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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think that dd should have been a priority case?

178 replies

Edenviolet · 30/12/2013 22:41

Dd2 has type 1 diabetes.

Last night she had a series of hypos which we treated and then another which would not respond to treatment. Her eyes were rolling and she was not fully conscious. We phoned 999 and thought they would come quickly.

We had to wait an hour and in that time phoned them back twice as she was so unwell. It was terrifying. We thought they would prioritise her or send a rapid response paramedic (the ones in a car not ambulance) but nothing. We were told they didn't know when somebody would be available.

When they finally came they took dd to hospital and she is now fine but when dh was there another child had just been taken in from an ambulance with earache, apparently the drs were not too happy and made this child go with his parents to wait in the waiting area but it mad me wonder how efficiently 999 calls are being prioritised.

I want to complain but I don't know who to contact. I am just so shaken up as took it for granted they'd arrive within minutes.

OP posts:
Lillilly · 31/12/2013 11:16

Make your complaint direct to the ambulance trust, writing complaint clearly on the top, and stating clearly that it is a complaint. If you use pals or some other resolution it will not be registered as a complaint. You would be surprised how few complaints get 'resolved' so never get counted so copy in the CEO to be sure.
Also send a copy of your concern to the local health watch. They are independent but government funded statutory organisation with powers to investigate. They can use information like yours to decide areas which need scrutiny.

999issues · 31/12/2013 11:18

If he had a fit then you should have called an ambulance, that is a medical emergency especially if it was his first febrile.
I doubt anyone would judge you post fit, I certainly wouldn't and would transport to A&E.

thankfeckitschrismas · 31/12/2013 11:23

We called the doctor because they were closest. It was a while ago now but I clearly remember him playing with the toys in the gps like there was nothing wrong with him.

I think it was some sort of cold but he was prone to fits iyswim

jacks365 · 31/12/2013 11:26

Some people do panic more about health matters than others, someone I know will go to a&e if their child has the slightest sign of a cold my first port of call is the pharmacist for advice. That mother probably could justify to herself if not others why she goes to a&e, the cost issues wouldn't make much difference as if the costs were pointed out the response would be well thats what we pay taxes for.

999issues can I say that knowing there is only one double manned ambulance for a whole area is scary, how would you cope in the event of a large accident?

BalloonSlayer · 31/12/2013 11:27

"When my friend had an accident on his bike that was his own fault, he was charged for the cost of the ambulance. "

That's nothing to do with the fact that it was "his own fault," it's just that road users usually have insurance and can claim through their insurance company for the cost of the ambulance. Although if it was a push bike this would not be the case but maybe this came under general RTA.

999issues · 31/12/2013 11:32

They would call in from other areas, obviously that would leave them short. If a major incident is reported then staff will volunteer to come in as soon as they hear about it.
Resources are allocated based on projected demand but demand has increased year on year for the past ten years and this year is the worst. None of the campaigns seem to make any difference.

Sickofthesnow · 31/12/2013 11:32

How frightening OP :(

Our local hospital closed its A&E a few years back now and now has basic assessment unit service. The nearest A&E where they put folk now is a good 40 mins away an takes 3 trains and a bus to get to with public transport. Add to this if going by car you have to go over a main bridge which in the winter gets closed regular due to high winds!

My son woke up a week ago in the middle of the night barking and wheezing and unable to breathe properly. Since he was coughing and his throat sounded really sore I gave him a lozenge and some calpol thinking he'd woken with a cold. Phoned NHS 24 Scotland (mothers instinct told me something wasn't right), and they put me through to nurse etc. The nurse spoke to him and he said he needs to go to assessment. Fair enough better safe than sorry! Had to make my own way there which again fair enough, I can drive. Got there and the doc said he had croup and what was happening was it was closing his airways quite a bit and he needed steroids.
Only then did I realise how serious it actually was and how lucky he was.

Anyway - we were transferred to the ages away hospital and I had to transport him there myself which again, fair enough I can drive. But my family were furious. Said they should have sent him by ambulance as what if he got worse on the way there.

When we got to the bigger hospital we were put in childrens ward and were there for most of the day as although the steroids worked quick enough, he needed inhalers as he was still persistently breathless, and had to show he could go 4 hours without needing them. DS has never had asthma etc so quite confusing for us.

Anyway - in the ward we were in, 3 other children came in over course of day, each by ambulance, and quite young, and all three had a cold. The doctor assessing them was really annoyed over the day as the kids were bright, cheery, sniffling of course but fine. None had any signs other than a cold and the doc was clearly irritated by the abuse of the ambulance service. Parents were very dramatic about symptoms and to be fair, of course you're going to worry if your child is sick, we all do! But it just seemed a waste of the time of all the medical staff :/

Sickofthesnow · 31/12/2013 11:34

I should add - these 3 cases all lived quite local to the hospital which I found out through general chatting to the mothers or I'd maybe understand someone really worried, living as far away as I did and having no means of transport to actually get there.

jacks365 · 31/12/2013 11:35

Thank feck please don't think I'm getting at yourself fits are awful things and do need checking properly the child I'm thinking of will be taken in for anything ie slightly more tired than usual and there are no underlying concerns ie febrile fits which warrants attention the mum however does have anxiety issues.

jacks365 · 31/12/2013 11:36

Thank feck please don't think I'm getting at yourself fits are awful things and do need checking properly the child I'm thinking of will be taken in for anything ie slightly more tired than usual and there are no underlying concerns ie febrile fits which warrants attention the mum however does have anxiety issues.

icclemunchy · 31/12/2013 11:37

id complain too if I was you. Even if there were no ambulances surely there was a paramedic on a bike available!!

Also speak to your diabetic team about a glucagon pen to keep at home, I was given one when I was pregnant as my insulin needs dropped but luckily never needed it

Nancy66 · 31/12/2013 11:39

As others have said. Seems an absolute shambles. I have a friend who gave up a very good job in advertising to become a paramedic after a particularly brilliant one saved the life of her mother.

Now, five years on, she's jacking it in and going back to old career as she is so frustrated with the money wasted, the lack of priority and the way time-wasters are continually indulged.

thankfeckitschrismas · 31/12/2013 11:47

It's all these posters saying write to the papers and complain to the authorities...

There will always be 'entitled' people who will phone an ambulance and those that will be scared of getting a fine

ChatNicknameUnavailable · 31/12/2013 11:59

I wouldn't get so up in arms about the child with earache tbh. You have no idea what the full picture is.

When ds1 was 16 months he had a febrile convulsion. 'Just' a febrile convulsion. He'd been off colour for a couple of days and a bit of a temp but nothing else. He started fitting out of the blue...I called 999 and was on the phone to them for 6 minutes, which was the amount of time the ambulance rapid response car took to turn up. For the entire time, ds was fitting, turning blue and foaming at the mouth. When the rapid response turned up, ds1 was still fitting and unresponsive. The total convulsion carried on for around 10 minutes and was the most terrifying thing I have ever seen.

Once the fitting stopped, ds took around 20 minutes to 'come around'. He was conscious and alert but completely not responding to anything. He was crying, whimpering but looking straight through you as if he was blind and deaf. Nothing was getting through. After 2 minutes of worried examining, the rapid response put a call through to the ambulance and told them to get here ASAP and we were blue lighted in.

About half way to hospital, ds1 'clicked' and came around fully.

By the time we got there, he refused to be carried and walked quite happily from the ambulance into the paediatric waiting room, chattering to the paramedic all the way and asking if he could have some juice.

The paediatric waiting room was full of very ill-looking children cuddled on parents laps. Then a bouncing, active, perfectly well looking toddler was escorted in by paramedics and bounced straight to the front of the queue to go in and see a paediatrician immediately.

You don't KNOW it was 'just an earache', 'just a virus' etc. I hate the thought that people in that waiting room were judging me as irresponsible/time wasting because, look, my child is obviously fine.

Mikkii · 31/12/2013 12:12

With my last 2 pregnancies I had Grade 4 placenta praevia, first time round I had a huge bleed and DH took me to the hospital. Based on advice given to me the second time around, I should have gone by ambulance. The second time round I was told any bleed bigger than drops I should call an ambulance. I never did as I self assessed and got myself driven in each (6) time.

When DD2 was 13 months I drove DS to a class then realised DD2's breathing didn't sound right. I called my sister to come over (registered children's nurse) by this time DD had a high temp so we stripped her off, DSis called one of her ex-colleagues who told her to call an ambulance. I couldn't do it as to me she didn't seem sick enough. My sister called as instructed by the doctor.

DD was admitted with pneumonia.

Snatchoo · 31/12/2013 13:00

It's all very well everyone wading in with their own stories - but we're not talking about those are we? We're talking about the broken toenail calls, the I-Want-Pizza calls etc.

I don't care if I am judged when I get to hospital, I know I am there for something necessary (hypothetically speaking). If someone is giving me evils for wailing about a scratch on my finger then more fool me.

That said, I don't think charging is the way to go. I think that will require more resources than it will gain for start.

AliceinWinterWonderland · 31/12/2013 13:23

If they started fining people for ringing in a non-emergency situation, people that had genuine emergencies might hesitate to ring and it could be disastrous.

Having worked in emergency services, it's the people that aren't sure if it's an emergency or are worried they are bothering us by ringing that often have the genuine emergencies. Yes, those that ring with ridiculous reasons can be frustrating, but at the same time there are often elderly patients ringing all apologetic because they "don't want to bother" us but they're concerned because... and then describe classic stroke symptoms or heart attack symptoms, which is obviously an emergency. Lots of times it's the patient in denial. But if they are then worried they will be charged money, they may not call. And that could be fatal to someone.

So no, unfortunately I don't think that charging is the right thing to do. More education for the public, more training for NHS phone workers for triage purposes (if they are not trained nurses).

pixiepotter · 31/12/2013 13:36

dh fell off a ladder once in a city centre and hurt his little finger.He was just going to get up , pack up and call it a day. a passing medic (it was near the hosp) stopped him told him to sit down and called an ambulance .He was bluelighted to hospital and went to the front of the queue in a&E.He had dislocated his finger and there was no blood getting to it.
I can imagine the indignant tutting.Calling an ambulance for a bruised finger!

Lillilly · 31/12/2013 14:19

Calling an ambulance does not mean you will be taken anywhere, they can assess and treat breathing problems, pick people up who have fallen etc. If hospital staff are cross that children with colds have been brought in, they need to take it up with the ambulance authority, it is not nessisarily the parent who wanted things escalated, they probably would be happy to see an emergency GP or nurse.

DoYouLikeMyBaubles · 31/12/2013 14:22

www.nhsdirect.wales.nhs.uk/choosewell/choosewellquiz/cwQuiz.aspx?quizid=2

www.nhsdirect.wales.nhs.uk/choosewell/choosewellquiz/cwQuiz.aspx?quizid=1

www.nhsdirect.wales.nhs.uk/choosewell/choosewellquiz/cwQuiz.aspx?quizid=4

These are quite interesting to do, just to test your knowledge on what to do in a situation. Shame England hasn't decided to do one.

GlitzAndGiggles · 31/12/2013 14:25

I think it's down to time wasters too. My aunt used to be a paramedic and she got a call from a parent saying her child had broke their arm from falling. When they arrived the child was in no pain with NO broken bones. The child had a flipping cat hair stuck between her skin

Nancy66 · 31/12/2013 14:44

Seasoned time-wasters know the key words and phrases they need to use to

  1. get an ambulance sent
  2. get taken into hospital
DoYouLikeMyBaubles · 31/12/2013 14:45

Some are excellent at it. Knowing just what we need to hear, knowing how to elevate their own heart rate is one I come across

lotsofcheese · 31/12/2013 15:14

OP: that must have been terrifying.

Just a couple of thoughts: do you have a Glucagon pen for treating hypoglycaemia? It's what the paramedics use to bring someone round from a hypo & can be prescribed by a GP. Depends in how confident you'd feel about injecting your DD....

Also, depending on the age of your DD, she may be a candidate for an insulin pump - one of the NICE criteria for pumps is: "disabling hypoglycaemia requiring external assistance". Just a thought......

thankfeckitschrismas · 31/12/2013 15:14

Yes but the op and others have openly condemned people when they have NO idea and no medical training.

The op openly judged just an earache when she didn't know...... That's what got me going.

What about others that are a drain? I fell down the stairs and broke my back. I had two ambulances sent go me because I landed in a confined spaces and they couldn't lift me safely. Should I be sent a bill?

What about the other people on this island who needed an ambulance at that time? Where they cursing me for taking up the resources, when the real issue is that the resources are stretched to breaking point.