Sitting in a hospital cubicle, clutching his stomach… Man dies waiting for care in British emergency room

[mountaineer]

The picture Sarah Fleming took of her husband Stewart is one that will haunt her for ever. Taken on her mobile phone, it shows him sitting in a hospital cubicle, a hand clutching his stomach, his face a vivid reflection of the agony he was in, as he waited to be seen by doctors.  Tragically, that picture is a heartrending reminder of the circumstances leading up to the railway signalman’s death. It is also a vivid illustration of the turmoil unfolding in overstretched hospital emergency departments.


Sitting in a hospital cubicle, clutching his stomach… The picture that shows a father during the six-hour wait to be seen in A&E before he died

For the father-of-two, 37, from Rainham, in Kent, had to endure a six–hour wait to see a doctor in A&E at Gillingham’s Medway Maritime Hospital. He had a letter from his GP asking him to be admitted immediately. He had been to see his GP that day because the antibiotics he had been taking for flu-like systems had failed to work. He was referred straight to hospital. But when he arrived, on December 15, 2008, the hospital was facing an unusually busy period. Staff sickness, a cold weather snap and an increase in GP referrals meant the hospital was under pressure.

He was admitted at 5.30pm, but was not seen until 11.15pm. By then, the mystery virus Stewart had contracted was attacking his heart, kidneys and liver. Despite being transferred to London’s Harefield Hospital, where he was placed into a drug-induced coma, he died on December 27. ...


Full story at Daily Mail (U.K.)

[mountaineer]

The story describes other similar incidents, as well.

[happyg]

Too many people go to the emergency rooms who don't need to, which causes a bottle neck. When I was a kid, we didn't have insurance and all these laws, and my parents paid as needed. I paid for two of my kids out of pocket, as well as most of their doctor bills. Now, the co-pays are triple what the entire office call was back then. When insurance got involved, it became bad for everyone.

[mountaineer]

I was going to say this story showed what we have to look forward to under Obamacare, but in 2011 my doctor sent me to the ER at a good local hospital for a CT scan (nothing critical; instead, he should have had his office make an appointment for me with that department) and I ended up waiting at least six hours. Meanwhile, people brought in their children with colds and coughs. What the heck.

[happyg]

I was going to say this story showed what we have to look forward to under Obamacare, but in 2011 my doctor sent me to the ER at a good local hospital for a CT scan (nothing critical; instead, he should have had his office make an appointment for me with that department) and I ended up waiting at least six hours. Meanwhile, people brought in their children with colds and coughs. What the heck.

I have never had to wait like that, even for emergencies. That would tick me off. I have seen women bring their kids with them, then ask for diapers and formula for their kids. It's almost like a meeting place for some of them.

[Oceander]

Notwithstanding that this is also a demonstration of how packed emergency rooms are, it is also a preview of what we can expect under Obamacare.  For example, where was the ER triage?  Given that he had a referral from his GP regarding his problem, he should have been triaged and given a preliminary examination immediately.

[GourmetDan]

Notwithstanding that this is also a demonstration of how packed emergency rooms are, it is also a preview of what we can expect under Obamacare.  For example, where was the ER triage?  Given that he had a referral from his GP regarding his problem, he should have been triaged and given a preliminary examination immediately.

Government-run health care always 'saves' money by restricting supply.

The other symptoms are the result of market-forces not operating in a monopoly environment.

[Oceander]

Government-run health care always 'saves' money by restricting supply.

The other symptoms are the result of market-forces not operating in a monopoly environment.

Yup.  In a nutshell.  Just like rent control.  It really is that simple.

[EC]

Notwithstanding that this is also a demonstration of how packed emergency rooms are, it is also a preview of what we can expect under Obamacare.  For example, where was the ER triage?  Given that he had a referral from his GP regarding his problem, he should have been triaged and given a preliminary examination immediately.

NHS ER triage goes: Ambulance patients first, GP referrals second, drop ins last. The story does say they were having an exceptionally busy day. His GP should have called an ambulance for him.

[Oceander]

NHS ER triage goes: Ambulance patients first, GP referrals second, drop ins last. The story does say they were having an exceptionally busy day. His GP should have called an ambulance for him.

Which sounds to me - granting I have little experience with British medicine - a little like the GPs who had to prescribe glasses of water for some of their hospitalized patients to keep them from dying of thirst.

[EC]

Which sounds to me - granting I have little experience with British medicine - a little like the GPs who had to prescribe glasses of water for some of their hospitalized patients to keep them from dying of thirst.

The system is horrific. ER is overworked. There are something like 5 managers for every member of staff on the front lines. Record keeping is a complete balls up thanks to a poorly designed nation wide computer system. Waste is endemic. The actual staff try - mostly - but there are not enough of them for the number of patients.

[Oceander]

The system is horrific. ER is overworked. There are something like 5 managers for every member of staff on the front lines. Record keeping is a complete balls up thanks to a poorly designed nation wide computer system. Waste is endemic. The actual staff try - mostly - but there are not enough of them for the number of patients.

Fair enough; that seems to be a problem in many ERs around the world.  The UK ought not be unfairly singled out.  However, perhaps what it does demonstrate is that government-controlled health care does not get rid of the pressing problems in the health care industry such as ER overcrowding that the fascists in the democrat party have claimed it will solve.

[EC]

Fair enough; that seems to be a problem in many ERs around the world.  The UK ought not be unfairly singled out.  However, perhaps what it does demonstrate is that government-controlled health care does not get rid of the pressing problems in the health care industry such as ER overcrowding that the fascists in the democrat party have claimed it will solve.

The sad thing is - it could, quite easily. The problem is it is a bureaucracy. There is only so much money available and each manager is more interested in building his or her empire than actually hiring doctors, nurses and competent cleaning staff.

[Oceander]

The sad thing is - it could, quite easily. The problem is it is a bureaucracy. There is only so much money available and each manager is more interested in building his or her empire than actually hiring doctors, nurses and competent cleaning staff.

That is always the case with governments and bureaucracy.  I recall a friend of my mother's from long ago who told me he used to work as a photographer in some nameless little government office; in order to maintain the office's budgeting level, the office would routinely discard thousands and thousands of dollars worth of camera equipment and then request monies in its budget to purchase new equipment, simply to keep the level of its overall funding up.