Dear Editor,

I read with some interest the letter requesting a numbering system in A&E at PMH.
I always understood A&E to mean accidents and emergencies. Most people waiting in A&E have not had accidents or emergencies. Many doctors there will tell you that.
Whenever I go to A&E with friends or family several things are immediately obvious. Firstly, most of the people there could be better served at community clinics. More persons could be served if clinic hours were extended, but that's another issue. Secondly, a number system does not provide for the seriousness of a person's medical condition. It can only be right that those with more serious conditions should be seen first. Those patients transported by ambulance are priority in terms of being seen, so people with less serious conditions would necessarily have their waiting times extended.
Efficiency in the A&E does have to be improved, but more education of the general public on where to go with different conditions is needed as well.
A number system is fine for fast food take-out or picking up prescriptions, but not for determining who should be seen first in an emergency setting.

- JB

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