Why are 999 call handlers like this?

[NotADailyMailJournalist]

Hello

I came across a man collapsed and bleeding heavily from a head wound in the street today. Literally a thick puddle of blood. I slammed a folded, fabric shopping bag on the wound to stem the bleeding.

Me: Hello, I've found a collapsed male, conscious but with heavy bleeding
Call Handler: what age is he? Do you know his name? Did you see him fall?
Me: 60-ish maybe, not sure on name, Davie he says, maybe, no I didn't see it happen. Is the ambulance on its way?
Call Handler: YOU NEED TO ANSWER THE QUESTIONS, LISTEN TO ME! Further questions about when did this happen etc etc.
Me: he's very distressed, can I tell him the ambulance is coming?
Call Handler: FINALLY says ambulance is on way.

Speaking to friends, they say this is common. Why can't the call handler just say "it's ok, ambulance is on way, answer these questions in the meantime"?

Thanks

Similar issue I faced.
My uncle had terminal cancer. He couldn't swallow and was in pain but couldn't swallow his morphine so I called an ambulance to administer morphine. That was all fine, call went well, crew were amazing.
They left and maybe 20 minutes later he died and I called 999 in panic.
My family is Muslim so it's a quick turn of events once someone passes.
Me: my uncle, terminal cancer, has died. Can you send the crew back to confirm and remove cannula?
Them: is he breathing?
Me; no, he's dead.
Them: turn him on his side and begin CPR
Me: no. He's dead. He had terminal cancer. He's dead. DNR. Please send the ambulance
Them: I understand but there's a chance you can save him even though been 10 minutes since he passed
Me: NO. I CANNOT. HE IS DEAD. I began crying.

My dad took the phone.

Original crew returned and were amazing again.

...I have emailed the Red Cross now and said I think they should do practice 999 calls so we are not surprised with the manner of the call handler and the type of questions.
That's a great idea, OP. I hope other people pick up on it.
Like others on here, I was struck by the operator's surliness the one time I had to call an ambulance. I got the strong impression they thought I was a prank caller.

I have rang 999 a few times,with work and coming across people on the street. To be honest I always found them calming and helpful. I feel like they helped calm me and reminded Me what to do. I was always grateful they were there

They have to prioritise and without information they can’t do that. And a conscious man with what could be a superficial head wound is far lower priority than a newborn who has stopped breathing.

and let’s not forget the amount of time wasters, which I would consider ringing 999 to report a stone on the motorway several miles down the line to be.

@NotADailyMailJournalist you WERE good in the crisis OP, you got what needed to be done, done. That doesn't mean feeling no emotion about it or not being moved. When you imagine it on the course or whatever of course you don't put that emotion and shock into your imagining, but the first time it happens you feel it. But being good in the crisis means going through the steps whatever you're feeling and that's exactly what you did. You did great. And you were the one who stopped.

As much as it can seem frustrating they can't just work off there own way ,their own style . Nobody gets too work their own way , we all have bosses .

They have to ask those questions so a) they don't send three ambulances to the same person if they get multiple calls and b) so the ambulance goes to the right person on the scene.

Yes it is a stressful situation when you call an ambulance but they're doing their job.

I think you're putting your feelings at the centre of this and I think that's inappropriate.

Thank you for calling though, for someone you don't know

If you say shot in the chest they'll be sending and ambulance they need to finish getting all the info though and need to be able to offer advice. They will be trying to get you FOCUSED to follow instructions. They are in charge on that call and need you to listen.

Exactly this, and why I was still talking to them when the ambulance pulled up outside when mums heart condition took a turn for the worse. They were fabulous and calm when I was panicking and distressed. They only closed the call when I let the crew in.

I've rang three times.

The first was an elderly unconscious woman outside the hotel I worked in. Call handler was dismissive kept telling me to say she was conscious. (Made more tricky that I couldn't go outside so was being told second hand) I kept explaining the people with her said they couldn't wake her. He then made a comment that he thinks it's a woman who is often drunk /asleep in our area. Kept asking if it was that woman. I kept saying I didn't know the woman they were talking about so I couldn't say. I think they didn't want to send an ambulance if it was a drunk person and was rude to me because I couldn't tell them what they wanted me to say.

Second time a horse was running down the road. I didn't have my phone so rang five minutes later after I got home. I felt like I hadn't helped as they were trying to establish where the horse was and I potentially disrupted the time line. Again annoyed I couldn't say what they wanted me to.

Third time my dd was 17 she arrived home from a night out hammered and passed out. We literally couldn't wake her. Call person was amazing helped calm me and had an ambulance there in minutes. Ambulance staff were fantastic they pinched her fingernails and ears which roused her. Said we could go a&e but she would be more comfortable sleeping it off here. And just to stay with her in case she started being sick.

There's a script they have to follow to assign a category to the call.

It's very formulaic and sometimes appears to defy common sense but is apparently the result of a lot of research

I'm surprised by the number of posters who are unaware of the call handling procedure. But I guess it depends what type of TV you watch - there are at least three long-running factual TV programmes on mainstream channels about the ambulance service:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b09393rd/episodes/guide

https://www.channel4.com/programmes/999-on-the-front-line

https://www.channel4.com/programmes/999-whats-your-emergency

I recently had to call 999 for an ambulance for my mother. The call handler was really great and I was so thankful for her calm, responsive approach, especially seeing as it was an out of area emergency (I was in one area, my mother in another). She started asking the standard questions, then when I interrupted and gabbled out what had happened, she switched to asking the relevant triage questions for the specific situation.

There was a bit of confusion about dispatch because she’d had to hand over to another area, but the ambulance arrived within 30 minutes.

It's a script they have to follow to triage as they're not medically qualified, the ambulance service is so stretched needs to be specifically allocated response times but i get its totally scary for you

I (dr) phoned for my nan when she blacked out and broke her foot and shoulder (we'd walked to town else I'd have driven her to a&e)... despite telling them immediately I'm a Dr and what her injuries I still had to go through "is she breathing? Does she have a pulse?" .... like think I'd have mentioned that earlier in the convo but lol

I've only ever called once, and it was a bit like this, but to be honest it was a tricky situation and they probably weren't sure what to send. I was calling about a homeless man who was collapsed/unconscious/unresponsive. A disturbing amount of people just walked right past. He was clearly unconscious rather than asleep. They were asking me to try and wake him up. I was yelling "Hello there, are you okay?" ect to no response but I didn't want to actually touch him incase he woke up and lashed out. They eventually sent paramedics and took him to hospital.

I think everyone and their dog know that the call handlers have to follow a script. Doesn’t mean they can’t show some compassion though. They’re not robots, they should be able to pick up that the person calling needs some reassurance and that the call will go better and they’ll get their answers quicker if they just take a moment to acknowledge the caller’s needs. Someone up thread said ‘they can’t just take your word for it that your dad is dead’…. They’re still taking your word for it if you say you’ve checked his pulse and yes, he’s dead. What a stupid point to make.

I'd be quiet interested to know the figure to know the amount of people who want to call an ambulance and just bugger off .Not saying that's everyone y'know but it would be around a fair amount .Not saying it's a bad thing , but y'know?

Well done for stopping and helping and for being literally so hands-on, OP. You may have saved the man’s life. And sorry the experience of calling 999 made it even harder. You sound amazing. ❤

They are following a script to prioritise care of the patient. There is a reason for it. I don’t think they have time for people skills. If they did they would probably be reprimanded for it.

kindly, what your handler was dealing with was a member of the public who was giving little to no relevant information, was anxious themselves, and did not appear to have an emergency on their hands. An ambulance would not be dispatched on the grounds of a conscious, alert man bleeding from his head. Heads bleed a lot very easily from very superficial cuts. He might have in fact been better served by arranging to get himself to a minor injuries unit, or similar, from the information you are giving.

I am sure you were upset, but with respect, there was a major mismatch between your assessment and theirs. You are possibly thinking "o no, this is terrible, this is the worst thing I have seen for a year or two" They are thinking "11th one this morning, unlikely to get an ambulance unless there just happens to be one free, lowest category of call, I wonder if that burns victim I was just dealing with is still alive? And will that 4 year old I was speaking to 20 minutes ago make it"

Your situation doesn't sound life threatening at all, it sounds like, fell over playing basketball, needs a few butterfly stitches, type scenario. Your shock and emotion no doubt complicated things for the call handler, but you were not the person they were trying to care for or assess.

I hope that doesn't sound to blunt.

“I feel the caller and the victim would be much calmer if they were even just told "we're getting you help".”

In the 999, Ambulance type programmes this is exactly what’s said , repeatedly. Yet seems to differ from real life.

You could have said to the man that help is coming, or you are trying to get help. A white lie in that situation harms no one.

I think you have had a very stressful experience and have focused on one small thing to save dealing with the big thing.

I hope you managed some sleep.

No it doesn't because you could know the person.
They didn't ask her if he could tell her his name and age.

This. There aren't enough resources to waste where it's not warranted

I find the matter of fact-ness of the caller handlers really reassuring. It helps that I’m a veteran first aider and 999 caller, and now know roughly what order I will be asked things. The first thing they have said to me has always been “Is the patient conscious and breathing?” And I know not to try to give further info until I’ve answered that.