so you could fill it in 
But just be honest I think they appreciate honest feed back as then they know what needs improving x
Andytheextransporter in reply to
Of course
I get these these whenever I go to an NHS 'facility' other than the GP and the dentist. I did a few when the initiative first started, but then asked myself if my comments were likely to make any difference whatsoever, and concluded they wouldn't. So I don't bother now, especially since nothing changes. Its just a box ticking exercise.
Yes, my GP sends them out as well but I never bother with them.
The NHS as we knew it has gone, they are pushing towards private healthcare. There are ads for it on tv 😥
Had 3 awful experiences with A&E at NNUH last year. Waits of at least 9 hours, 8 hours in an ambulance followed by 12 hours on a trolley before I went to a ward. Nowhere to sit, nothing to eat whilst waiting and staff just overwhelmed. On one occasion, they looked at somebody else's heart history and diagnosed me wrongly which was frightening and had to be sorted out by my GP. On another occasion I was given 2 medications that should never be given together. This week my GP referred me to SDEM which was brilliant. A bright and clean waiting area with just 6 people waiting. Obs and bloods as soon as I arrived. Saw a doctor fairly quickly then chest x-ray then doctor again. All done within 4 hours by staff who seemed to have the time to do a good job. Has restored my faith in the NHS.
Wow looking at someone else's history 😮
It did have its upside although I was frightened to be told that my heart was in a bad way when I had been told just the opposite a month earlier. Within an hour of my GP speaking to the cardiologist I was phoned by a senior cardiologist with an apology and offered a cardioversion the next day.
Hope that worked for you 👍
I never respond to the surveys, call me pessimistic but I don’t waste my time and effort on something that won’t be acted on or make a difference. It also helps keep my blood pressure down 😂
Yes the system is broken. It seems that the system is set up to send you to A and e. Now I personally carnt blame the staff. But I had a situation this week. Had chest pains. So I thought what do I do. I will phone 111 nice chap on the phone asked a few questions. He then said I will contact your doctor sure enough doctor phoned back. But as they don't have the ability to do bloods. They can do ecg. He said due to your problem I suggest you get to a and e. Get some one to take you. So of we went. Got to a and e walked in explained my issue. I suppose if it was that bad I would not be able to walk in. Got seen by a triage team who done ecg. And stats. Fortunatly my ecg was the same as the one I had early in the year and same as last year. Now this is where it became different. I was sent to an EADU department. At the back of the hospital. Again walked there. The area was a bit like an out patients. There was 6 of us. Nurse came and took my bloods. Then I had to wait at least an hour for bloods. Fair enough I thought. Any way 1 hour went by. So I asked are bloods back. Yes they are but we only have one doctor. So naturally had to wait my turn Got seen at 8pm ish after going in at 2pm. Only thing she could find was a chest infection so gave me some antibiotics. And I was good to go. However this is where the system has failed. The trouble iam finding is that you as a patient, start to go round and round getting sent to one place and palmed of to another. So the biggest issue is no one wants to take the blame and the poor old A and E are taking the brunt. Since the pandemic it has all changed dramatically. And the government don't see it or want to know.a
I agree, the pandemic has basically shut down the GP service and bangs you off to A&E.
I recently was sent a survey about my recent experience in a department that was referred to only by a bunch of initials. I replied to them saying if they would like to clarify which department I would be happy to comply, as I'd had appointments with a few different departments. I've heard absolutely nothing since.
Waste of time 🤷♂️
Yes it is and so is giving them "feedback." The only thing they might take notice of is a complaint. I've never done that yet, but never say never.
That's been my experience entirely. Virtually all the staff I've encountered have been wonderful but exhausted and under enormous strain.Where I live, at least, cardiology seems to be fairing better than A and E and other departments but cracks are showing everywhere you look.
It's very sad.
I have nothing but praise for the staff I have seen, they deserve every penny they earn.
Absolutely agree 👍🏻
The thing is about GPs, before the pandemic I could at least ring up and make an appointment, i might have to wait a few days but that was normal, and when i did get to see one because I already had underlying health issues, they would do a BP test and listen to my heart, obviously if both were normal that was always a great comfort, if not they could treat me accordingly.
I think you are right it's a comfort thing. I went to pharmacy and had a blood pressure check. I done just it for curiosity and my wife had, had one any way it was high. So I came home relaxed and done my own. Next thing on my nhs app I get a report saying in next three weeks see your surgery. So now I have an appointment to see the nurse. What iam trying to say is I see a third party. Who does a check has no answers and back to the surgery I go. I know sometimes you go to doctors and feel you are waisting their time but we seem to have all these different layers now. But the bottom line is the hospital has all the experts and departments. Trouble is we spend money on blood pressure meters. Oxygen stat machines. We have watches and apps. And other kit you can buy to tell you what is going but are we the expert's.? I think it is getting worse. Then you try and phone someone up its just like trying to phone a bank up.
I really do try not to bother my doctor but sometimes you really do need to see one, I don't know the answer 😕
Yes, the GP scenario is another story again. And a frustrating one! Obviously it depends where you live but overall I think most people in the UK would say it's not working for them sadly.
My GP has 3 surgeries in my area, one 5mins away from me, when I could get through they would ask if I could get to one of the other surgeries.......errmmmmmmm no, why would I want to get a bus or a taxi when I can walk there 🤷♂️
Make sure you copy your local MP, they are mighty culpable.
Morning hearties, I have had better weeks although non heart related I have been to my GP and A&E.Firstly GP re an ongoing problem I phoned at 8.45 and told the reception what it was she said doc would phone back which he did, he then gave me an afternoon appointment, really pleased with that, then on Wednesday I was getting up from the couch, such a simple thing and I went over sideways on my foot it was agony and as I couldn't walk I had to get my partner home from work and head to A&E. My local hospital has a terrible reputation and to be honest I hate the place but off we went. After a 2 hrs 30 I had triage which took about 5 mins she spoke so fast we had no idea what she was saying! Off to x ray and then another fairly short wait. The X ray was unclear if it's a break or ligaments, I was then fitted with my lovely moon boot and sent on my way it was so rushed we felt we were thrown out the door she didn't want any questions asked at all, no pain killers given. I did get a follow up call the next day to say they still can't tell if it's broke or not and to phone if it doesn't get any better.
The GP was excellent in everything. The jury is still out for the hospital the time I waited was acceptable, just, about 3.5 hours but I felt a triage and x.ray on arrival would have been a better way to do things. The building is crumbling and they need so much more staff. I am in Scotland. Char
Crazy
Dear NHS trust statistics dept.You are now on the first waiting list for a reply.
I apologise for any inconvenience caused.
That should give an accurate account of the demise of our NHS.
Agree about the real staff they are wonderful and should have to work in some of the conditions they are.
Hope A&E sorted you
They did eventually thank you 👍
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Just be as honest as you are with your posts and replies on here.
Sometimes just telling it as you see it is the best way to punch through all the red tape that holds back change........
for change is sorely needed.
Big time 👍