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Palpitations, A&E and wasted time
I have been having palpitations all day today, much worse than usual. Pains and aches in both shoulders, burning sensation in chest and a pulse going really fast if I did anything other than sit.
After 7 hours of this I decided to go to A&E. Although I've had similar symptoms before, not as bad or for as long.
Had BP and pulse taken (pulse was 135 at the time), blood sugar and an ECG. The nurse who did the initial assessment was barely civil, second one was little better really. Then in a booth for 30 mins during which time a man who looked as though he had a broken nose was wheeled in and he had his assessment done in front of me and my wife! I could not believe my eyes.
The doctor I saw said the ECG was normal as was my pulse by then. I did explain that the problem was much worse when I stood up or walked. He said my heart was fine but also,suggested mask my doctor to bring forwardnthe next consultation with my cardiologist. He said A&E was not good for diagnosing my problem and I was ok to go and to get some rest.
A&E was good for NOTHING I would say. The staff I saw seemed cold and uncaring, the doctor was of little help apart from saying the ECG was normal. So what? ECG is not the gold standard, no blood test no chest x ray, not even Been left a while and watched.
My question is this. Why bother going to A&E with chest pain? Short of having a full blown 'hollywood' heart attack I don't see how this level of care would pick anything serious up in time to have a good chance of dealing with it effectively. Should I wait longer next time? Until pain has been unbearable for a while? Until i collapse?
This all sounds very negative I know, but I am quite serious. How do I know when to go to A&E? When is it that serious?
After 7 hours of this I decided to go to A&E. Although I've had similar symptoms before, not as bad or for as long.
Had BP and pulse taken (pulse was 135 at the time), blood sugar and an ECG. The nurse who did the initial assessment was barely civil, second one was little better really. Then in a booth for 30 mins during which time a man who looked as though he had a broken nose was wheeled in and he had his assessment done in front of me and my wife! I could not believe my eyes.
The doctor I saw said the ECG was normal as was my pulse by then. I did explain that the problem was much worse when I stood up or walked. He said my heart was fine but also,suggested mask my doctor to bring forwardnthe next consultation with my cardiologist. He said A&E was not good for diagnosing my problem and I was ok to go and to get some rest.
A&E was good for NOTHING I would say. The staff I saw seemed cold and uncaring, the doctor was of little help apart from saying the ECG was normal. So what? ECG is not the gold standard, no blood test no chest x ray, not even Been left a while and watched.
My question is this. Why bother going to A&E with chest pain? Short of having a full blown 'hollywood' heart attack I don't see how this level of care would pick anything serious up in time to have a good chance of dealing with it effectively. Should I wait longer next time? Until pain has been unbearable for a while? Until i collapse?
This all sounds very negative I know, but I am quite serious. How do I know when to go to A&E? When is it that serious?
I am an Expat so I know all too well the NHS system. I moved to Finland 17 years ago.
I have to say although the system here is not perfect it is better than the NHS.
How do you define free...lol...For my local doctor I have to pay for the first 3 visits, after that it is free. It I need to see a specialist or have to go to see the doctor in the evening then I have to pay 27.40€/doctor.
Any treatment or operations are taken care of by the state. My ablation cost me 27.40€ but cost the city over 9000€ (had to have it done privatly and city paid for it)
Then again having had to run back and forth to the evening doctors at 27€ a pop don't come cheap, especially when they couldn't find anything wrong as my heart rate was back to normal by the time they had connected the ECG leads.
Once I was diagnosed things went very quickly and I was done and dusted in about 3 weeks. (ablation done within 3 weeks of diagnosis)
I have to say although the system here is not perfect it is better than the NHS.
How do you define free...lol...For my local doctor I have to pay for the first 3 visits, after that it is free. It I need to see a specialist or have to go to see the doctor in the evening then I have to pay 27.40€/doctor.
Any treatment or operations are taken care of by the state. My ablation cost me 27.40€ but cost the city over 9000€ (had to have it done privatly and city paid for it)
Then again having had to run back and forth to the evening doctors at 27€ a pop don't come cheap, especially when they couldn't find anything wrong as my heart rate was back to normal by the time they had connected the ECG leads.
Once I was diagnosed things went very quickly and I was done and dusted in about 3 weeks. (ablation done within 3 weeks of diagnosis)
OH brother. Well at least so far we here still have things the way it is which makes hospitals have to be competetive for the business, and yet even there you find politics, which keeps some lousy workers hired when they ought not to be, but overall, they dont want to lose your business. I hope you get your situation figured out.
Hi i understand what u went through,our health care system NHS,is exactly the same as in UK too.I have been to the A&E several times for lightheadness,palpitations,waiting at the triage area already nearly took me 30mins or 1 hour just for the nurse to take BP,pulse oxi and temp.Because of ligtheaded and palpitations,i have to do an ecg which where i proceed to the inside of the A&E and most of the time if ecg are normal,sinus tachycardia or sinus arrhythmia which both is normal,i have to wait outside at least for an hour or so to be seen by the AE doctor,once being seen by the doc,he would just say ecg is normal,then more blood test again,damn i just hate blood test i cant remember how many times i have done blood test and yet they dont have a diagnosis as complete blood work + thyroid came back normal.so they just sent u home without any meds,lol..the A&E doc was actually thinking for a few mins thinking wat meds to prescribe but then he just say that take some vitamins lol..
Private health care is also the same,as in private clinic,if u go in there with chest pain or palpitations,they will just straight refer u to A&E.so to say private clinic is just good for minor illness such as flu etc,lol.We do have a large private hospital,where they do have an Emergency unit but its very expensive,went there before but if they know u did an ecg and blood work at the public hospital and all are normal,they also wont care much,probably just give you some medicine and off u go.
Private health care is also the same,as in private clinic,if u go in there with chest pain or palpitations,they will just straight refer u to A&E.so to say private clinic is just good for minor illness such as flu etc,lol.We do have a large private hospital,where they do have an Emergency unit but its very expensive,went there before but if they know u did an ecg and blood work at the public hospital and all are normal,they also wont care much,probably just give you some medicine and off u go.
Yes, thats one word for it! The NHS...
Private healthcare is obviously also available, it would costa person like me approx £180 a month for this (I have had several quotations), I think that is probably quite expensive in any country - I could afford this but whats the point? They exclude anything I have even had an investigation for in the last 5 years.
For example, If i was tested for liver problems 3 years ago and all tests were completely normal I still would not be covered by the private health insurances I have looked at.
Also private healthcare is no good for emergency cases, these all go to accident and emergency as far as Im aware there are no privatre A&E departments in the UK. So your life is in the hands of the kind of people I had to deal with yesterday.
Im still so angry about that. If they had only been even slightly more professional or a little bit caring then I wouldnt have felt I was being treat like cattle. They are busy but so what. When I am busy at work I am still just as polite and give just the same level of service as when I am quiet.
Private healthcare is obviously also available, it would costa person like me approx £180 a month for this (I have had several quotations), I think that is probably quite expensive in any country - I could afford this but whats the point? They exclude anything I have even had an investigation for in the last 5 years.
For example, If i was tested for liver problems 3 years ago and all tests were completely normal I still would not be covered by the private health insurances I have looked at.
Also private healthcare is no good for emergency cases, these all go to accident and emergency as far as Im aware there are no privatre A&E departments in the UK. So your life is in the hands of the kind of people I had to deal with yesterday.
Im still so angry about that. If they had only been even slightly more professional or a little bit caring then I wouldnt have felt I was being treat like cattle. They are busy but so what. When I am busy at work I am still just as polite and give just the same level of service as when I am quiet.
Sounds like it's not just the NHS that can be bad. Is healthcare free at the point of delivery in Finland? It is in the UK but with hindsight i wish I had joined a private health scheme (too late now, everything I might have will be excluded lol)
I see my doctor tomorrow, hopefully she will have some way forward. She is very good and she does care ( tomorrow is her last day in the practice I go to though)
I've pasted a copy ofnthe email I sent to our local NHS to complain.I decided to focus on the one aspect I felt most disgusted by today.
I went to A&E today at about 4pm, I was having palpitations and some chest pain. I was seen quite quickly, had an ECG done by perhaps 30 mins after I arrived. This was ok so I had to wait to be seen by a doctor. My wife and I waited in booth 4 for a while. Then a gentleman was wheeled in by ambulance staff, I think he had had a fall, his face was bloodied and he had a dressing on his nose. Shortly two relatives arrived.
A nurse came and did what I assume was an initial assessment on the gentleman, blood pressure and so on and asked questions about his health etc. This was all done right in front of my wife and I.
We felt it was completely inappropriate for a patient to be examined and medical history discussed in front of strangers. Surely this is not considered acceptable
I see my doctor tomorrow, hopefully she will have some way forward. She is very good and she does care ( tomorrow is her last day in the practice I go to though)
I've pasted a copy ofnthe email I sent to our local NHS to complain.I decided to focus on the one aspect I felt most disgusted by today.
I went to A&E today at about 4pm, I was having palpitations and some chest pain. I was seen quite quickly, had an ECG done by perhaps 30 mins after I arrived. This was ok so I had to wait to be seen by a doctor. My wife and I waited in booth 4 for a while. Then a gentleman was wheeled in by ambulance staff, I think he had had a fall, his face was bloodied and he had a dressing on his nose. Shortly two relatives arrived.
A nurse came and did what I assume was an initial assessment on the gentleman, blood pressure and so on and asked questions about his health etc. This was all done right in front of my wife and I.
We felt it was completely inappropriate for a patient to be examined and medical history discussed in front of strangers. Surely this is not considered acceptable
My god I am shocked at your assessment. I don't know what is wrong with the nursing staff of today. Maybe they have seen it all and think they know it all. In todays day of technology do the doctors think we know it all??
Over here in Finland you cannot get into hospital without a referal from the local hospital. To get to the local hospital I have to be screened over the phone by an underpaid, overworked nurse. If I am lucky and she grants me a time to visit the doctor I will have to wait for a while sometimes as much as 4 hours. When I go in if the doc decides it is something that needs to be looked at then he will write a referal to the main hospital. I will have to then travel 40 minutes to the main hospital and wait again to be seen. (local hospital ER closes at 10pm) You can go to ER without a referal but then you have to wait a few more hours to be seen.
Me I dont wait at all. I just get there and say I need to be seen. If they are being negative I tend to say so. If I am not happy I say so. I have started to be proactive about my health. The nurse on the phone doesn't care if I live or die, to her I am a number.
I ran back and forth for ECG's on many occasions over the year until I finally managed to catch one on film. The nurse without a life (always on duty when I run in) turned to me and said after catching it on film "good to know that it isn't all in your head" Nowadays after being diagnosed and treated I get a totally different reception from the hospital staff.
If you are in any doubt about your health, then be proactive and go to ER, go there as many times as you need to. They cannot turn you away without checking you first. It would be negligent of them to do that.
Over here in Finland you cannot get into hospital without a referal from the local hospital. To get to the local hospital I have to be screened over the phone by an underpaid, overworked nurse. If I am lucky and she grants me a time to visit the doctor I will have to wait for a while sometimes as much as 4 hours. When I go in if the doc decides it is something that needs to be looked at then he will write a referal to the main hospital. I will have to then travel 40 minutes to the main hospital and wait again to be seen. (local hospital ER closes at 10pm) You can go to ER without a referal but then you have to wait a few more hours to be seen.
Me I dont wait at all. I just get there and say I need to be seen. If they are being negative I tend to say so. If I am not happy I say so. I have started to be proactive about my health. The nurse on the phone doesn't care if I live or die, to her I am a number.
I ran back and forth for ECG's on many occasions over the year until I finally managed to catch one on film. The nurse without a life (always on duty when I run in) turned to me and said after catching it on film "good to know that it isn't all in your head" Nowadays after being diagnosed and treated I get a totally different reception from the hospital staff.
If you are in any doubt about your health, then be proactive and go to ER, go there as many times as you need to. They cannot turn you away without checking you first. It would be negligent of them to do that.
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