I don't have any medical experience, but as a lay person I am wondering why after 20 minutes the A & E staff had not started doing anything? Surely you shouldn't have to make decisions about how to do your job based on the worry as to whether they'll do theirs? After all, I bet you can hardly say to a coroner that you made a decision to do something 'because you were afraid A&E wouldn't do their job properly' can you?