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Long wait times

Posted By Lady losing it

"Long wait times"

About: University Hospital Wishaw / Emergency Department

(as a relative),

Mum nearly 86 fell in the garden. Ambulance arrived 2 hours later to transport to hospital. We then waited in the car part for 5 hours before being seen. Its now over 7 hours and apart from some pain relief nothing had been done.

The A&E is standing room only with in my layman opinion 75% of people who could have went to Gp or chemist before attending A&E. Surely an experienced Dr could assess and send away those that are obviously not emergency.

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Responses

Response from Julie Coyle, Senior Nurse - Emergency Care, University Hospital Wishaw, NHS Lanarkshire 6 days ago
Julie Coyle
Senior Nurse - Emergency Care, University Hospital Wishaw,
NHS Lanarkshire

Submitted on 25/06/2025 at 09:19
Published on Care Opinion at 09:19

Dear Lady losing it,

Thank you for taking the time to share your recent experience at our Emergency Department. I’m truly sorry to hear about the distressing situation you and your mother faced, and I want to acknowledge how difficult it must have been to wait so long for care, especially under such painful and worrying circumstances.

We understand how frustrating it is to see long delays and crowded waiting areas, particularly when it appears that some patients may not require emergency treatment. Our teams are working under significant pressure, and while we strive to prioritise those in most urgent need, we recognise that the current system can feel overwhelming and, at times, unfair.

Your suggestion about having experienced clinicians assess and redirect non-emergency cases is a valuable one. In fact, we are actively exploring and implementing similar approaches, including enhanced triage systems, to improve patient flow and reduce waiting times.

Please be assured that your feedback has been shared with the relevant teams. We are committed to learning from experiences like yours to improve the care we provide.

Wishing your mother a smooth and speedy recovery.

Warm regards,

Julie.

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