# Coimbra A&E?



## travelling-man (Jun 17, 2011)

I'm sure it was reported that it was due to close some months ago but it's still open & functioning perfectly.

Am I wrong about the closure?


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## canoeman (Mar 3, 2011)

I very much doubt that a major hospital is closing A&E, the policy is for closure of A&E at local health centres and improving A&E facilities at the major towns


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## Maggy Crawford (Sep 18, 2010)

Do you mean Covoes or Coimbra University? Mamny departments at Covoes have closed and moved to Coimbra but A&E does seem to be still open, albeit on reduced hours. I think it operates during daytimes 7 days a week but I would not risk going there in the middle of the night however.


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## travelling-man (Jun 17, 2011)

Maggy

I wasn't aware there was more than one but I was referring to the one with lots of old style buildings with lots of PT architecture.....


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## Maggy Crawford (Sep 18, 2010)

That's Covoes, built as a TB hospital many years ago by a philanthropist. It has excellent operating theatre facilties and medical staff but pretty primitive wards, hence the move to the University.


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## travelling-man (Jun 17, 2011)

Thanks. So is the plan to move everything to the University hospital or will they continue to have 2 separate hospitals in the town?


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## Maggy Crawford (Sep 18, 2010)

I really don't know what the long term plans are.


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## JohnBoy (Oct 25, 2009)

As Maggy says at this time no firm plans have been made in relation to Covoes. There are many ideas being tossed over but nothing has come of them so far.

Going back to your OP Travelling-Man you may be referring to a post I made some time ago regarding a further cut back in opening hours at A & E. The first move was to close the department at 8 each evening. Then they announced that it would also close all weekends. When they realised how unpopular that idea would be and how close they were to an election they did a U turn and kept it open. So current hours are to 8 pm 7 days a week but watch this space once the elections are over.


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## travelling-man (Jun 17, 2011)

OK Thanks JB. 

I watched Sky News today & they were saying UK A&Es need to aim to see everyone within 4 hours of arrival....... Coimbra attended to me within about 5 minutes of arrival so perhaps it's not as bad as some like to suggest.


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## JohnBoy (Oct 25, 2009)

Likewise TM. I've always had excellent service at Covoes A & E also on the one occasion that I had to visit A & E in Funchal, Madeira.


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## oronero (Aug 24, 2012)

travelling-man said:


> OK Thanks JB.
> 
> I watched Sky News today & they were saying UK A&Es need to aim to see everyone within 4 hours of arrival....... Coimbra attended to me within about 5 minutes of arrival so perhaps it's not as bad as some like to suggest.


I am still in the UK and as time passes it appears that things are getting harder for the average person and likely to get much worse, fortunately the majority of the public seem to believe the 'Great Britain' PR spin given by some of the media and the Politicians.

The spin is that the UK is doing fine, in fact much better than all of Europe with the exception of Germany, how gullible the general population are...I cannot wait to abandon the slow sinking vessel!


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## canoeman (Mar 3, 2011)

If the UK did actually introduce these "drunk tanks" then A&E might well meet their targets or ambulances might be available for those that need them.

They increased charges to A&E here a few years ago, one reason was to discourage people using it as a Doctors surgery maybe UK should learn some lessons from other countries


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## siobhanwf (Mar 20, 2009)

on the 3 occassions I have had to use A&E i have had excellent service and seen very quickly on each occassion in Santarem. Cannot fault them! Two of these occassions resulted in hospital stays. One 12 days one 5.


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## Maggy Crawford (Sep 18, 2010)

When I went to A&E at Covoes one Sunday afternoon in the summer I was there for five hours. However, in that time I had an Xray, ultrasound, consultation with GP and then chat with the relevant specialist. I have still not received the bill but expect it will arrive in due course. The last one I received I was able to pay by Multibanco for the first time which is a vast improvement. 
I really do think if UK A&E departments charged something there would be a huge drop in people attending. Years ago I read a letter in a national newspaper from a man who had a routine appointment with his daughter at a local A&E. Normally he had to wait for hours but on this occasion the department was empty. Reason? England were playing Nigeria in the World Cup. I rest my case.


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## lynda s (Mar 31, 2013)

I can't speak about the health service in Portugal! but anything is better than the NHS. I waited in A&E in London with my son, for over 8 hours before he was seen, and he had been sent by the GP with a letter, and a prior phone call. It wasn't night time or weekend. Nevertheless there were definitely people there who should just have gone to see their GP. Others with the effects of the night before, and drug addicts needing a fix of anything. My son was admitted to a ward, and a heroin addict was admitted to the bed opposite. He physically changed the chart to get more Meds than the doctor had written up for him. My son reported it and the guy was escorted off the premises. But this is what the NHS has come to. Wards full of addicts and malingerers, and genuinely sick people put to the bottom of the queue.

I had one of my kidneys removed last month, after waiting for 15 months to be admitted, and following two cancellations, due to one hospital not sending my x rays to the other. On arrival at the renal ward I was informed that it was full, and I was found a bed on another surgical ward. It turns out that the renal ward was used also for non renal patients. One had a broken ankle. Three days after my op, I had catheter removed and was told I could now use the bathroom, but should buzz for a nurse to help me. 
This I did, but after 20 minutes no nurse appeared, so I tried to get out of bed myself to use the loo. I was in pain and couldn't get out of bed in time, so needed a clean sheet.
Eventually a nurse appeared, and I apologised for wetting the bed so she gave me a sheet and I made the bed up again myself. The day before I asked a nurse if she could help me sit up and she refused. I could go on and on, but suffice is to say that when you work all your life in the UK and pay full tax and NI contributions, you get very little back. The NHS is not free, only to those who have never made any contributions, and the numbers are growing daily. The UK which was once great and proud, unfortunately it seems, has been overtaken by the work shy and lazy. 

Even though I will have to contribute to medical treatment in Portugal! at least I will receive appropriate treatment, in a clean environment.


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## Maggy Crawford (Sep 18, 2010)

I have a question about the Mid Staffs report. If the nurses couold not be bothered to care for their patients just what the bloody hell were they doing on their shifts? I have never seen this answered.


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