Is It About Time Wasting A&E Time Became A Crime Like Wasting Police Time

[Canary42]

Is it about time Wasting A&E Time became a crime like Wasting Police Time.

OR

At least imposing some sort of "penalty' - no wonder the NHS is struggling to cope.

https://uk.news.yahoo.com/rise-e-visits-hiccups-earaches-230123414.html?.tsrc=fp_deeplink

 

[dave50]

Absolutely, people are so stupid it's unbelievable. 

[Moorea7]

Probably some of them think they can just toddle down to A & E if they can't get an appointment with their GP?

[10ClarionSt]

They probably think it's ok because they see ads on the TV telling them to go to the doctors if they've had a cough for a couple of weeks. 

[tomus42]

It's because no-one can get a GP appointment. You have to phone at 7.59 am to book a phone call from the doctor two weeks later if you're lucky.

No wonder people are turning up at A&E when they feel sick.

[Canary42]

Yes, tomus, it's a vicious circle.  

[jno]

back pain or even hiccups can last for days or maybe longer; if you can't see your GP, what can you do? It's not as if going to A&E is an easy solution, you'll wait for hours there too.

[Gromit]

In a lot of places the GP doctors system has collapsed. During covid many people were disusaded from attending their doctors, and doctors stopped visiting them. The result was a lot of ill people needing treatment that their doctors should have been providing went to A&E instead. And now the pandemic is over, the doctors seem unwilling to return the service to pre-covid levels.

Shortages of staff at A&E do not help. It is not uncommon for people to spend hours waiting in A&E and going home without being seen.

As with a lot of things, the Government know there is a problem but seem not to know how to sort it out.
 

[barry1010]

I would not want anyone to become seriously ill because they were too frightened to go to A&E, some people really do worry about 'bothering' their doctor or can't get an appointment.

Maybe tougher triage is the answer.  Not an A&E matter - send them straight home.

[naomi24]

Like others here, I think it's because GPs are not doing their jobs.  Being told that the first available phone call appointment is a month away, as I have been - twice - is not good enough.  I am fortunate enough to be able to seek help from the private sector but others are not.  If people need medical attention and the only place to get that is at A&E then that is their only option and that's where they will go.  This is a abdication of duty by GPs and they should be thoroughly ashamed of themselves.

[barry1010]

We are very fortunate with our GP.  Our local hospital has an A&E department  and an Urgent Care Centre for cuts, scrapes, burns, bites, fever, sickness and vomiting and that does work very well.   Patients are funnelled there from A&E at the triage stage.

[New Judge]

As with a lot of things, the Government know there is a problem but seem not to know how to sort it out.

But the government does not run the NHS - its managers (of which there are plenty) do. The government simply provides the NHS with taxpayers' money.

This problems stems from the GP system which - along with much of the rest of the NHS - is unfit for purpose and needs replacing with a more suitable system. Preferably one which does not pay "primary healthcare" contractors so much money that many of them need only work part time and many of whom provide their "service" (such that it is) from the comfort of their own home via the telephone.

 

 

[Old_Geezer]

Now you all know very well that we've been told your local pharmacist does all the doctoring these days so doctors don't have to be bothered. There's just no excuse to expect medical help from A&E or the like. Go see your chemist.

[youngmafbog]

I get your point but first (as others have said) the GP issue needs sorting out. Plus of course where do you draw the line and who defines that line?

Having said that the NHS has a big problem with DNA's, they should be charged.

[roopower]

First stop for such things is the local pharmacy. We always go there first for minor ailments, always have. I watched an A&E programme where a young girl went with a spot on her face she was afraid of popping herself because it would hurt. 

[ToraToraTora]

Yes I agree with fining the timewasters but judge has a point. Since lockdown GPs etc have basically withdrawn from any sort of contact with their patients. They have introduced mad cap systems to avoid contact with the public at all costs. Just one example. Pre pandemic if you needed a blood test you went to the path lab took a number, max a couple of hours. In june I had to wait 3 weeks for an appointment that took about 1 minute. Madness. The staff have blockaded themselves from their patients.

[zebo]

When we were working with the military if one went to the Medical Centre there was a consultation with a nurse who then referred people to the doctor if necessary.  This meant that all the trivial matters were dealt with without a doctor being involved, often it was young mothers far away from family advice who wanted some reassurance.