My short time in the paediatrics department (youngsters) was rather uneventful.  So much so there really isn’t much that I can talk about.

The two days I was there were spent mainly dealing with youngsters who’d injured themselves in some form of manner that only kids can do (cut fingers) – or dealing with babies who had temperatures.

There’s a saying in the ambulance service that goes, “no normal person calls an ambulance”.  This is loosely based on the meaning that a lot of people call us out for the most benign and unremarkable things.  A classic is a baby with a temperature.  Even more classic is a baby with a temperature whereby one of the family follows the ambulance to hospital in their car!

I thought we were the only ones susceptible to this craziness, but it appears Hospitals are too.  On the second day I enquired into the reason for it being so quiet during the day….  at first I was severely reprimanded for tempting fate but then was treated like the naive newbie and told to “wait till school finishes at 3”.

Lo and behold at three, the world and their kids progressively started clogging up the Paediatric Department of A&E.  All with menial problems such as raised temperatures or cut fingers.  One mother had even stopped their child from going to school because they “felt ill” the day before only to have them stay with them throughout the whole day whilst she visited friends, did her shopping and admin until 4pm when she brought the kid into the hospital . . . and promptly waited for two hours to be seen.

I personally think the clue was in the title of the department . . . “Accident and Emergency”. How can we teach common sense?  (opinions would be greatly appreciated).

The staff of the paediatrics have the patience of saints!!!  Quite remarkable how they have to see and deal with the same self perpetuating ignorance day in day out.  My respect for them has quadrupled.

Binder