THERE MUST BE A BETTER WAY TO MANAGE A&E WAITING.  I WANT THE HEALTH TRUST TO SERIOUSLY EXPLORE ALTERNATIVES TO WHAT WE HAVE TODAY, WHICH IS, SIT IN THE HOSPITAL WAITING ROOM UNTIL YOU ARE CALLED.

A&E waiting times are very long, we all know this.

My wife and very sick 7 year old son (Jude) recently spent 7 hours waiting in A&E at the Belfast Royal Victoria Hospital to see a Doctor for a persistent fever (5 days).

The experience was understandably awful.  Tired, sick, hungry, bored.  Surrounded by other sick children who were vomiting, coughing, crying etc.  Surrounded by other parents who were doing their best, but were understandably stressed and regularly demanding information from staff etc.

This is terrible for both patient and staff.  It spreads disease.  It damages patients and carers physically and mentally.  It prevents people visiting the hospital when they should.

I am not suggesting that I know how to fix the NHS… But there must be a better way to queue people at A&E so they can wait somewhere else?

EG

Triage the patient 

Offer non-emergency vulnerable people (children, elderly, special needs, disabled) the option to go home and come back in x hours or when they receive a text.

Please sign this petition if you agree with the below statement

THERE MUST BE A BETTER WAY TO QUEUE PEOPLE AT A&E SO THEY CAN WAIT SOMEWHERE ELSE.  I WANT THE HEALTH TRUST TO SERIOUSLY EXPLORE ALTERNATIVES TO WHAT WE HAVE TODAY, WHICH IS, SIT IN THE HOSPITAL WAITING ROOM UNTIL YOU ARE CALLED.