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Can you admit yourself into hospital?

The Nightingale

Is there any way you can admit yourself into hospital if you think you need to be there? Or does it always require your doctor to do it?

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Reply 1

melting_snow

It depends what you want to admit yourself for?

Reply 2

Nuffles

I walked into Bristol Royal Infirmary with an inch of my shin bone showing through a gash in my leg. They seemed cool with it.

Reply 3

foxo

Nuffles

I walked into Bristol Royal Infirmary with an inch of my shin bone showing through a gash in my leg. They seemed cool with it.

Nice.

OP, I might not have great medical knowledge but you seem to be asking whether you can go to A&E without your GP's consent. Obviously so, and if the doctors there think you should be admitted to hospital I'm sure they'll do so.

Reply 4

kiss_me_now9

No, you have to wait outside and be ushered in.

Reply 5

The Nightingale

melting_snow

It depends what you want to admit yourself for?

Well, lots of different problems. :frown:

I have tachycardia, which one doctor was worried about (resting heartbeat of 125 BPM.) They think it needs investigating further (even though I have had ECGs which have turned up fine and several other tests.) I also appear to have a blood vessel problem, which needs investigating. I do have flu or suspected swine flu at the moment, which the doctor said could be heightening my BPM. Although it's rarely lower than one hundred.

The problem is I could arrange to go and see a specialist but every individual problem takes months and months to get seen to, and I need them to check everything at once.

Reply 6

melting_snow

The Nightingale

Well, lots of different problems. :frown:

I would suggest going to A&E and telling them that you are worried about your physical health. What treatment do you expect from being admitted (that's a genuine question btw, I'm not being sarcastic)? If you cba with the hassle of going to A&E, o back to your GP and ask what they can do. I know it's frustrating when all you want is someone to help you, and yet the waiting lists for places are really long :frown:

Reply 7

The Nightingale

Well, it's not so much treatment, but an actual diagnosis of my problems. It seems that if I was in hospital they might be able to do all these tests and actually come up with something. They seem reluctant to admit me, even though I've been in an extreme state. At one point I couldn't walk or move, yet they still wouldn't admit me.

Yet, I'm extremely ill.

Reply 8

KumakoXsd

Walk into A&E if you feel a danger to yourself or others..

My pdoc always tells me that.

Reply 9

Renal

melting_snow

I would suggest going to A&E and telling them that you are worried about your physical health.

And at 3:59 (on paper) they can be told to go to their GP.

Sure you might get a medical SHO to r/v, but if you've already been investigated and already in the system there's not going to much they can do except waste your time.

Reply 10

The Nightingale

The blood vessel problem has not been investigated at all. Nor has the reason I have tachycardia (it hasn't been treated either or discussed with me in depth.)

Reply 11

explosions hurt

Yes, especially if it is a psychiatric hospital.

Reply 12

The Nightingale

No, it wouldn't be a psychiatric hospital.

Just a normal one.

Reply 13

Renal

The Nightingale

The NHS are going to implement a new online diagnostic tool - if you're using TSR you're not not extremely unwell. :wink:

In all seriousness, A&E are unlikely to have the time or the facility to offer any specialised testing. They may refer you to the medical team (of various medical specialities) and a relatively senior member of that team will see you. However, if you are under the care of a specialist or specialists you would be well advised to remain under their care. A&E is not designed, nor particularly capable, of managing chronic conditions.

Having said that, if your symptoms or signs change and you become acutely unwell then A&E is definitely the most appropriate place to go to.

Reply 14

Hattie.

Nuffles

I walked into Bristol Royal Infirmary with an inch of my shin bone showing through a gash in my leg. They seemed cool with it.

You walked in?! :eek:

PS Love the images in your sig!

Reply 15

didgeridoo12uk

The Nightingale

The problem is I could arrange to go and see a specialist but every individual problem takes months and months to get seen to, and I need them to check everything at once.

buy some health insurance, and go private. you'll see all the specialists you need within a week, stuff gets sorted out soo much quicker, its really worth the money

Reply 16

The Nightingale

This is the problem...

Who does the specialised testing? If you can't get tested and treated in hospital, then where on earth CAN you get tested? It just doesn't seem like there is anywhere to go. I was thinking of going to a private hospital, but I'm not sure whether they'd be any better or not.

Sure, go to a specialist... and wait four months to see them. I realise I'm not extremely ill at the moment, but I have been in the past, and could get to that stage again in the future if they continue to let me get worse day by day.

Sorry for the frustration, but it's hard not knowing where to turn. :frown:

Reply 17

Renal

The Nightingale

Who does the specialised testing? If you can't get tested and treated in hospital, then where on earth CAN you get tested? It just doesn't seem like there is anywhere to go. I was thinking of going to a private hospital, but I'm not sure whether they'd be any better or not.

It depends on what sort of specialised tests you want. Some of them can be done urgently as a routine in most hospitals (but these are usually quite boring and not particularly specialised). Some can be done urgently but only for some conditions. Some cannot be done urgently because there's such demand on their time. And some can only be done in certain places at certain times.

Sorry for the frustration, but it's hard not knowing where to turn. :frown:

I know it's stressful and worrying, go see your GP, it's their job to guide you through the system and explain how your referrals work.

Reply 18

Theo1977

You certainly can't just walk into a hospital and demand that they start running tests on you. Get your GP to refer you for specialist appointments, and if you get worse in the meantime, you'll either get bumped up the queue, or if you get really ill (a real emergency), you can be admitted via A&E.

The reason you can't be seen straight away if you walk in demanding tests is either because a) other people have been waiting longer, or b) they're sicker than you. Not to mention how much it would cost the NHS to run tests on people who simply roll up and ask for them, without any of them being filtered out by GPs ...

Reply 19

*Sparkle*

Ring NHS and get someone to tell them you've fainted and you're tachycardic? They'll probably tell you to go to A&E and there ytou are, in hospital.

But I dunno if that'd actually work.