Accident and Emergency Ward!
Pin-point pains in my upper chest had been increasing over a few days, but since I had been lifting ladders and heavy rolls of felt these could have been complaining muscles. But by yesterday they were stronger and more frequent and my blood pressure was rising dangerously high.
I spoke with my wife, packed a small bag with essentials (and a thick Wilbur Smith novel) and set off for the local health center. I didn't wait there for very long before medical clinicians took me away for various tests, and then they told me that I must go to hospital and that an ambulance had been called.
I called my wife and then was sped off by ambulance to the main A&E hospital at Margate, about 20 miles further along the coast. At 4pm on arrival, the entrance area to A&E was crowded with patients in chairs and gurneys, and 14 ambulance paramedics stood about, waiting for their patients to be received in to hospital care so that they could report for their next assignment.
I needed time to go by and so I settled in to my chair and fell asleep. I was woken by a paramedic who took me to the A&E reception hall which was crowded, and only one seat was vacant for me. A medic was calling out a lengthy roll call of patients and told the assembly that although 140 patients were there at reception, and waiting for treatments and clinical decisions, that everybody would be attended to...in time. I checked that my name was on the patient list and then sat back down........ and snoozed.
I was woken by a medic who took my blood pressure..... she gave me a kind look and mentioned that my readings were not good, that I would be seen soon. After about an hour a nurse took me to a room where she attached a catheter to me and took many blood samples, and then I sat back down and opened my book.
As time passed I became absorbed in the storyline, but a medic stopped by me and asked what sandwich I would like.....I got an egg sandwich, such a pleasant surprise, and then soon afterwards she called back with fruit, hot-cross buns and some drinks, and there I was with a banana, bun and bottle of water, so I wouldn't need to figure out how to buy crisps from a card-pay dispenser!
And then, about three hours after arriving, I was taken to an area where my heart and circulation was monitored, all those sticky contacts everywhere. I sat back down and got talking with another patient who had been there two hours longer than me.....severe fibrillations, she told me. We got to chatting.
Eventually I was taklen to Doctor Obi who asked many questions and scanned my whole torso and throat areas. We talked about my medications and when he discovered that I had some of my blood pressure tablets with me, I was asked to take one and go back to my seat. About an hour later the blood pressure lady called back and my bp had dropped away and to safety.
I got to chatting with the fibrillating lady again...... by this time it was about 11pm, and a man started to shout at the A&E staff...he had been there for two hours and began to tell about what he would do if he was not attended to immediately. The blood pressure lady spoke with him and as she spoke she gestured with her hands, so he reached out quickly and snatched at her, grasping one of her fingers and twisting it as he shouted at her. Many of us immediately showed support for the bp lady but she just took his aggression so placidly; the fibrillating lady called out to this man that she had been there for over 7 hours and that he should be quiet. Other murmured their agreement. A Hospital security officer arrived, huge in black fatigues and ppe clothing. A&E staff need huge security officers like these.
Eventually at 11.30pm consulting doctor Ola (he had a very long and wonderful name) took me to a room and explained that all I needed was increased medication and that all their searches and tests had not shown any obvious problems. When I asked he smiled hugely and explained his long name; he was the child of parents from two royal families. I told him that my name was just 'Peter' and we both laughed. He explained that he would send a report to my doctor, proposing increased medication.
I had received so many tests and scans, experienced so much, chatted with such interesting folks, and at 11.45pm I wondered whether I might sleep in a corner somewhere or pay the £40 night taxi fare home. I had paid nothing for what I received during that day from so many people, the clinicians at the local center, the ambulance crew, the masses of folks at A&E, and I know that it costs over £50 for a 15 minute consultation about a loved cat or dog with a vet. I wondered how much our NHS had spent on me during yesterday. Out of hundreds of needy patients only one had shown impatience and unacceptable speech and actions.
A taxi took me home to my wife and I gladly paid the night-service fee and tip.
This my A&E experience at QEQM Hospital, Margate.
Pin-point pains in my upper chest had been increasing over a few days, but since I had been lifting ladders and heavy rolls of felt these could have been complaining muscles. But by yesterday they were stronger and more frequent and my blood pressure was rising dangerously high.
I spoke with my wife, packed a small bag with essentials (and a thick Wilbur Smith novel) and set off for the local health center. I didn't wait there for very long before medical clinicians took me away for various tests, and then they told me that I must go to hospital and that an ambulance had been called.
I called my wife and then was sped off by ambulance to the main A&E hospital at Margate, about 20 miles further along the coast. At 4pm on arrival, the entrance area to A&E was crowded with patients in chairs and gurneys, and 14 ambulance paramedics stood about, waiting for their patients to be received in to hospital care so that they could report for their next assignment.
I needed time to go by and so I settled in to my chair and fell asleep. I was woken by a paramedic who took me to the A&E reception hall which was crowded, and only one seat was vacant for me. A medic was calling out a lengthy roll call of patients and told the assembly that although 140 patients were there at reception, and waiting for treatments and clinical decisions, that everybody would be attended to...in time. I checked that my name was on the patient list and then sat back down........ and snoozed.
I was woken by a medic who took my blood pressure..... she gave me a kind look and mentioned that my readings were not good, that I would be seen soon. After about an hour a nurse took me to a room where she attached a catheter to me and took many blood samples, and then I sat back down and opened my book.
As time passed I became absorbed in the storyline, but a medic stopped by me and asked what sandwich I would like.....I got an egg sandwich, such a pleasant surprise, and then soon afterwards she called back with fruit, hot-cross buns and some drinks, and there I was with a banana, bun and bottle of water, so I wouldn't need to figure out how to buy crisps from a card-pay dispenser!
And then, about three hours after arriving, I was taken to an area where my heart and circulation was monitored, all those sticky contacts everywhere. I sat back down and got talking with another patient who had been there two hours longer than me.....severe fibrillations, she told me. We got to chatting.
Eventually I was taklen to Doctor Obi who asked many questions and scanned my whole torso and throat areas. We talked about my medications and when he discovered that I had some of my blood pressure tablets with me, I was asked to take one and go back to my seat. About an hour later the blood pressure lady called back and my bp had dropped away and to safety.
I got to chatting with the fibrillating lady again...... by this time it was about 11pm, and a man started to shout at the A&E staff...he had been there for two hours and began to tell about what he would do if he was not attended to immediately. The blood pressure lady spoke with him and as she spoke she gestured with her hands, so he reached out quickly and snatched at her, grasping one of her fingers and twisting it as he shouted at her. Many of us immediately showed support for the bp lady but she just took his aggression so placidly; the fibrillating lady called out to this man that she had been there for over 7 hours and that he should be quiet. Other murmured their agreement. A Hospital security officer arrived, huge in black fatigues and ppe clothing. A&E staff need huge security officers like these.
Eventually at 11.30pm consulting doctor Ola (he had a very long and wonderful name) took me to a room and explained that all I needed was increased medication and that all their searches and tests had not shown any obvious problems. When I asked he smiled hugely and explained his long name; he was the child of parents from two royal families. I told him that my name was just 'Peter' and we both laughed. He explained that he would send a report to my doctor, proposing increased medication.
I had received so many tests and scans, experienced so much, chatted with such interesting folks, and at 11.45pm I wondered whether I might sleep in a corner somewhere or pay the £40 night taxi fare home. I had paid nothing for what I received during that day from so many people, the clinicians at the local center, the ambulance crew, the masses of folks at A&E, and I know that it costs over £50 for a 15 minute consultation about a loved cat or dog with a vet. I wondered how much our NHS had spent on me during yesterday. Out of hundreds of needy patients only one had shown impatience and unacceptable speech and actions.
A taxi took me home to my wife and I gladly paid the night-service fee and tip.
This my A&E experience at QEQM Hospital, Margate.
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