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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

Stupid woman rings 999 about ice cream problem

75 replies

CumberCookie · 04/06/2014 09:54

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-birmingham-27687763

Aside from the fact that it was a bloody sstupid thing to do, AIBU to think the operator should have cut her off sooner and made her fully aware of the problem with doing this? I.e There could have been a potentially life and death situation on the other line that couldn't get through. The operator just lets her ramble on for ages and then is really polite and directs her to customer advice bureau?

OP posts:

listsandbudgets · 04/06/2014 17:38

evenly not even

Beastofburden · 04/06/2014 17:42

Shame the 999 line doesn't have a special desk for timewasters "oooh that does sound serious, let me just transfer you to our specialist desk" hur hur.

Cretin means someone with a clinical iodine deficiency, caused by a malfunctioning thyroid. It causes mental and physical disability. There's a classic Sherlock Holmes story about it.

Like "spastic" I doubt it's something a health professional would use as an insult.

Nancy66 · 04/06/2014 17:57

stupid thick cow.

She should have been traced and fined.

BalloonSlayer · 04/06/2014 17:58

I have had three ambulance trips, one in labour (was told to call 999 by labour ward - long story), two with DC.

On my trip during labour, I apologised to the paramedics for wasting their time, explained the situation etc and on the second trip with DC, which was a hospital transfer I mentioned that it must be boring for them. (Different crews) Both times they said the same thing "It makes a change from picking little old ladies off the floor in old people's homes." Apparently this is what they spend most time doing. If someone falls in a care home, the staff are not allowed to pick them up. They have to call 999 and get the paramedics to do it. In the meantime someone has to lie on the floor until the paramedics arrive as no one is "allowed" to lift them.

PleaseJustShootMeNow · 04/06/2014 19:17

Every time anyone mentions calling an ambulance when in labour on here, they get lectured about wasting NHS resources. It isn't always the case.

I worry about this a little. I totally get people wanting to raise awareness about wasting NHS resources, but if they beat the drum too loudly they risk putting someone off calling who should be calling. In my case I knew I needed an ambulance and I knew I could call one as I specifically asked beforehand because of the distance and was told that if I don't think I can get to hospital in time, stay at home and call an ambulance. Even so, I still hesitated for a nano second out of guilt having read so often how it's wasting resources.

Ioethe · 04/06/2014 19:39

Because it would be very satisfying! Believe me I fantasised all sorts of things happening to the numpties ;)

Ioethe · 04/06/2014 19:40

Sorry, that was in response to limitedperiodonly

TheBogQueen · 04/06/2014 20:04

The thing is that people absorb the 'don't call an ambulance message' and then don't phone when an ambulance is what's required - ie stroke symptoms, chest pains etc

shouldbeelsewhere · 04/06/2014 20:13

Last year a distant relative's parent died. A week after the funeral their partner was very unwell and scans showed it was immediate surgery serious. The relative left where they were went to the GP to pick up a letter explaining the situation to A&E then went to pick up partner and go to hospital., On arriving home they found their partner had died whilst waiting for them. Why they didn't call 999 I don't know. Why the GP didn't tell them to call 999 when they got the scan results I don't know

rinabean · 08/06/2014 23:17

I hate all this shit - all this 'don't call 999' 'don't go to A&E' - what do you think it does? Ice cream lady will keep demanding an audience with all heads of state to rectify her serious problem but other people die. The people who need help are normally vulnerable anyway. They are old people, they are mentally ill, with learning disabilities. They are confused from pain, dizziness, they're in shock. They are in frightening situations and they want to know what to do.

I nearly died last weekend and I was crying in A&E saying I was wasting their time and shouldn't have gone and people were dying because of me and the doctors and nurses had to tell me (nicely) to shut up. That I needed to be there, and in any case they'd rather tell actual timewasters to fuck off than have anyone die needlessly.

Get angry about the lack of people able to take 999 calls. Triage is there for a reason and we don't need people going around saying what is and isn't an emergency. They are trained and you are not. That is the point of them. Yes we all know sprinkles are not an emergency but these discussions make genuine people less likely to get help when they need it.

Mintyy · 08/06/2014 23:29

shouldbeelsewhere
So where was the relative and his/her partner when they got the scan results? Weren't they already in hospital or at the gp surgery?

PrincessBabyCat · 08/06/2014 23:43

To be fair, icecream is serious business.

EasyWhiteChocolate · 08/06/2014 23:48

That woman is an idiot and sprinkles on a nice cream is clearly not a 999, or even 101 issue.

But how do we ordinary, untrained people know when it's acceptable to call 999? A few years ago I was for some reason unable to lift my arms. They just wouldn't move. I dialled NHS Direct (with my toes! No exaggeration) and they said I need an ambulance. I can't remember if I dialled 999 or they put me through, but the paramedics took me to the hospital and were concerned as my heart rate was also irregular. It turned out to be an allergic reaction to some medication and was easily treated, but a few days later I received a letter from my GP telling of off for calling an ambulance about "shoulder pain." Shoulder pain! who the hell told them that?!

SoleSource · 09/06/2014 00:04

Trust her to be from Birmingham, reinforces the stereotype we already have, stupid thicko.

Redglitter · 09/06/2014 00:40

Seriously you'd be amazed at the crap people phone the police for. After 20+ years working in a control room I still get surprised.

mathanxiety · 09/06/2014 00:45

Why is this news?

Is it broadcast in order to highlight a serious and widespread problem or to show that this was a stupid woman?

Or as stated, will it put off genuine emergency cases from calling for fear of being judged -- people who might be having a heart attack or maybe they just ate too much ice cream and it's indigestion...

Original poster

CumberCookie · 09/06/2014 12:20

It's news to remind people that 999 should only be used in emergency situations.

"Ch Supt Jim Andronov said: "If someone is trying to get through to report a genuine life-or-death emergency, then a minute is a very long time to wait.

"I cannot stress enough that the 999 number is for emergencies only." "

OP posts:

lifehasafunnywayofhelpinguout · 09/06/2014 12:42

I wish that was all I had to to worry about. A few sprinkles on an ice cream. Stupid cow. Bothering the emergency services like that. When a real emergency could have been happening. xx

lifehasafunnywayofhelpinguout · 09/06/2014 12:46

Sorry to derail but looking at those pictures of ice creams has made me want one. Ice cream van comes around almost every evening. I just hope he gives me enough sprinkles. xx

AlexReidsLonelyBraincell · 09/06/2014 12:56

I've worked in A&E and there's still the misconception among some people that if they ring an ambulance they will be seen quicker. Superficial cuts and grazes, sprains and watery eyes were among the 'emergency' ailments I had to treat. Absolute thickos, some people.

However, I can't stop laughing at the hedgehog with a McDonalds cup stuck on its head.

Vintagecakeisstillnice · 09/06/2014 13:58

I was coming on to say that many people still seem to believe that if they arrive by ambi they will be seen quicker that they wont be triaged.

A few years ago as OH was been rushed in to A/E with Chest pains we heard a bloke complaining that his son had been waiting longer and 'it wasnt fair'.

I was booking OH in with reception, he then starts to threaten the staff and is told to sit down & shut up or leave. He storms off.

About 20 minutes later we see the son being wheeled through Majors , having arrived via ambulance, popped on a chair and wheeled in to the waiting room where hed been 20 minutes earlier with his Dad ranting and raving behind him.

I have to admit I did laugh.

Dad was one of those 'I pay your wages' tossers too.

Vintagecakeisstillnice · 09/06/2014 14:00

I did feel sorry for the son though

mathanxiety · 10/06/2014 04:24

The thing is though, that eejits are still going to think sprinkles/lack thereof constitutes an emergency while people who really are having a heart attack or on the brink of having a baby are going to overthink it. If someone has got to this point in her adult life without understanding that her problem wasn't an emergency that warranted a 999 call she is possibly too thick to understand the most recent message.

I've been in a good few emergency rooms with DS and one particular DD who seems very accident prone. Every single one has had a sign in large letters explaining that the ER doesn't work on a first come first served basis but on a medical need- based priority system. The staff don't bother speaking to loud complainers - they just point to the sign and then give a nod to the bouncers security to keep an eye.

Redglitter · 10/06/2014 15:19

I think a lot of people think calling 999 means they get priority. I don't know how many times I've phoned someone back to explain about a delay etc and their answer is 'ill just phone 999 then'
then get annoyed when I tell them it'll be passed to me as a 999 call but won't make a blind bit of difference to the response time

phantomnamechanger · 10/06/2014 16:16

an ex neighbour of mine called 999 late at night reporting a serious headache - when the ambulance turned up, she was just after some paracetamol for a headache and couldn't get to a shop cos her DP had the car at work

she could have taken a walk down the street knocking on doors !

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