Grrrrrrr! NHS! (rant)

[Mary Jane]

Really really pissed off about the way an acquaintance of mine was handled tonight at the hospital.

This acquaintance accidentally took 16 500mg paracetamol tablets (before anyone starts jumping to conclusions: no, she's not suicidal, no she isn't seeking attention, and no she's not someone who self-harms; she honestly thought it would help with her migraine). This was about 10pm tonight. A mutual friend went to take her to the hospital, where they made her wait for 2 hours because they wanted to be able to see it in her bloodstream before deciding whether to treat her or not.

Now, from what I know of paracetamol overdose, treatment is most effective if begun within the 1st two hours. But they made her wait, allowing more toxin to enter her bloodstream when it could have been prevented from entering by absorbing it with some activated charcoal or something.

Then, after the blood test, they sent her home and said to come back if she felt worse. (!!!!!!!!!) She took 8000mg of the stuff! My friend who was with her stayed with her, and was really worried because she seemed really the worse for wear. After a few more hours, she's not better at all and is actually even worse. it's now been 5and a half hours since she took the pills, and from what I've read about the treatment, it's effectiveness drops significantly if started after 8 hours. What if she'd waited 'till the morning to go back?

My friend is taking her back right now, and I hope they actually help her this time instead of just telling her to fucking wait it out.

8000 may not be enough to flat-out kill her, but it can definitely do a lot of damage to her liver, and that's the sort of thing that can't be reversed! Why the hell didn't the doctors do anything when she first came in?

I'm so pissed off right now I could spit! ><

[pistonbroke]

Actually damage to her liver is just about the only thing that can be reversed as the liver is the only organ in the body with the ability to re-generate itself so im sure she will be fine

steve
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thats gonna hurt in the morning

[Weedy]

Someone has to say it....Welcome to English hospitals and the NHS.

My friend almost completely severed her thumb about a year ago and was made to wait for 3 hours to see if the bleeding would stop. Only when she passed out and had dangerously low blood pressure did they do anything.

It's like that over here I'm afraid
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[.....]

Remember, for every bad story there is a good one. I've had nothing but excellent service from the NHS over the years.

[h00dwink]

gotta agree with joe, each time i'v been to the hospital was for something relatively serious. last time was a month ago with a fractured wrist. from checking in, had the consultation, xrays, and a cast put on within 2 hours.
very helpful, polite and prompt a service as they could provide.
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[Jack_Cheese]

[gmanxiii]

Hope your friends ok MJ,

i think service in hospitals vary. for example the hospital i was treated at ive heard a lot of bad things about. My dad and neighbours even chooses to go have their operations and stuff done in the next town. Personally i thought it was ok but there did seem a lot of waiting about for everything and when going back for checks theres a lot of being moved from one waiting room to the next.
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[instigator]

[Drew]

From what ive heard (just what i heard, not from experience or fact) doctors frown upon people who OD (yes i know you said it was an accident, but they wouldn't think that)

Also, how can anyone take 8000mg of paracetamol, thinking it will help a migraine?
Oh i have a bad head, i took a tablet, and it didnt seem to ease off, so i will take another 15 of them, see if that helps?



ps, never had a problem with nhs, whenever ive been, always been in and out within 2 hours even though they say the waiting time is 3hours.

[st3v3]

With Joe, the only times I go to hospital is something serious(last real time was slicing a lower knee cap ligament thing) was dealt with and sent off within 2 1/2 hours.(estimated waiting time on notice screen was 3 hours)
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[wikiwiki]

After watching Michael Moore's "Sicko" i feel that the NHS isn't that bad,
I get the impression that if that happened in the states, they would ask for money first or they'll show you the door.

I have had my share of long waits but that's the way it is, rough with the smooth and all that.

[-Savage-]

After my crash I sat around on a bed in a hallway for 3-4 hours without being seen, or checked. It was obvious i had a broken leg, but I also had concussion, how were they to know i didn't have internal damage like bleeding? It was 4 days before I was consulted for surgery. The nurses on the ward managed to banjax up everyone elses cannulas, apart from mine thank god, so that in the middle of the night people would be waking up witht he sheets covered in blood as the cannulas had bucked about. I was never washed, and sat for 4 days, covered from head to tow in mud, before eventually persuading a physiotherapist who was passing to get me a basin and cloth. I have quite bad scars now from the infected wounds, which were still open 4 weeks later due to the amount of puss and shite coming out of them. After my hospital visit I had reviews, the culmination of which was to massage my foot! no physio, no x-rays to see if everything's ok, I have to pay my own money to see a physio, which is very expensive and I'm only a student.

Not overly impressed at all it must be said.
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