6 hrs in A 'n E

[woolybanana]

Six hours yesterday afternoon in the emergency department of the Challans hospital; 5hrs 30 mins in the waiting room and half an hour for treatment.

The number of people waiting on gurneys was an eye opener and a shock, all, of course, brought by ambulance.

I wonder what your experience has been like. It seems a long time to have waited but it may be pretty typical these days.

[idun]

Wooly, hope you are ok!!!

That was absolutely normal for us, ended up in les urgences too many times with my casse cul youngest and we would wait up to 7, 8 hours, and rarely quicker than that.

Still timing is everything and once when I took ill during the night, told my OH to take me there at about 6am, as they clear the decks at the end of the night shift and there would not be many of the new days casualties. Was seen immediately......... and then ended up on a gurney till about 23h give or take !!!!!! And it all went down hill from there. But les urgence did see me immediately.

I realise that in some parts of France it is not like this. There has to be a hospital as otherwise there would be an unacceptable distance to the nearest, and staff have to be there too, but they do not have as many patients to deal with as more populated areas.

[alittlebitfrench]

Yes, been in A&E a few times with the kids. I reckon a 3hr wait is the norm in France. I guess you were unlucky with your 5hr wait.

The first time I went to A&E was with a Heart attack and got served quite quickly to be fair. LOL. And I walked there.

The A&E department in France is not my favourite place to be. It is a bit overrated by those who have never been. Although, there are less drunks on a Fri-Sat night trying to pick fights, so I guess it it is better than the UK.

[Chancer]

My all too numerous expériences have been very good, perhaps because each time it was a little more serious and needed the paramedics to take me there, they did the triage and things were lined up waiting for me at the other end, a smooth "prise en charge" seen quickly, CT scanners etc booked at another hospital and transported there and back without delay.

 

Another time late at night where they would normally get the boozy injuries, they rostered in staff to the eye hospital and they were there ready and waiting when I arrived, operated on within a couple, of hours, probably examinations beforehand, cant really recall but no waiting around.

 

On the other hand I once went to an out patients appointment where it normally is most of the afternoon, they didnt like what they saw so put me in a bed immediately and operated again first thing the next morning.

[alittlebitfrench]

The thing about A&E in France is that you have to get through the bureaucracy stage first.

So you turn up holding your severed arm whilst dripping with blood and you have to queue. There is no priority.

When you reach the counter, you then have to get your Carte Vitale out, sign a few forms (which is difficult with a severed arm) and then they ask you to rate your pain from 1-10 to give them some indication of the severity of the problem.

We arrived once with my little girl (aged then at 12 months ish) who was quite clearly ill but we had to go through this fecking procedure. I was going mad !!! Then a 3hr wait. There were more people working on the admin that in the A&E. Imagine that !!

[NormanH]

In Béziers there are basically 3 options for Urgences.

One is the Hospital which has a full 24 hr service and the other two are cliniques which are available to see you but where some services such as the scanner or IRM may be closed overnight.

I have been in twice in the last 3 year, and in both cases I was 'triaged' reasonably quickly (within an hour) but the full exams including blood tests and scans took longer, probably a total of 4/5 hours waiting for results etc before I was finally admitted on both occasions.

I was impressed with the seriousness with which my problems were dealt with..

[Jazzer]

I must be the lucky exception. At St Jean D'Angely on a bed within 5 Minute and admitted to a ward (2nd time Intensive care) within 2 hours.

[idun]

[quote user="Keith Williams"]I must be the lucky exception. At St Jean D'Angely on a bed within 5 Minute and admitted to a ward (2nd time Intensive care) within 2 hours.[/quote]

As I said:

I realise that in some parts of France it is not like this. There has to

be a hospital as otherwise there would be an unacceptable distance to

the nearest, and staff have to be there too, but they do not have as

many patients to deal with as more populated areas.

Easy peasy when one lives in or near such a place, as it always has been.

[Loiseau]

The woolly one was ok, idun. I was the patient...

Tripped over in the garden, and went flat on my face. Lots of pain on left side, so convinced WB that I needed to go to Urgences. Chose small town nearest, rather than county town a bit farther away.

V efficient admin, just a L-o-n-g wait to be seen. Mind you, the esprit among the fellow-waiters was pretty good, especially when having to deal with the local drunk, who kept erupting with and without cigarette until finally sent on his way by the gendarmes.

Once I was called through, after 5h30 wait, it was to face a huge line-up of stretcher cases that had been arriving by ambulance. I felt quite guilty that I had nothing life-threatening (just a broken rib, as it turned out), since there was apparently just one doctor on duty.

So I have of course been issued with enough painkillers to knock out an ox - though I actually refused the most potent once at the pharmacie.

[woolybanana]

There is a large boeuf spark out on the lawn, snoring peacefully and making little moong noises like a hungry calf.

[NormanH]

Broken ribs can be very painful and there is not a lot they can do...so I'm sorry to hear that.

[woolybanana]

Yes, we are getting the odd pained squawk and some very careful moving. As you say, Norman, just have to be patient.

[Gardengirl]

Loiseau, sorry to hear that, broken ribs can be so painful, and there's not much can be done apart from taking painkillers.

I used to crack ribs when sneezing - yes, pretty enormous sneezes, had to sleep sitting up, and when going to work I would put the car in 2nd gear and drive all the way in that, too painful to change gear.

Both my husband and I were in hospital in Nîmes last year, both had several hours of waiting after a quick triage, both taken in by ambukance.

My husband was amongst about 20 people on stretchers lined up in a corridor as all the curtained-off bays for stretchers were full, 60+ in those. Very few visits from staff overnight (I sat next to my husband's trolley all night) and I brought bottles of water from the machine for whoever wanted it, having checked first with a nurse.

I went home for a quick shower early next morning and on my return they had lost my husband, told me he had gone home; no clothes, no keys, no money, no phone.......... I eventually found him in a corridor further away - still on a drip! So much for him already being discharged.

I hope you're not too uncomfortable.

[mint]

Oh, Angela, it is very painful and you have to be patient[kiss]

You might recall I did the exact same thing last October:  fell flat on my face onto my baton and broke a rib.

Might be best to sleep propped up on pillows because, if you were flat on the bed, then getting up is pretty near impossible.

At least you live with someone who can cook.  I think all our household, OH, dog and me, would have died of starvation had I not struggled to carry on providing meals.

All will be well but don't attempt to do anything strenuous for at least a month.

[Loiseau]

Aw, thanks for the sympathetic messages, folks...

Yes, mint, I remember your fall; must have been jolly painful.

In all honesty, it's not too bad unless I sneeze, laugh, etc. So I have not taken many of the painkillers prescribed with such largesse. Will take a handful before retiring though, cos as you say, mint, it's the lying down and the sitting up movements that are the worst.

I have still done some gardening today, between showers, but walking v deliberately and cautiously. Tomorrow, we have 600km in the car back to Chez Banane from Chez Loiseau.

[suein56]

Sorry to hear about your tumble, Angela, hope all goes well for the return oop north - gently does it.

Idun wrote : Still timing is everything and once when I took ill during the night, told my OH to take me there at about 6am, as they clear the decks at the end of the night shift and there would not be many of the new days casualties. Was seen immediately......... and then ended up on a gurney till about 23h give or take !!!!

More or less what happened 10 days ago to my OH when he collapsed in the bathroom with a haemorrhage around 4am ish. Called 15 as, in my shock, I couldn't remember any other number, pompiers arrived in about 15 mins, they were on their way to hospital about 1/2 hour later as getting him downstairs was a bit of a problem.

When at the hospital he was seen quickly - after the logging in - then he had lots of tests, with long waits in between, plus a transfusion. Then he remained there until a bed could be found in gastro at around 9 pm.

All examinations, tests etc done in good humour but everything taking ages in the clogged-up system.

Seems to be the same here as in the parts of the UK I see on the news.

Sue

[Cendrillon]

I've experienced A&E in both France and U.K. for the same medical emergency.

Last year in France on a Sunday afternoon they were not busy, I waited not very long , was put in a cubicle, they did various tests , I waited, they closed (for new admissions) for an hour or so while staff had dinner, (!) and changed shift. Eventually late night CT scan and they insisted I stay overnight. Saw a consultant 08.00 next day and was able to leave.

Surrey hospital, same emergency this year. Friday mid morning. Checked in, not long to wait before very efficient service took charge. Tests as in France, CT scan and allowed home mid afternoon.

Both hospitals were good and from my experiences little to choose between the two.

I was lucky and must have arrived at good times.

[Cendrillon]

Loiseau take care and get well soon. X

[Pommier]

Hope you'll soon be better Loiseau. I'll be testing the facilities in Nantes this week (although not the A & E)

[woolybanana]

I can report that Loiseau is doing much better than expected, though taking pain killers and anti-inflammatories; problem is trying to get her to slow down a bit but her energy has to be used up somehow. Anyway, back in the Pas de C now where she is due to get the Eurostar in the late pm but in the meanwhile swears she is gonna do the windows, but NOT with Chancer's bl**dy window cleaning machine.

[Loiseau]

Bon courage, Pommier. I hope all goes well in Nantes.

I feel a bit of a fraud, engendering all this sympathy when I actually now feel almost normal, thanks no doubt to the panoply of French médicaments I am ingesting!

The banana held the wheel valiantly all the way today, while I attempted to entertain him (and the dogs) by reading out choice morsels from the News about Trump's travels.

[mogs]

Loiseau ive had multiple fractured ribs and know how painful they are and they take a good while to heal.

Rest and take care

[Loiseau]

Ooo, dear, mogs. Sounds nasty. Did you do them all at once, or spread over several years?

[NormanH]

[quote user="Loiseau"]Bon courage, Pommier. I hope all goes well in Nantes.

I feel a bit of a fraud, engendering all this sympathy when I actually now feel almost normal, thanks no doubt to the panoply of French médicaments I am ingesting!

The banana held the wheel valiantly all the way today, while I attempted to entertain him (and the dogs) by reading out choice morsels from the News about Trump's travels.[/quote]

Not sure that these revelations have a place on a public Forum [6]

[idun]

Bon retabilissement!!!!