"Virtual Accident & Emergency Process Minor Injury"

My Dad is in his 80s and recently gave himself a bad cut/gash while putting away a hedge trimmer. I knew it wasn't an emergency as such so no need for A&E, however he would need to see a nurse practitioner in minor injuries clinic as I thought it needed glued/butterflies.

I called 111 to find out the process. I called @ 130pm, advised on automated system, there was a waiting time of approx 25 minutes on the phone for a call handler. This was fairly accurate and my call was handled by Neil, who was lovely and very friendly & efficient and helpful and put me at ease that I was onto the correct process and that he would get me to a nurse on the phone soon.

I waited a further 20mins for said Nurse, who then listened to the situation and said Dad would need to be seen as he is on blood thinners and I would get a call regarding an appt.

It is now 3:30pm and I am waiting on a call back.  Gets a call back within 20 mins to be told they would send a link for a virtual appt via a Teams Link.

My dad is in his 80s and has no understanding of technology. I am not sure what the process would have been if I wasn't with him and able to help with this part of the process.

Anyway, dials into the virtual appt at the time given, 5:20pm. Nurse was lovely/friendly/chatted to dad on the video and agreed he had to see someone in person but all face to face appts for Minor Injuries were gone for the day.

I wasn't best pleased, the majority of my afternoon spent on the phone to NHS 24/nurses/etc,  however, as it wasn't an emergency we agreed an appt time in the morning @ 11:00am...

Dropped Dad off at the door of RAH Accident & Emergency at 10:45am so I could park car.  At approx 11:45, yes 1 hr later, I asked at reception regarding said appt as I was now over 1 hour since said appt, only to be told there is no appt system for Minor Injury Clinic, it's just sit and wait your turn. 

I was absolutely raging by this point.... not at the staff on reception/hospital but for the people I had spoke to previously who failed to advise this. I spoke to 4 people the previous day and not one of them advised that the new process was not appt based... I was led to believe I had an appt time therefore my expectations were not met.

Dad was eventually seen @ 12:30 - over 1.5 hours since his appt time. Yes that is rather quick if in Accident & Emergency, but not when your expectations are an appt at 11. 

I can't fault any of the staff at the RAH, they were all so helpful, friendly & caring. However, whoever in the offices that has designed this process has to make sure that patients are not misled into thinking they have an appt... it's not like the old Out of Hours dept that was once over in the other part of the building, you were given a time slot and seen as best you could to that time. 

This new Virtual Minor Injuries process is a great idea, however, it's on the back of a very under staffed and very busy Accident & Emergency dept, therefore if the nurses in Minor Injuries clinic are required in A&E they are used and the queue in MIU is then building up.  Patients are not advised of this and led to believe it's separate to Accident & Emergency...

The caring waiting area that is spoken about in the advert is not the case... Your still sitting in a vulnerable Accident & Emergency Waiting area that needs to be staffed by Cleaners regularly.... sick bowls & paper towels lying all over the place and not picked up in the 2 hour slot I was there.