24 Hours in A&E

32-year-old scaffolder Thomas has been struck on the back of the head by a six metre tube at a building site in South London. He lost consciousness and was convulsing at the scene. Doctors are concerned he may have fractured his skull, spine or neck. Thomas is on his own in A&E, but his dad is due to visit later in the day. “My dad just thinks he’s dropping off a toothbrush,” says Thomas. “He doesn’t realise that I’m grateful to have my dad there…there’s a lot of people in this world who haven’t got anything or anyone.” Hilton has diabetes and is worried about his swollen legs. At 85, he lives on his own and looks after himself, but he’s come to King’s with his cousin Earl. Hilton keeps busy putting the world to rights and quipping with his cousin and Nancy, the nurse looking after him. “I feel as young as ever, I’m quite happy,” says Hilton. “Never married yet, I don’t want nobody to have me pinned down to them. I like to be free.” Retired architect Edgar comes in after suffering an asthma attack. He’s struggling to breathe, but A&E doctor Des realises that it’s not just asthma that’s troubling the 79-year-old. Edgar confides in Des that his wife of forty-five years, who was a nurse, passed away only a few months earlier. He’s grieving for her and has no-one to turn to, so Des tries to get him some support. “There is a phenomenon called ‘broken heart syndrome’ and I think that once your partner and your anchor is gone, then why are we here?” says Des. “I find it difficult to know that there’s an aspect of my patients’ care that I can’t sort out, because that’s why I’m here…I’d love to wave my magic wand and make everything fantastic, but life’s not like that.” And in the waiting room two older women make friends, talk about their life, love and loss and exchange jokes with each other. As one of them points out philosophically: “Laugh and the world laughs with you, cry and you sleep alone.”