Our emergency departments need volunteers

or extra staff in order to reduce the problems even just a little.

I am fortunate in that I have not, so far, spent a great deal of time in emergency departments in hospitals. I do not want to spend time there although I know it is always possible I will need to do just that.

The last time I was there was some years ago. It was the  morning the Senior Cat fell backwards in the bathroom and the fall caused a four centimetre crack in his skull. I won't remind you of the details but I won't forget the terrifying ambulance trip to the emergency department. The ambulance staff were outstanding but they had to leave us at the hospital. The Senior Cat at least had me there to quite literally hold his hand and keep him from falling asleep - something they did not want him to do at all. 

When they took him off for a scan they did not want me to go with him. He would be fine they said. I could go and find myself a drink of water if nothing else. 

I never did get the drink of water because almost immediately I was asked by another nurse to hold the hand of another patient, an Italian woman who had come in with a suspected heart attack. She was elderly and she was frightened. Her English had deserted her. Someone had called her son and he was on his way but she needed someone "just to be there". I know I summoned up every Italian word I thought I had forgotten and I let her hold my hand and talk. I understood some of what she was struggling to say, enough to say "Si" in the right places perhaps.

I hope it did help. I wonder what happened to the old Italian woman but if I gave her something else to think about when she was obviously so uncomfortable then perhaps it stopped her from crying out or being more demanding. 

The problems in our Emergency Departments have increased since then. There are more mental health patients than ever before. Sometimes they cannot be left. There are more drug addicts who get priority because they need to be dealt with then if their lives are to be saved. There are people who should not be there at all but they cannot get an appointment with their doctor or cannot afford to pay for an appointment. Some people have simply panicked and gone to the emergency department in a hospital instead of perhaps asking a chemist for help.

Some time ago I fainted and gave myself a mild concussion. I was fortunate a very good friend arrived shortly afterwards and called Middle Cat. Middle Cat took the situation seriously but had the medical knowledge that led to me not needing to go to an emergency department. Yes, she consulted a doctor by phone and she could take my blood pressure readings and make sure I was making sense - well as much sense as I ever make. 

We did not add to the stresses in an emergency department but it would have been sensible for many people in that situation to do just that. What might have helped then - if someone was on their own - was someone with some training to sit with the person, keep them awake if necessary, and just reassure them.

I do not for a moment want to suggest that something like this would be an answer for many situations. There are all sorts of potential problems but if we are going to have people waiting for many hours before being attended to then this may help reduce the stress for everyone.