A&e

[skylace]

Was wondering if anyone here has had any bad experiences at A&E?? My last trip there (last year) following self harm was bloody awful. The doctor that I saw was lovely and while I was waiting to be cleaned up/possibly stiched, a bitch of a nurse came into the room, accused me of smoking, threw the window open (despite the fact I was laying down with my long cardigan covering me and freezing) and then stormed out.

I wasnt feeling great anyway (hey who does when they S/I?) but this made me feel worse and I burst into tears. When she came back in the room she asked what I was doing and I told her to get out of my way and I was leaving. Felt worse than before I went in thanks to her - and if she hadnt moved out of my way, I would have quite cheerfully twatted her.

She never gave me a chance to answer her accusation - I DO smoke but I have the knowledge and intelligence to NOT do it in a hospital when anyone could walk in.

My concern is that something like this could happen again to someone who could be a lot more vulnerable than I was on that day - a nurse like that really shouldnt be working in A&E.

Any thoughts?

[yorkiegal73]

I haven't had any really horrendous experiences but have put up with those looks you get when you self harm. The nurses who you can tell are itching to tell you that you're a time waster. The doctors have generally been nice. There's one at my a&e who is fantastic. He doesn't judge or harp on about why I've done it. He just stitches me up and has me laughing by the time I leave. He seemed genuinly upset when I turned up there after an OD.

Last time though they didn't bother to stitch a cut and just put steri strips on. It really did need stitching but I didn't feel able to insist. So now I have a really horrible raised scar which looks like a big purple worm running down my arm yuck.

I hate how they always put you in the cubicle nearest to the nurses station too. I can understand why they need to do it but then they don't keep their voices down and i get to hear all the comments like ''another self harmer'', ''bloody bpd'ers'' etc. Once I od'd but took more ibuprofen than paracetomol so didn't do myself any real damage. I heard them all laughing at my paracetomol levels and saying i obviously hadn't meant it. I just hadn't realised what would work and what wouldn't at that point.

[Paris]

I have had some terribl experiences in a and e after shing, so much so that its stopped me shing!!- which is def a good thing! General nurses are not given any mh training which has always baffled me. My hospital used to have a purpose built sh'ers ward, the nurses were er nurses but had been on mh training anf they were so amazing, and understsnading and realy gave you time to talk.Funding let them down tho it seems and now its the main er bit.....

I have been called some horriblke name, one nurse said you silly cow you dont have a mnetal illness and you dont take anyehere near me to kill yourself- bear in mind this was just before they gave me the anti dote to paracetamol - which im allergic to and went into anapyhlactic shock!!

have been asked many a time- what you again, they just dont mknow how to talk to someoine with mh probs, not their fault just pure ignorance.....

[gun_747]

Doctor accused me of enjoying pain so he stapled my wound with 10 staples and wouldn't give me any local anasethetic as I obviously loved pain

Never been back to A&E since

[yorkiegal73]

Doctor accused me of enjoying pain so he stapled my wound with 10 staples and wouldn't give me any local anasethetic as I obviously loved pain

Never been back to A&E since

What a bastard

[ann51]

Yep, happens here in the States as well!! I've had horrible experiences with doctors and nurses. They obviously felt such contempt for me. I understand about overhearing the negative comments made; I've heard them, too, as well as experienced them actually said to my face. That said, there have been one or two more understanding ones. I also have very noticeable scars on my arm....it gets to worrying me at times, mainly when I haven't proven myself at a job. (Or on a job interview, something like that).

[Tray]

i have only ever been to A&E with OD and that was bad enuf! i wouldnt ever go with SH injuries, I'd be too scared... but

i have started this SH workshop thing this week, and the first day we had a talk from the local hosp, a nurse from A&E came in, who specialisies in MH and SH and they were great. the local hosp is setting up a dedicated area for people like us, so when we go in, we get told to say, we want to speak to Jean or her team, and that way the people on the desk know we have MH prob's and we can go into a quite room away from the other patients and then someone who is a bit more up to date on SH will see to us. but they did say they still aint happy with the NHS cause of the governments 4 hour rule, that patients have to be in and out in 4 hours, cause they said we need more time, to just chill, calm down, and be treated, but unfortunatly they cannot give it us, which is why they then offer a call back service every whatever time you need throughout the time till you can get in touch with your MH team.

they do seem to be really trying, but they have limited time and resources.

this SH group is really good, they aint telling us to stop, but rather how to manage more, and to limit cutting/od'ing etc by other means, but if we do need to SH then to do it as safe as possible and how to keep yourself clean and safe

[sunshine_bear]

I have had some terrible experiances in A&E after self harming. But saying that I have had some good experiances to. Although the mental health liason team for A&E and hospitals are just so so awful I have been referred to them about 12 times and they never rang me which was shit!

[sundries]

I was given a 10min assessment by the crisis team after being told to wait in A&E for 5 hours. I heard from my social worker that they reported that they did not think I needed their involvement and part of their reasoning for this was that I ‘always had a background of suicidal thoughts’ and was therefore a low risk. This is total and utter rubbish as I go through long periods of relative health where I have no suicidal thoughts whatsoever. I was sitting next to the staff room where I could overhear staff commentary on patients including their derisive comments about ‘typical borderline’.I strongly suspect that the crisis teams impulsive assumption was based on their perceptions of BPD rather than an objective assessment of the real situation.

[kirsty545]

my a&e have always been ok but only mh trained nurses senior nurses and docs deal with you they get you a private room remove all sharp and dangerous items spend time talking to you sort out your cut(s) od whatever, tell you what they advise you do next or if you are very ill in need of inpatient medical or psych treatment they are honest tell you straight away and tell you what their plan is, they ask what your opinion is of their plan i've mostly always accepted it cause by the time they say you need admitted im so ill or i've calmed when i haven't accepted it they just say well if you don't accept this plan we will have to section you and the police will be called.

my point is they listen, give advice deal with your issues the best they can and get you appropriate help when needed.

however they're are the nosey ones who stick their head round the door and pull faces but the majority are fine.

i don't tend to go unless its a serious od though