Accident and Emergency

I had the distinct displeasure to have to go to the Regional A+E this weekend. After an accident (details way too embarrassing to be published here but no alcohol was involved) I arrived in A+E on Sat evening (5.30 p.m), dripping blood from a large head wound. After being handed an invoice for 100 Euro (the hospitals first action) I was seen by a nurse after 10 to 15 minutes.

The fact that both my hands were red with blood did not deter the willing receptionist from handing the invoice to me. The nurse looked at my wound and told me it had stopped bleeding and was going to send me back out to reception to wait. I pointed out the red liquid on my face probably was coming for the rather large cut on my head. She looked again and bandaged me up. On asking to use the sink to wash my hands I was told to use the public toilets.
Washing a considerable amount of blood from my hands in the public toilets (apologies if you had to use the toilet after me, I tried to clean it best I could but with no paper towels and v little toilet roll, there is only so much you can do) I then proceeded to join the "game show" that is A+E. Every 20 minutes or so a nurse would appear at the door and shout a name ala game show contestant.....Moving enviously through the throngs waiting the nervous contestant would step forward and through those magic doors.
Some 3 hours later (and several asks at reception including one snippy comment to me that I had only being waiting 1 hour 45 minutes and usual wait time was 4 hours) I pleaded with a nurse that I had children to collect. For almost 2 hours it looked like no one had left the A+E waiting room. They went through the magic doors and 10 minutes later came back out to the waiting room.
The nurse took pity on me and "fast tracked" my case. Yes, those were the words used by the nurse and Doctor, "3 hours 25 minutes = fast track"
Cleaned and stapled I left the war zone that was now becoming A+E. A bill for 100 Euro had purchased me several staples and a first hand look at what state of the art medical care has become.
Perhaps I was unlucky or perhaps it was bad timing but "Care" is not a word I would use to describe my visit on Sat evening.

In no other case I can think of do you get your bill first. Asking how long I might be, was greeted with a look of shock and horror. At one point the front face of A+E (recpetionist) told me "I don't know go ask a nurse".
I am sure conditions in A+E are not helped by cut backs and typical Limerick Sat visitors but I am certain that the patient is only an inconvenience in hospitals today. Our 100 Euro charge does not pay for care and the dignity of being treated like a person. I am glad that my visits to A+E are few and far between.