"A&E Provision and Experience"

I would like to comment on my own experience of healthcare in Bucks as I cannot attend the public event being held at Buck New University on 15 Oct. I hope you can add my anecdotal evidence into the debate!

My family have used the minor injuries unit in Wycombe a number of times with our young children and have travelled to A&E at Stoke Mandeville once. We have no complaints about the quality of treatment/care we received at either hospital (wonderful nurses at the Minor Injuries Unit in Wycombe stitched up my sons thumb superbly) but the lack of a full A&E unit at Wycombe completely bemuses us, particularly given the population density of Wycombe and the surrounding towns and villages the hospital should serve with a full A&E.

My wife had to take my son (aged 5 at the time) to Stoke Mandeville A&E last year when I was serving overseas with the Forces. He had broken his wrist and she initially took him to Wycombe but, after an hour wait, was told he would need to go to Stoke Mandeville as he might have to have the bone re-set under General Anaesthetic. This occurred in the early evening and we have 2 other children who were 1 and 3 at the time and just getting ready for bed. They could not be left alone and my wife had a truly dreadful experience, panicking over sorting out emergency child care (right at bedtime) before she could take our eldest son to Wycombe, then home again to collect some things, then on to Stoke Mandeville. Eventually it took 4 hrs from the incident occurring for him to receive the treatment he needed and it placed my wife under a huge amount of stress as she was on her own and torn between getting him to hospital (then on to SM) and sorting out care for our other children. Eventually she established contact with her brother and he came to look after the kids but it was a truly traumatic affair – all over a relatively simple wrist fracture (he did not actually have to have a General Aesthetic), and all because it could not be swiftly dealt with in High Wycombe. I suspect many others have had a similar experience.

Healthcare is so important to all of us, especially emergency treatment after a sudden and unexpected incident or injury. I feel very strongly that Wycombe and its catchment area warrants more than a limited capacity minor injuries unit. I can only imagine they are exceptionally busy at Stoke Mandeville and, on occasion, this must affect the quality of care they provide – and the morale of your superb staff (the NHS’s greatest asset). Thank you.