Had to take my poor mum to A&E on Friday evening. (Too much warfrin in her blood caused her eyes to hemorrhage - looked like she'd gone 10 rounds with Frank Tyson!) Anyway as I intimated in the title the A&E department of the hospital wasn't much like Casualty, ER or Holby City. Yes there were air ambulance's coming in at a rate of knots, and the doctor's and nurses were rushing around like headless chickens - but as far as I could see - and we were in there for 8 hours |(!!!) - there was none of the intrigue that seems to be part of the weekly soap opera's we see on the telly. No nurses lusting after handsome doctors etc. No obvious signs of doctors being ruthless so they can limb the ladder to success. No nothing like that.
Was I disappointed? After all like all good authors - I did have the notebook ready to job down some kernel of wisdom for a potential book or two. No I wasn't. In truth I was impressed by how busy and dedicated they all were. Even though it was a long night - there were two RTA's so everything goes into "emergency plan" mode and we had to wait (quite rightly) until they had been sorted out there was nothing really I could have used in a book - and I'm sure the likes of Kate Hardy have done emergency A&E's in many a book.
The only thing that did annoy me was the attitude of some of those waiting to be seen. As I said the RTA's got seen first - but some of those waiting around didn't quite see it like that. They were under the impression that their cut hand (sustained by falling down drunk) was more important than some poor man who'd had a crushed chest! I ask you the nurses had more tact than I would in dealing with this person (+ others as well!)
So a big cheer to all NHS staff who's job I don't envy at all. Thanks for all the hard work you do. Take care. Caroline x
Get well soon, Caroline's Mum.
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Ahhh thanks Suzanne. Much appreciated. Take care. Caroline x
ReplyDeleteI hope your Mum is doing well now. That red eye look is particularly scary.
ReplyDeleteIt's so sad it's nothing like the telly. When I started nursing I seriously expected to fall in love with a doctor. Nah. Most of them were married or in serious relationships by the time they hit the wards. (I did marry a nurse in the end, but that's another story!)
I worked for the Royal Flying Doctors in outback NSW for two years, and even that wasn't like the TV show (thank God- that program was rubbish!)
Hi Mulberry. Thanks for stopping by! LOL on the Flying Doctors - I remember that series, it aired over here in the UK as well. Take care. Caroline x
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