Colchester's A&E under "severe pressure"

1:50pm Tuesday 19th February 2013 in News

PATIENTS have been told to stay away from an accident and emergency department unless absolutely necessary.

Dr Shane Gordon, a Highwoods GP, said Colchester General Hospital's A&E is under severe pressure.

It is experiencing a 20 per cent increase in patients.

Dr Gordon has told patients to firstly consider treating themselves or visiting a walk-in centre.

He said unless they are suffering a life-threatening problem to go elsewhere.

 

See the full story in Wednesday's Gazette.

Comments(8)

Scoot says...
3:49pm Tue 19 Feb 13

Very good Dr Gordon, but how do you know you are suffering from a life threatening condition unless you are a medic ? drop down dead ? Is that when you know ? Seriously though there are a lot of timewasters who walk in to A&E. I was there some time ago with one of my children and witnessed people coming in with very minor ailments that a good nights sleep or visiting a walk in centre would have resolved.

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Taximan01 says...
4:30pm Tue 19 Feb 13

So a broken leg, dislocated shoulder etc ain't life threatening, so just rumage through the junk draw in the kitchen & patch yourself up with some old rubber bands, an old phone charger & a few 2p pieces with bits of bluetac stuck to them & you'll be fine my friend :0)

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wellnow says...
5:06pm Tue 19 Feb 13

Stay away you shysters.you know who are.thats if you can read english.

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ribble says...
7:41pm Tue 19 Feb 13

wellnow wrote:
Stay away you shysters.you know who are.thats if you can read english.
Excellent! Hit the nail on the head nothing to do all day, "oh I have hurt my leg" limp down sit there for hours while real people need attention get bored then bugger off without seeing anybody
They always seem to crawl in then walk out fine Low life!

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Boris says...
12:56am Wed 20 Feb 13

Shane Gordon is not just a GP, he is going to be the head of the NHS in north-east Essex starting in a few weeks from now.
It will be his job to provide adequate A and E services to the fast-growing local population. If he finds he hasn't enough staff to do this, he must recruit more.
As for the walk-in centre, the first thing you do at A and E is identify yourself and describe your problem. The desk staff are then meant to direct you to the adjacent "walk-in" centre if appropriate.

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tellitasitreallyis says...
2:23am Wed 20 Feb 13

If you go to the walk in centre, you have to fill in paperwork first. Then sit there and wait for a long time.
When you do get to see someone, they just say go home.

Go to A&E either by help of a friend or family, or with the paramedics. Wow from the things I have seen there. It has been a wonder that one gets to leave.
Seen people there bleeding, vomiting, or even out cold. Seen them just wait and wait and wait. Then they are put on a bed out in the hallway, what can seem like for ever to them.
Ding. Up comes their number and they are wheeled into a booth. Then would you believe it. You wait some more.
My wife was there in lots of pain, filled countless sick bowls, and from arrival time to actually getting seen by a doctor, took 4 hours.
Told her in the end that she just needed a poo, and go home. Two days later she was back there again, and 4 days later was rushed down from the ward to the OR.
Staff there need training in real medicine and health care before they should work there.
If I get sick, I am going down to my local vets. I just know that I will get better treatment than I would up there in the HOSPITAL OF DEATH

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Ritchie_Hicks says...
9:18am Wed 20 Feb 13

It is receiving a 20% increase in patients because Colchester's population is growing rapidly without the provision of extra healthcare services, and because GP surgeries are doing as much to pass patients off as possible.

The NHS has a duty of care to treat patients within reasonable time-scales and with an adequate level of care. Telling people to stay away should never be the answer; the answer is more investment. The Conservatives are gradually privatising the NHS and this problem will only get worse over the next 10 years.

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Dolphin says...
3:06pm Wed 20 Feb 13

Well, don't bother going to the walk-in centre. Went there just before Christmas as was ill but not ill enough for A&E but was told off for being there and to go home and wait to get better. They are only able to deal with you if all you need is a plaster. Incidently I was ill all over Christmas and New Year and finally was given tablets to help get better - if had them to start with wouldn't have been ill for a month!!!

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