Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

What, in your opinion, deserves an ambulance call out?

173 replies

Drizzledrozzle · 18/09/2018 09:08

Inspired by another thread, what level of pain / injury / personal circumstances deserves an ambulance call out?

In my own recent experience I'm aware of my gran who calls an ambulance most days because she's confused and gets some shortness of breath.
IMO she should not be calling an ambulance, but she's alone and frightened and clearly calls them as a safety mechanism. She also calls police, fire and the gas board most days, as well as my dad x30 a day and myself once or twice. She's shortly being moved into residential care which will be a great relief to her local emergency services. However if she didn't have family / resources to pay for the care what is the answer?

My partner had a virus and while walking across the kitchen he suddenly collapsed. He didn't lose consciousness but was unable to get up, and I had two small children I was looking after so couldn't give him much care or attention or time, so I called 999. I think the shock of him collapsing made me unable to think straight.
They triaged him by phone, told him to get himself to a sofa as soon as he could, and they'd drop by when they had a moment but they wouldn't consider him a priority.
He ended up being taken in that night when they arrived with suspected meningitis. Thankfully he didn't have it and recovered soon after

When pregnant with DC1 I had a single drop of blood appear and again I freaked out and called 999. They kindly told me I didn't need an ambulance and to keep an eye, stay comfortable and get to an EPU in the morning. All was luckily fine.
I very clearly shouldn't have called 999, but no ambulance came and I only wasted 5 mins of phone time.

I don't want a critique of all my experiences, I'm sure it would be searing! But given some posters seem to think you need to be actually in cardiac arrest before you can even consider calling 999, where is your line?

OP posts:
fanfan18 · 18/09/2018 10:11

I'd personally only call if there had been an accident and someone was very hurt / bleeding / struggling to breathe.

I think its so easy to panic in these situations though.

A pub I was in recently called and ambulance when an elderly ALMOST fellover. I went over - she was shaken and a bit out of breathe but I spoke with her and asked questions and she was fine. Ambulance came and went within about 20 minutes. Absolute waste of time and money!

Trampire · 18/09/2018 10:11

I'm lucky in that I've never had to make the decision to call an ambulance. Although my ds is severely asthmatic, I've always managed to get him to A&E.

The only time I've experienced an Ambulance was 15 years ago. I was working in a bookshop alongside my colleague and she said she felt unwell. She went for a break and came can and collapsed on the shop floor. Obviously manager called an ambulance.
Turns out she had a bad kidney infection.

fanfan18 · 18/09/2018 10:12

elderly lady*

Lauren83 · 18/09/2018 10:14

I have only had 2 experiences of an ambulance and have never tried calling one myself, first was when I got glassed in the face by a stranger on a night out and the doormen called one and I got taken to hospital in an ambulance and then another ambulance to a maxifacial unit at a different hospital that night. Second was DP last year had excruciating stomach and chest pains and he couldn't get up off all fours, 111 triaged him over the phone and I presume suspected heart problems as they asked if I knew where there was a defibrillator nearby if I needed one, first response car came and then called an ambulance which took him to hospital (wasn't heart problems)

safariboot · 18/09/2018 10:14

Everyone saying it's quicker/better to go by car or taxi, keep in mind that's not an option for all people. If your wallet is empty and all your friends are on the other side of the country, either the ambulance comes out or you're getting no treatment.

111 will send an ambulance if they feel it's warranted anyway.

PeterPiperPickedSeaShells · 18/09/2018 10:17

I've worked in A&E for over 16 yrs, it is very common for people (all ages) to call ambulances for the most ridiculous things - hangovers, broken acrylic nails, red eye etc...
The thing they all have in common...? They genuinely think that their situation is immediately life threatening.
Another thing that 99% of them have in common...? They haven't taken any paracetamol or similar basic painkillers

ToothTrauma · 18/09/2018 10:17

DH called one for me when we both thought I was having a heart attack in the street in the middle of the night. I wasn’t, but I did need the ambulance. Another time for MH reasons. I did need it. He couldn’t control me himself and my life was in imminent danger. We didn’t have a car either time.

I have called 999 when a car crashed next to me, and again when a woman collapsed at a bus stop. For relatives I’ve been able to take them to hospital myself but I would call if I couldn’t.

For me an ambulance is for when life is in danger and you can’t get the person straight to hospital yourself OR they may not survive the journey of you try.

StUmbrageinSkelt · 18/09/2018 10:18

I called one when I ruptured the bursa in my knee. It was swelling like something out of Alien and I could not bend it. No way would I have been able to get in the car. The ambos were sure I had broken it.

Thinkingallowed85 · 18/09/2018 10:18

I think you call an ambulance when a) it’s serious enough to need hospital treatment and b) you may need treatment en route to the hospital.

Greatorb · 18/09/2018 10:21

Yabu to call 999 unless it is life threatening. All other health worries should either be taken to your gp or 111. They can advise on most appropriate action.

HairyLegs11 · 18/09/2018 10:22

Ambulance Services are for medical treatment/triage/first responders for urgent accidents and emergencies and transferring to the nearest hospital.

DolorestheNewt · 18/09/2018 10:23

I called one last week for a colleague, but in hindsight a taxi was much the best option all round - quicker, and she didn't need an ambulance. Unfortunately, many of us aren't in these situations very often so you don't get to learn from experience!

Jaffacakesfordinner · 18/09/2018 10:24

When my partner first started having seizures i never knew what was right but he always told me no ambulance, just stay with him and keep him safe. Once he had 4 seizures in a row (full tonic clonic) after only ever having 1 at a time..he pleaded with me between the last 2 to get him help so naturally i rang 999. Turns out he had a virus that made his seizure meds stop working. Thats the only time ive ever called for an ambulance.

GreeboIsMySpiritAnimal · 18/09/2018 10:26

This is a timely thread for me. Just yesterday morning, I suddenly had intense pain and pressure across my shoulder blades and into my rib cage. Best I can describe it was it felt my bra had just shrunk 4 sizes. then started feeling nauseous and weak, like all my energy had just drained away.

I was alone in the house - DC at school, DH at work - so I went to lie down and Google my symptoms. Which turned out to be some of the symptoms of a heart attack for a women. Bit concerned, went onto the 111 website - which after I put my symptoms in told me to call an ambulance immediately.

I didn't. I felt like it couldn't possibly be ambulance-worthy. I wasn't in unbearable pain, I could still move around, I wasn't losing consciousness. Instead I lay down till I felt a bit better, then got on with my day. By lunchtime I felt fine again. But I still don't know whether I did the right thing, or if I should discuss what happened with my GP.

HairyLegs11 · 18/09/2018 10:29

I've worked in A&E for over 16 yrs, it is very common for people (all ages) to call ambulances for the most ridiculous things - hangovers, broken acrylic nails, red eye etc...
Shock These people should be billed for wasting important resources. It's no wonder the NHS is on it's knees.

hazeyjane · 18/09/2018 10:30

We have had an ambulance for Ds when

He had breathing difficulties (pneumonia)
A burn on the leg
Called by the doctors surgery (pneumonia again)

And have been told to call one if he has seizure like activity lasting longer than 10 minutes.

If it seems safe to take them in the car, we would do this ( waiting for over an hour for the burn call out was horrendous)

It can be a tricky judgement call.

Emmageddon · 18/09/2018 10:31

@GreeboIsMySpiritAnimal

Please make a GP appointment. Your symptoms could be something or nothing but get checked out.

stationaryace · 18/09/2018 10:33

I've been in an ambulance once in my life, recently. Called out by the GP after giving me morphine due to gastro-intestinal blockage. Although it would have been much quicker for DH to drive me in himself, and there was no risk of further damage by moving me etc, NHS policy stated that because of what she had given me I had to wait for the ambulance and be carted in. Don't get me wrong, I was hospitalised for two weeks, but after the drugs kicked in (for 4 blissful hours) I felt like such a fraud, waiting there.

sashh · 18/09/2018 10:33

I had what turned out to be ovarian cysts and had 4x emergency admission, three times by ambulance.

I was in so much pain I could hardly move and needed the gas and air en route.

The only other time I have used an ambulance the Dr called it for me.

Greeb

yes talk to your GP

FruitCider · 18/09/2018 10:40

If you are so unwell you cannot get yourself to hospital and you cannot get there safely by other means eg taxi or lift.

Cardiac arrest
Stroke
Heart attack
Seizure that lasts for longer than 5 minutes
Red flag sepsis
Open fracture
Heavy bleeds eg spurting Blood that is spraying across the room
Pain that is so debilitating that you cannot move eg suspected appendicitis, road traffic accident with suspected internal injuries
Stab/gunshot wound

And other similar injuries. If you don't need life support on wheels then you don't need an ambulance....

FruitCider · 18/09/2018 10:41

Oh and if someone is unconsciousness!

QuestionableMouse · 18/09/2018 10:41

@Greatorb

Can you fuck right off with this? There are times when injuries aren't life threatening but will still require an ambulance. There are times when a lay person isn't going to be able to judge.

My dad put off calling an ambulance for chest pain which he thought was indigestion. It wasn't, it was a heart attack and he spent nearly a month in hospital.

Imo as long as you're not calling because you dropped your takeaway, the batteries ran out in the remote or you broke your nail, the emergency services are happy to help.

bobstersmum · 18/09/2018 10:46

I think dire emergency really, someone not responsive, collapsed, different for children though! When I was pregnant with dc1 about 18 weeks I think, I suddenly started bleeding, a lot. I was terrified and in such a panic my husband called 999, the paramedics were absolutely amazing and told us we had done the right thing due to the uncertainty and amount of blood. I was taken to hospital and had a low lying placenta which had caused the bleed.

drspouse · 18/09/2018 10:50

With your gran, can you get her a phone where you can program in outgoing numbers? So that 999 gets diverted to one of your numbers?

We called 999 when DS had his first fit. We live 5 mins drive on a good day (and it was 2 am so no traffic) or 10 mins walk from the hospital BUT he was rigid so we couldn't put him in a car seat. We waited 30 mins but they did admit him.
Next time we took him in the buggy and since then we have a) medication (so he's actually controlled anyway) and b) criteria for taking him i.e. no more than 5 minutes he is OK.
So the first time something scary happens, you may call 999, but after that if you know what it is and have a plan you may not need to.

BlackeyedSusan · 18/09/2018 10:53

if we are unsure we dial 111 and let them decide.

ambulances for two asthma attacks, unconciousness, chest pains, and injured leg that required gas and air to move her.

Swipe left for the next trending thread