Colchester's A&E under "severe pressure" (From Braintree and Witham Times)
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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.
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Comments (8)
3:49pm Tue 19 Feb 13
Scoot says...
4:30pm Tue 19 Feb 13
Taximan01 says...
5:06pm Tue 19 Feb 13
wellnow says...
7:41pm Tue 19 Feb 13
ribble says...
They always seem to crawl in then walk out fine Low life!
12:56am Wed 20 Feb 13
Boris says...
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.
2:23am Wed 20 Feb 13
tellitasitreallyis says...
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
9:18am Wed 20 Feb 13
Ritchie_Hicks says...
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.
3:06pm Wed 20 Feb 13
Dolphin says...