View Full Version : No A & E in Thurso
Interested to know what thurso people feel about the fact that there is no A&E dept at Dunbar Hospital?
I think it is terrible that this service is not provided considering the population in thurso and all the area around and out to Bettyhill. the hospital is there, the old A&E dept is still there, the nurses are there yet people needing tratment have to travel 21 miles to the hospital in Wick. If an ambulance takes a patient to A&E in wick they then have the problem of taking themselves home.
I wonder how many people have experienced problems with no A&E service in thurso, it would be interesting to know.
Kingetter
09-May-06, 02:27
It's just typical of how disadvantaged folk are living up here when "everything" seems to need to be fought/campaigned for. Population increasing (else why the big new stores?) yet essential services aren't keeping in line with that growth. Scandal isn't too strong a word to use.
James.
willowbankbear
09-May-06, 08:20
Absolute disgrace
Its okay this time of year but I always feel a wee bit lucky as those in Thurso have to travel half an hour to be treated. In the winter time if the main road isnt gritted, the roads are treacherous, the difference between life & death sometimes.
Then as ye say Fran, they have to make their own way home, after 10 at night they`ll probably get stung by a large taxi fare(not cheap),So yes I feel there should be an A & E in Thurso
Yes, it's bad enough for those of us who live in Caithness, but harder still on folks from Bettyhill, Tongue etc.
Must just give a big plug, though for the emergency services....we have had the ambulance out a few times when my husband has had severe hypos and I can't praise the paramedics enough!
Maybe we should start a campaign to get A & E in Thurso?!
Kingetter
09-May-06, 08:42
Yes, it's bad enough for those of us who live in Caithness, but harder still on folks from Bettyhill, Tongue etc.
Must just give a big plug, though for the emergency services....we have had the ambulance out a few times when my husband has had severe hypos and I can't praise the paramedics enough!
Maybe we should start a campaign to get A & E in Thurso?!
start a campaign?
Sure. When?
scrapydoo
09-May-06, 09:32
You should know about taxi fares S.R !
I agree it is an absolute disgrace that there is no A&E Thurso in this day and age.
Kingetter
09-May-06, 09:43
Time for action maybe? Maybe a Poll first? Then a word with "our sponsor" to ask for space on the "front page"? Then ???
Totally agree - it's a scandal. I know the Maternity campaign is still going but I'm sure there's room to start another one. Don't suppose the powers-that-be in Inverness would put up with this for one moment - but because they don't have to, they don't care. I feel really sorry for people working in health services as they seem to be struggling all the time against bureaucracy and while the management offices are full the real health workers are overworked. I'm sure Dunbar would love to have an A&E if it was allowed.
Kingetter
09-May-06, 10:32
So, do we talk about it? type about it? or what?
Poll?
Murdina Bug
09-May-06, 12:38
I agree that it doesn't seem fair that there isn't an A&E in Thurso - but it's no surprise when we are lacking so many other medical facilities.
For example, people having to go to Inverness or beyond for Consultant appointments which often last only 5 minutes! No paediatricians in Wick - ok maybe the population cannot justify it but it is mind boggling that a small child would need to be sent to Raigmore just for rehydration when suffering from a vomiting bug. Or that someone with a broken limb can not have a plaster put on in Wick. It is just a relief for some that at least there is a dialysis suite now.
It's the same argument that NAG had for maternity - provide the services where the people are, not the other way round!
Totally agree with everyone. My friend's elderly granny isn't keeping too well just now, I hope my friend doesn't mind me mentioning it, but she had to call the ambulance out for her the other night, about midnight, and she was taken all the way through to Wick, kept for an hour then sent home at one o clock in the morning. Not the best of treatment for a 92 year old woman who is frail enough as it is. It is really poor. I'll keep an eye on this post to see what plans are being made to petition this situation.
i think it is terrible that there is no a&e department in thurso. my grandmother is 92 years old and suffers from dementia and mini strokes. she was taken through from thurso to wick A & E at 11.30 pm. ambulance driver and docs were lovely but after examination she was discharged and then put in a taxi and sent home. i was with my gran and i was freezing but gran who i emphasise is 92 was in her nightdress with a little blanket from hospital. surely at that early hour they could have let her stay until morning. it was not busy that night, she was only one in there.
dont get me wrong the nurses, ambulance men, and docs treated her with kindness and were lovely to her, its just the journey to and from hospital at that hoour of night that upsets me.
sorry gee, didny know you were posting this at the same time.
its ok jings00. i really appreciate the support as this is a subject that has really upset me. any petition that is started please let me know.
Kingetter
09-May-06, 14:06
OK - Are there grounds for us to run a Poll? If so, and we run it as "Should we start a campaign?" is that a good enough start?
well, ya gotta start somewhere............. and i haveny a scooby where to begin, so lash on, i say.......
perhaps a discreet word with the professionals, especially at Dunbar Hospital to see what they think, is it feasible etc?
Kingetter
09-May-06, 16:34
Which Professionals? Administrators?
i think it is terrible that there is no a&e department in thurso. my grandmother is 92 years old and suffers from dementia and mini strokes. she was taken through from thurso to wick A & E at 11.30 pm. ambulance driver and docs were lovely but after examination she was discharged and then put in a taxi and sent home. i was with my gran and i was freezing but gran who i emphasise is 92 was in her nightdress with a little blanket from hospital. surely at that early hour they could have let her stay until morning. it was not busy that night, she was only one in there.
dont get me wrong the nurses, ambulance men, and docs treated her with kindness and were lovely to her, its just the journey to and from hospital at
that hoour of night that upsets me.
Transport could have been arranged to take her home, the doctor could have arranged this for you.
I agree that it doesn't seem fair that there isn't an A&E in Thurso - but it's no surprise when we are lacking so many other medical facilities.
For example, people having to go to Inverness or beyond for Consultant appointments which often last only 5 minutes! No paediatricians in Wick - ok maybe the population cannot justify it but it is mind boggling that a small child would need to be sent to Raigmore just for rehydration when suffering from a vomiting bug. Or that someone with a broken limb can not have a plaster put on in Wick. It is just a relief for some that at least there is a dialysis suite now.
It's the same argument that NAG had for maternity - provide the services where the people are, not the other way round!
Yes, there is a dialysis unit now, but we only got that by fighting for it. there was a real need for a renal unit as patients were going up and down to raigmore at 6am three days a week. the number of patients has greatly increased and the renal unit will open full time from august.
I was returning to thurso with a lady who was returning home from hospital at 7pm when she took ill so rather than go back i carried on as i was just outside thurso. I drove to dunbar Hospital and went in looking for staff. i was then told to take the old lady back to wick or sit in our vehichle and wait for a gp. I refused to do either and took the lady into the old casualty room and waited for a friend, a nurse from wick who lived in thurso. The A&E room was just as it used to be. This is a couple of years ago, but I always wondered since how locals manage in an emergency. i know you can go there to be stitched etc, but the resuscitation equipment for cpr is all there, not getting used.
Im surprised thurso folk havent fought to get it re-openedI know there are a lot of cut backs going on in the health service but caithness people are very good at fundraising.
The first thing would be to see your local mp, John Thurso is very helpfull.Get a committee or action group started , write to the highland Health Board. Get something going and it will go from there.
I hope I dont get into trouble for this thread. I was curious and it seems local people feel the need for this service. It must seem strange to tourists that there is a hospital there they cant use and have to travel 21 miles to the nearest hospital. Of course in an emergency you would phone for an ambulance. A good idea would be to write to the Patients Council at Caithness General.
Kingetter
10-May-06, 01:22
Fran, you make a lot of sense there. I hope everyone else is all (so far) behind someone, waiting for somebody to take the lead.
James.
Kingetter
10-May-06, 09:03
Keep the votes going in the poll folks - important issue.
When did it close down again? It was only a couple of months ago that I had my little un there.. wasn't turned away.
Besides they set up a link with Aberdeen hospital to avoid the probs with Doctors on call....
:confused:
The Pepsi Challenge
10-May-06, 15:17
Who would want to end up in Wick hospital - for any reason. They call the place 50-50, and to my surprise, the actual phone number is 5050 as well. Caithness, if it really needed to be said, is the centre of the Twin Peaks universe.
Time for action maybe? Maybe a Poll first? Then a word with "our sponsor" to ask for space on the "front page"? Then ???
I have now started a poll so please all make your votes and we will see what the outcome is.
please put your vote into poll that fran has started. the more support the better
Kingetter
12-May-06, 03:08
I've voted - but we need to keep these 2 threads up near the top so people can't miss them.
Kingetter
12-May-06, 21:45
Come on folks - lets vote for something really important - like maybe someone's Life or Death?
Can't you get admin to make it a "sticky" which keeps it at the top of the page?
Kingetter
12-May-06, 22:11
Sounds good but how is that done? Fran got the Poll started I wouldn't have known how - you can see I've not been on here long.
footie chick
12-May-06, 22:49
When did it close down again? It was only a couple of months ago that I had my little un there.. wasn't turned away.
Besides they set up a link with Aberdeen hospital to avoid the probs with Doctors on call....
:confused:
I wasn't aware it was shut right enought it was a year ago I had to go to dunbar wasnt turned away:confused but I did vote to keep it in Thurso!
Kingetter
14-May-06, 12:25
It might be your family member who's life is threatened by no A&E in Thurso so VOTE peoples - let's get something done eh?
The Poll on another thread closes at 12.55 am today, monday. so far 66 people have voted that there is the need for a full-time A & E at dunbar Hospital, thurso.
what do you think? Please vote NOW.
the results of this poll will be given to Caithness General Hospital Patients Council and John Thurso MP.
SO PLEASE VOTE NOW. http://smileys.smileycentral.com/cat/3/3_9_3.gif (http://www.smileycentral.com/?partner=ZSzeb001_ZNfox000) http://smileys.smileycentral.com/cat/3/3_2_2.gif (http://www.smileycentral.com/?partner=ZSzeb001_ZNfox000)
dunderheed
15-May-06, 08:01
I wasn't aware it was shut right enought it was a year ago I had to go to dunbar wasnt turned away:confused but I did vote to keep it in Thurso!
i too wasn't aware it was shut, i was admitted to wick via dunbar earlier this year. i also have voted to keep it in thurso, however i dont think this is just a caithness thing. all over the country there is talk of this happening . not long ago if i remember correctly they tried to do this in ayrshire , with the south ayrshire district general hospital (ayr) being picked to cover the full county . (the county stretches from largs in the north to girvan in the south)
Kingetter
15-May-06, 08:16
Fran says results of Poll to go to Patients Council & John Thurso, but would a petition help at all?
Wickers have an interest in this topic too - the more folk using C G H, the longer wait for appointments and less resources for the 'home team'.
Powers that be will gradually erode all services at Dunbar & close it - no help to anyone, right?
Think of poor souls out at Bettyhill and beyond - awful!
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