[Closed] Trailcentres and their nearest A&E - is there a list?

Good on you for not callina n ambulance. Unfortunately Borders General is nearer Melrose than Galasheils.

Yes, that's where we ended up. Bit of a drive passed Galashiels.

Good service.

The first nurse I saw suggested they should close Glentress down. It sounded a bit harsh. But then she went on to tell me I was the fifth mountain biker, with a fracture that she had seen over the weekend.

Friend dislocated his shoulder (which wasn`t clear to start with) at GT and the ranger advised us to go to our local A+E (Glasgow btw) rather than local one as they were less equipped to deal with the situation according to him.

I too broke my collar bone last Sunday but at Innerleithen. Ambulance called and taken off to Borders hospital. Great service all in all! Have everything crossed that I'll be able to ride soon! Any idea when you'll be back on the bike wasp?

But then she went on to tell me I was the fifth mountain biker, with a fracture that she had seen over the weekend.

A fraction of those with injuries after fighting when drunk I'd say.

I have it on good authority that GT is known as 'That Awful Place' in the Borders General.

let's start one, let me do the S. Wales ones

Cwmcarn - Royal Gwent NP20 2UB

Afan (both) - Morriston SA6 6NL (minor injuries unit at Port Talbot Hosp SA12 7BX)

Brechfa - West Wales General (SA31 2AF)

The Gap/Black MOuntains/Brecon Beacons - possible either Nevill Hall NP7 7EG or Prince Charles CF47 9DT depending where you are

I have heard anecdotes about he number of MTBers in Borders general.

Half a dozen fractures every weekend is about eh norm - local ambulance service have had to buy a 4x4 ambulance as well mainly for the MTBers

Drac - I doubt there is a huge number of drunks with fighting injuries. Its only a series of small towns. No big cities in BGH catchment.

I think most sat navs have a "take me to the nearest..." thing and hospitals are included afaik. I don't know how I'd get anywhere without mine 😆

I have had that kind of attitude off NHS before too. This is as much of a direct quote as I can remember, but apparantely the mountain bikers are taking up space in ambulances that should be for local people (you know, those couch potatos and smokers that need ferried to the wards when they have heart attacks). A real inability to see the connection between places like Glentress and the ongoing economic viability of the region. And god help any foreigners that need the service.

TJ - you have clearly never been to Gala on a saturday night !

Dalby regulars can form an orderly queue at Scarborough General, YO12 6QL

Hels - I was there last weekend actually 🙂 Not saying none but its not the same as Edinburgh in scale by any means

Ambulances at mendips (burrington combe) yesterday and cwmcarn today. Hope everyone was OK.

Broke my wrist and ring finger at whinlater 4 weeks ago. Cottage hospital at keswick open for xray and plaster, however had to go to fracture clinic next day at cumberland infirmary in carlisle, then was admitted from there for an op! Was a little put out they all kept asking me if I had done it at ctr parks! Only 2 more weeks in plaster, hopefully ...

We used a roadmap and then when that became too difficult...

Ummm, what?

I met a doc riding at Inners once who suggested that if we ever had to go to the Borders General that it might be an idea to say you fell off a horse - help with the stats and that 😆

Anyway is Little France not as close to GT as BGH? or at least as quick to get to?

Ambulances at mendips (burrington combe) yesterday

The chap was in Bad Ass Bikes looking poorly. Box said the chap thought he'd had a heart attack 🙁

Just ring nhs direct and ask them for directions,if in doubt ring an ambulance, drunks and idiots do, just for fun.But just ask for directions unless seriously hurt.

Buzz, I'd heard his oppo on the mobile saying cardio-something or other. I think he was talking to the poor chaps mrs. Again, I hope he is OK.

Drac - I doubt there is a huge number of drunks with fighting injuries. Its only a series of small towns. No big cities in BGH catchment.

I've been there at the weekends, you'll be surprised.

Hels - I was there last weekend actually Not saying none but its not the same as Edinburgh in scale by any means

Well you'd hope not.

paramedic car heading towards llandegla today, also ambulace coming the other way

Maybe.

valleydaddy and ratadog - Thanks for the postcode details. I'll add them to a list. Is there a way of uploading an MS Word doc, with the details, or do I have to cut and paste the details and post them on the forum in a thread? Happy to do that, if it's the preferred way.

nsbikescore1 - Was your Innerliethen fall somewhere near the top of the red route? What time did you leave Borders after they let you go? (we may have met...).

Anyway, the consultant told me not to drive for three weeks and he'll have another look at it then. I hope to be on the bike by then (probably just the hybrid at first).

Wasp were you staying at the glentress hotel? And has your pal just got an alpine 160? If so our paths crossed! I'm off to the fracture clinic tomorrow and tentatively considering laser therapy for a speedier recovery. Good luck with your recovery!

Coed Llandegla's nearest A&E is Wrexham Mealor, only about 15 mins away. Judging by how many times I have seen their ambulance up there, it may be worth calling there before you venture up to Llandegla to ask them where the high risk areas are 😉

[i]Drac - I doubt there is a huge number of drunks with fighting injuries. Its only a series of small towns. No big cities in BGH catchment. [/i]

TJ - not been out in Gala/Hawick then?

I was out in Gala last Saturday night

The first time I broke my collarbone I was treated by a keen mountain biker, the second time the nurses wanted to know what trail section at Glentress I'd crashed on and didn't sound hostile to mountain biking at all. Both times I was seen at ERI rather than Borders General, though.

From what I gather 5-a-side football causes a lot more injuries than mountain biking does.

Lee quarry nearest A&E is blackburn Queens Park I believe. BB2 3HH

I would genuinley love to know, over a life time who costs the NHS more

1. Couch potatoe.

2. MTBer, climber or footballer. Who are more likely to brake something and likely to need physio at soem point....

Thats a bit too simple but you know what I mean....

I have never injured myself in 10 years of climbing (other than a few bruises here and there). in two years of MTB I have been in a&e twice.

Is there a way of uploading an MS Word doc, with the details, or do I have to cut and paste the details and post them on the forum in a thread? Happy to do that, if it's the preferred way.

If you have a google account then just make a google docs spreadsheet and make it public so that everyone can access it.
If you don't have a google account then make one and do the above.

Lee quarry nearest A&E is blackburn Queens Park I believe. BB2 3HH

Know known as Royal Blackburn Hospital.

backhander - Member
Ambulances at mendips (burrington combe) yesterday and cwmcarn today. Hope everyone was OK.

what time was that? I was up there late afternoon.

Was lucky to escape with superficial cuts (all over me and lots of ripped clothing) when I ended up impaled on a barbed wire fence. Was having a bad day that started with dropping a tree stump on my foot and then breaking my chain on the 1st climb.

the nearest to penmachno & the marin is Bangor A&E, a truly depressing place.

For whinlatter try MTFU01.

Air amb are often up there.

Friend dislocated his shoulder (which wasn`t clear to start with) at GT and the ranger advised us to go to our local A+E (Glasgow btw) rather than local one as they were less equipped to deal with the situation according to him.

People in the Borders have been injuring themselves playing rugby an awful lot longer than mountain biking, the BGH cen deal with a dislocated shoulder! It is not some minor injuries cottage hospital!

I asked my wife about how mountain bikers are recieved at the BGH, she is a Dr there and works in A+E. She just shrugged her shoulders and said it really isn't a big deal, in her words 'that is what A+E is for.' A+E is a magnet for local losers, the staff generally welcome healthy but injured, polite, active and appreciative bikers.

Having accompanied a badly injured friend to A&E at Borders general, I would say that the service received was excellent. Yes there were a couple of comments about the relationship between GT/inners etc and volume of incoming, but nothing significant.

I can't vouch for the BGH have never been there (touch wood etc) the attitude I got was from the Scottish Ambulance Service, which I believe is run as a separate entity. They believe they should have more cover because of places like Glentress and I see their point and absolutely agree, will go to any public meetings and show support etc, but threatening to refuse to attend as somebody is a biker not a local ned who got pissed and fell over was not really the way to go about it. Not to mention a bit illegal. Sorry bit of a sore point !

Just to balance things a little, the first nurse was genuinely concerned that Glentress is just creating the opportunity for fractures, to people who otherwise would be OK. The x ray nurse was more sanguine. The medic was fine too, she patched me up, gave me some medication and copies of the x rays and advised that I see a consultant asap.

Anyway, thanks for your contributions on A&E locations guys. Much appreciated. I'll arrange to post up a list, which can be added to/corrected, asap. Not too sure about the A&E location that boxelder is referring to though ... 😉

nsbikescore1 - Yes, our paths did cross. I was at the check-in as they wheeled you in on a trolley. It looked very serious and it was a relief to see you as you departed with "just" a broken collarbone. At least you broke yours on a proper red route. I did mine playing on the table tops in the Glentress Freeride Park. Doh! I hope the laser surgery went well today. How long before you can ride again?

@nsbikescore1 Highly recommend going to see Brian Simpson www.physioclinic.net for recovery treatment. I broke my left collarbone right in the centre. 1 inch displacement without shards in August last year. A&E did simple sling and drugs. Broke it on the saturday then went down to Doc Simpson on the Wednesday, had both Laser and Magnetic Pulse in same sitting and also had a Cross Brace fitted by him. Most uncomfortable thing on the planet to wear but pulled the bones into alignment, and was starting to knit within three weeks. Also apply as much Comfreys (known as bone knit) on your shoulder as you can !!!! Now very little side effects bar camelback straps after long days. Best advice ... don't rush the recovery.

Regards A&E's, visited Cannock Chase last week for first time and noticed every marker post had Nearest A&E details, plus grid reference on them. Good approach.

Wales' A&E's are listed here: http://www.wales.nhs.uk/ourservices/directory/Hospitals
Takes a little bit of interpretation as only lists hospital names and not the towns they are in.

Just have a think about whats wrong though.. if its a simple cut that needs a couple of stitches the local A&E will be ok.

If some thing broken might be worth a drive to the nearest tertiary hospital where theorectically they will have the better surgeons etc. Thats not to say you dont get good staff at smaller hospitals, its just all the cutting edge stuff is done at the big ones.

However - do bear in mind that the local A&E should in theory be used to dealing with mtb injuries.

@wasp - yes I was very glad that my injury wasn't more serious, I was frightened that I'd done something to my neck. Glad you are on the mend, will you be back to conquer the freeride park then?

I went to the fracture clinic today and just came out very upset and confused when they started talking to me about having it plated despite saying there was a 80-90 percent chance of a good bone unite without surgery.

I'm booked into brian simpson's clinic tomorrow, I'm nervous about the results and dont want to do anything to make things worse - @mighty, would you mind me pm'ing you any questions I think of about the treatment?

Hang on a sec Hels. There was never any mention of MTB'ers being refused in the comments made by NHS staff in any of the above posts.

mightymarmite - Forgive my ignorance, but what do you get from Laser and Magnetic Pulse treatments? Do they fuse the bone and muscle?

How do you know if you need it? I've just had a sling on for a few days and am letting the collarbone heal of it's own accord.

btw - A&E details noted on every marker post at Cannock Chase is a great idea!

After I borked myself on the downhill track at Ae I my GP refered me to the Royal Edinburgh Infirmary for an xray.

They asked where I was riding when I sustained the injury. Had it occured at Glentress my injury would have been recorded in the 'Glentrauma' book but since it happened at 'Ae&E' it didn't have to be noted anywhere. Looks like there are being fairly rigourous injury stats being compiled for glentress but not elsewhere.

The radiographer was a mountainbiker himself so he was fairly sanguine about the number of injured folk he saw, but I have met some A&E staff who've been pissed off with the number of mtb accidents they have to deal with. However, I think they're still happier dealing with that than the pissed up and abusive detritus of an average Saturday night.

Hope you have a swift recovery waspfactory.

The ones I know about from direct experience 😉 :
Malverns - Malvern Minor Injuries - proper hospital at Worcester.
FoD - Dilke (Cinderford - Speech House road - dead convenient for the quarry near there) and Lydney Minor Injuries. Got taken from Lydney to Gloucester for surgery, but couldn't be sure that was the nearest proper hospital.
When I was in Malvern having stabbed myself in the leg with a Stanley knife I had a good chat and the nurse reckoned they got a fair amount of MTB customers in the summer, but just as many walkers. Never got any feeling that as an MTBer I was wasting their time at Lydney or Gloucester - on my ward at Gloucester a couple of old boys with smoking inflicted injuries!

And for the soft southerners like me... From Swinley - the A&E and CT scanner at Frimley Park is not too far - as I found out 3 weeks ago 😳

[i]Looks like there are being fairly rigourous injury stats being compiled for glentress but not elsewhere.[/i]
Probably related to this:
http://emj.bmj.com/content/28/4/274.abstract

I never said there was Mr Brennan - just adding my experience to a wide ranging discussion, I think it adds to the flavor.

t'internet forum innit.

For Cannock Chase-

A&E
Stafford Hospital
Weston Road
Stafford
ST16 3SA
Tel: 01785 257731

If its not serious this is generally quicker >

Minor Injuries Unit (8am-midnight)
Cannock Chase Hospital
Brunswick Road
Cannock
WS11 5XY
Tel: 01543 572757

The resonance pulse and laser promotes the bone growth. Its stimulates the formation of chondroblasts between the bone ends. This is like the girders on a bridge, then all the osteoblasts get to work weaving new bone (basically a great big lump of it) then over time the osteaclasts reshape the bone into some form of normality. Its a bit "out there" according to some but he's had thousands of clients throughout the years and specialises in this type of injury (including motocross). He's a good bloke as well which helps.

The cross chest sling issued by the hospital is a complete waste of time, its there for pain management more than anything. The cross brace basically pulls yours shoulders back from behind, and helps hold the bones in alignment so they can start to fuse, painful as anything and I basically laid awake for the first four days and cursed it to hell for the following four weeks ... but it did its job.

Re surgery, research the different techniques. The majority of surgery over here seems to be the plate approach, which requires open surgery, drilling more holes in the bones plus potentially removal and a few associated issues. A couple of friends back in New Zealand have recently had a procedure whereby a steel "skewer" is inserted through the length of the collar bone via a small incision on the head of the shoulder, lines everything up, and provides support without drilling extra holes etc in the process. They were up and about in 2 days with simple R&R recovery process. If you google "dual-trak clavicle screw" will give you an idea.

I didn't go the surgery route as my displacement was corrected through manipulation, and managed to keep it fairly well aligned throughout the healing process.

Defo PM me if you want to ask anything specific, but as a caveat every collarbone injury has different issues, dependant on number of breaks, displacement and general health so what works for one may not work for another.

I was with a mate at Penmachno and he fell and cut his eyebrow. A fair bit of blood, but no major problem. A couple of stera-strips (which I now carry) would have fixed it.

Unfortunately a passer-by saw it, panicked, and called 999. We didn't know. We saw the helicopter and 4x4 ambulance and wondered who they were for. When we got back to the car park, a conventional ambulance was pulling up, saw Kev with blood down him and told him he was the victim who they thought was wandering around the forest, close to death.

Kev asked them if they could have a look the cut and do a roadside repair, but they wouldn't get out and enticed him into the ambulance, wherereupon they effectively kidnapped him and said to me "follow us". We had no idea where they were going, until we arrived an hour later at Bodelwyddan hospital, nearly 30 miles away. And then we realised why - the ambulance drivers got to sit in the warm, drinking tea, until Kev got seen by a doctor.

And for the soft southerners like me... From Swinley - the A&E and CT scanner at Frimley Park is not too far - as I found out 3 weeks ago

Ambulances can attend reasonably easily at the car park and some can get down the fire roads, and air ambulance is an option also.

the nearest to penmachno & the marin is Bangor A&E, a truly depressing place.

Well, as an ex-local, they've done a pretty good job of patching me and friends up on far too many occasions. Not the best hospital in the world, but a damned sight better than Bolton General(ly useless)...

I was with a mate at Penmachno and he fell and cut his eyebrow. A fair bit of blood, but no major problem. A couple of stera-strips (which I now carry) would have fixed it.

I had this there (got a bit jump-happy on the descent before the switchback climbs) - YG staff just used superglue(!)