Satch
MB Enthusiast
- Joined
- Nov 24, 2003
- Messages
- 3,508
- Location
- Surrey
- Car
- S211 E320Cdi Avantgarde Estate & Toyota Land Cruiser
Cut a long and difficult story short, Sunday evening No.1 son (22) knocked off his bike by a female cretin who came through a red light and pulled across his path. Net result unpleasant but not serious, could have been a lot worse though.
Driver gets back into car and speeds off. But not before another driver had taken picture of her & number plate though.
We shall see how that goes but on a personal level I would like to see the witch burned at the stake, although that might be a big ask in these enlightened times.
So, he goes to A&E. All well and good it seems, examined, x rays etc and parked up in a bay awaiting further treatment. When I eventually get there (Surrey) after a rapid overnight drive from Inverness, find him sitting in the waiting area looking very grey, in a great deal of pain and clutching a bit of paper, arm in a really poxy sling and a few painkillers. Having been told there would be 12 day wait until a broken collar bone could be plated and pinned.
What followed is now the stuff of a formal complaint and also an attempt at a massive piece of **** covering, claims that he had "discharged himself" (wholly untrue) and that "no clear break was shown in the X rays" (also wholly untrue and plain stupid).
After some empty apologies, slightly stronger painkillers and the prospect of a 3 day wait before seeing somebody who could then arrange for the plate and pins at some undetermined point. Quite clear that nobody really gave a toss and at various times both unhelpful and obstructive, simply wanting him and me just to go away and be the problem of someone else. Anyone really, but just not them
Enough. One call to BUPA Monday morning and in 5 minutes I have a claim reference. Mrs S. gets on the job and a consulatation with an Orthopedic Surgeon that very afternoon. More X rays & a scan and the news that not only has he broken his collar bone but dislocated his shoulder and has two cracked ribs. The guy he saw explained that sadly this type of A&E experience is increasing.
Plates and pins were done yesterday afternoon.
Now it has always been my belief that in acute cases and with A&E stuff the NHS generally got it right. If you are about to snuff it or suffer lasting damage that is still true but it seems to me like the the "institutional indifference" threshold has been lowered so if you are otherwise young, fit and healthy being left in a vast amount of pain for weeks no longer matters. Be warned.
Driver gets back into car and speeds off. But not before another driver had taken picture of her & number plate though.
We shall see how that goes but on a personal level I would like to see the witch burned at the stake, although that might be a big ask in these enlightened times.
So, he goes to A&E. All well and good it seems, examined, x rays etc and parked up in a bay awaiting further treatment. When I eventually get there (Surrey) after a rapid overnight drive from Inverness, find him sitting in the waiting area looking very grey, in a great deal of pain and clutching a bit of paper, arm in a really poxy sling and a few painkillers. Having been told there would be 12 day wait until a broken collar bone could be plated and pinned.
What followed is now the stuff of a formal complaint and also an attempt at a massive piece of **** covering, claims that he had "discharged himself" (wholly untrue) and that "no clear break was shown in the X rays" (also wholly untrue and plain stupid).
After some empty apologies, slightly stronger painkillers and the prospect of a 3 day wait before seeing somebody who could then arrange for the plate and pins at some undetermined point. Quite clear that nobody really gave a toss and at various times both unhelpful and obstructive, simply wanting him and me just to go away and be the problem of someone else. Anyone really, but just not them
Enough. One call to BUPA Monday morning and in 5 minutes I have a claim reference. Mrs S. gets on the job and a consulatation with an Orthopedic Surgeon that very afternoon. More X rays & a scan and the news that not only has he broken his collar bone but dislocated his shoulder and has two cracked ribs. The guy he saw explained that sadly this type of A&E experience is increasing.
Plates and pins were done yesterday afternoon.
Now it has always been my belief that in acute cases and with A&E stuff the NHS generally got it right. If you are about to snuff it or suffer lasting damage that is still true but it seems to me like the the "institutional indifference" threshold has been lowered so if you are otherwise young, fit and healthy being left in a vast amount of pain for weeks no longer matters. Be warned.