MFWTK - A&E waiting times?

[Mo-Fo]

So I went to the GP as I've had constant pain for a couple of days and with my past record of it before as a kid he diagnosed appendicitis.

Gave me a referral letter and told me to get my arse down to the hospital where a Surgeon could confirm the diagnosis and decide whether or not to whip it out (yer that's what she said). I asked the Doc do I really have to go? as I knew that it would mean waiting around a couple of hours, thought I'd just wait to see if it got any worse but he said it would be taking a risk not to go. So off I went to Joondalup Hospital accident & emergency.

About twenty odd ppl aready waiting but I gave them the referral and was told to sit and wait.

Six hours later still waiting and there's only so much angry birds I can play.

Pain wasn't any worse than before and I wasn't throwing up so I gave up and fucked off home. Thought if it really kicks off then I'll go back again but then it'll be really serious so then they can't make me wait again.

Now I'm not blaming the Hospital staff as I'm sure they're doing the best they can with the facilities and staff numbers that they have but six fucking hours and still no sign of being called? Really??! And yes I checked that they had me on the list.

I'd like to hear from any of you that have gone to the A&E. Is a 6+ hour wait normal these days? even though you may have something that could potentially turn life threatening.

[jmoore]

Saturday night in joondalup 6hrs wait is a success story.

I am a regular ed visitor and 4-6hours before being seen by a doctor is normal, takes me about 8 hrs to get admitted.

Hospital system is shit brah

Sent from my GT-I9100

[chew]

23:00hrs to 07:00hrs to get a face stitched up after my son walked into a sheet of tin one night.

The shopkeeper sitting next to us who had been beaten up in Northbridge had arrived before us and was still waiting when we left. He couldnt believe how long we had to wait, had to replace a tea towel and two compresses while waiting, to stop blood dripping on the floor.

[Freedom Wheels]

Ring KIm Hames as his policy is no more than 4 hours waiting at any hospital.
Problem is they want us to go to our GP's b4 presenting at the hospital but most times can't get into the GP for a week and then they refer you to the hospital anyway.

Funny how the girl on "Survivor" thought she could catch appendicitis when one of the contestants was taken off with it.

Good luck and hope they don't burst.

[Brougham]

There's a website with live updating of emergency wait times, no of patients etc

[euphoric]

WA Public Hospital Activity

sometimes it easier to make the drive to somewhere further away

[=Stevo=]

half the problem is that they just don't have the capactiy, but the other main cause is the amount of retards who go straight to A&E for small and pointless things when they could have just gone to the after hours GP down the road.

[Mo-Fo]

There's a website with live updating of emergency wait times, no of patients etc

lol I thought you were taking the piss Brougham but it appears not


Thanks euphoric I've saved that to my favs.

Steve I know what you mean, there were ppl coming in with shit like 'sore knees' and crap like that.

With the nothern burbs expanding like they are we desperately need a 'Fiona Stanley' up here too. I think once that is finished the SOR folk will really be much better off than us.

On a humourous note I had an old bloke of around 90yrs join me waiting after while who had a myriad of problems. I helped him find out what his home phone number was and leant him my phone to call his daughter. He kept me amused with some of his life stories, comments at ppl who came in such as their slobby demeanour and every now and then he'd break out in song... "Always look on the bright side of life, dee doo, dee doo dee doo dee dooo..."

Sure helped pass some of the time.

[Zaffira]

There's a website with live updating of emergency wait times, no of patients etc

There's also a web site around that has GP's in your area that have appointments on it, it's an updated daily kind of list but I'm not sure if it's accurate for weekends.

Winter time is a particularly busy time in ED's traditionally because of people presenting with the cough/cold/flu thing especially when they have "other health problems" that can be made worse by the flu.
I'd just like to add something that might help those horrible horrible waits in the ED waiting room, if you're waiting it's because an experienced nurse thinks it's safe for you to do so. While you're waiting the staff are getting busy saving lives. Write letters to your local member of parliament with lots and lots of details about your wait; elections will come around soon enough and politician LOVE that sort of thing and the only way to get things changed is to inform your local member so they can act for YOU. (Yes, it's a lovely rosy pink place where I live).

[shmoo]

Sure we need greater capacity but the first way to improve wait times is to stop the idiots who don't really need to be there from clogging EDs.

[Iron_Zombie]

Currently an active alert due to h3n2 virus I believe ( the flu, one of the strains that are particularly nasty )
Hospitals are particularly busy at the moment, problem is made worse by people who present to ED with issues that belong more in a GP's office.

But measures have had to been made to deal with the influx of presentations to the ED.

[Ryven]

Sure we need greater capacity but the first way to improve wait times is to stop the idiots who don't really need to be there from clogging EDs.

It seems to be pretty common for people who's drug prescriptions have run out to make an appearance at ED late at night. Or at least it was a few years ago. The best part is, these seem to be the type of people you wouldn't want to be dealing with ever, let alone at 2am.

There's also the first time parents who take their children in for immediate surgery when they graze a knee from tripping over. Though I can't really hold that against them, fuck knows how fragile children are and if it did end up being something more serious but they didn't take the kids in, they'd have children's safety activists torching their car for being the worst people ever.

[shmoo]

so perhaps we don't actually need much of an increase in ED capacity after all? perhaps we need a massive increase in all-hours bulk billing gp clinics. then of course we need to educate the numpty population to teach them to use the gp rather than ed. thus reducing demand for the ed.

[Mr_Mike]

when i came of my supermoto and hurt my shoulder i was taken to freo hospital A&E and went straight in, though i was left sitting on a bed for about 4hrs before i got xrayed then another 2hrs before i was given all clear.
When i broke my leg i went to armadale hospital was straight in and x-rayed and scanned before being put in an ambulance and sent to Freo where i was left on a gurney in the hallway for about 3hrs before a room was free.

[Para045]

With the northern burbs expanding like they are we desperately need a 'Fiona Stanley' up here too. I think once that is finished the SOR folk will really be much better off than us.

NOR will actually be worse off! They will then close RPH and the pressure will INCREASE on the other hospitals NOR as FS is even further away

so perhaps we don't actually need much of an increase in ED capacity after all? perhaps we need a massive increase in all-hours bulk billing GP clinics. then of course we need to educate the numpty population to teach them to use the GP rather than ed. thus reducing demand for the ed.

Yeah but then after waiting an hour or so in there they just send send you to the ED anyway I've been to the AHGP in JHC twice and both times was sent to the ED after sitting around and getting seen for a couple of minutes only to sit around again and neither time was it necessary for admittance

[stromrider]

NOR will actually be worse off! They will then close RPH and the pressure will INCREASE on the other hospitals NOR as FS is even further away

RPH isn't closing, due to public and internal backlash.
Most staff working at RPH want to stay there and not relocate to Fiona Stanley. Charlie's staff, who are sick of the current parking issue, are more likely to relocate.

To the OP, next time you have appendicitis and just a touch of niggling chest pain </joking>

[stromrider]

To the OP,

You would have been better heading to RPH. Each time that I have been there, it has been a maximum of about 30 minutes. The Quick Admission Centre (QUARC) is very good for quick assessments for cases such as yours.

[Bradlze]

might as well jump in with the bitching
I waited over 24 hours to get surgery on my finger after my accident
24 fecking hours of my finger only holding on with some tendons and skin a very big FU to royal perth

[Mo-Fo]

To the OP,

You would have been better heading to RPH. Each time that I have been there, it has been a maximum of about 30 minutes. The Quick Admission Centre (QUARC) is very good for quick assessments for cases such as yours.

Mate next time I go to any ED will be on a gurney, possibly unconcious. That way I should hopefully get some quick attention

[Old frt]

The triage nurse usually asseses the merits of each case and who needs urgent treatment,
I have spent countless hours in A&E, often self inflicted, ie. bugger moving the ladder, I can reach that from here etc.
It's reached the stage where my wife now drops me off and says ring me when you're patched up.
I spent 3 months in Charlies with a shattered leg and as soon as they gave me a wheelchair I used to roll down to A&E
on friday and saturday nights to watch the dregs of society stagger in, some of them on first name terms with the staff.
It is less than perfect but don't blame the staff, I wouldn't put up with the crap they handle on a daily basis.