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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

WWYD heart attack and no ambulance?

365 replies

1wokeuplikethis · 28/12/2021 00:47

This is what happened to our family today. My dad had a heart attack, I phoned 999 and I was put on hold. I’ve heard about this but never thought it actually happens. When I finally got through they said an ambulance would take 2hrs so I can wait or take him myself. Nearest hospital is 30mins away, so I needed my husband to drive so I could be there if dad went unconscious but seriously, WHAT DO YOU DO? I thought, the shop nearby has a defibrillator outside, should I take that? But I don’t know if you can take them. It was busy A roads the whole journey with speed cameras and every light was red- do you go through them? If dad had gone unconscious in the car, do you stop and pull him out on the wet road to do CPR? Carry on to hospital?

I felt so helpless. You always think an ambulance is round the corner but what if it isn’t and you’re just an average joe with no medical knowledge?

Please please tell me, what would you do in that circumstance? I was not prepared.

OP posts:
Zoeyclash · 28/12/2021 00:51

I honestly don't know how I would react in that situation. I hope your dad is ok.

vdbfamily · 28/12/2021 00:52

If not just me I would go in car, sir on back with him, go through red lights if no traffic but wait if not safe. I might grab the defib machine en route in case needed and would keep ambulance control up to date as they can sometimes meet the car if they become available.

PersonaNonGarter · 28/12/2021 00:52

Bloody hell. Poor you. How is your dad?

I would drive. We aren’t far from the hospital though so even with red lights it would be faster than 2hrs

vdbfamily · 28/12/2021 00:52

What did you do?

toomuchlaundry · 28/12/2021 00:55

Knowing me I would panic, and have to rely on DH to be the practical one. But not sure what we would actually do.

I hope your dad is ok Flowers

Pensieve · 28/12/2021 00:57

Bloody hell, that sounds awful for everyone involved. Hope you’re all ok Flowers

XenoBitch · 28/12/2021 00:58

Oh gosh, what an awful situation!
I would take him in the car anyway. Tons better than waiting for an ambulance right now.
I hope he pulls through ok Flowers

AliveAndSleeping · 28/12/2021 01:01

I'm so sorry. I hope your dad is ok. What did you do? This is one of my worst nightmares to be honest. What did 999 suggest? Did they stay on the phone with you?

To answer your question, I'd probably take him myself ideally with dh driving but no idea what I'd do if he became unconscious. If dh isn't at home it would be even worse as thecar park for a n e is quite far from a n e and I wouldn't be able to carry him or even support him if he can walk himself for that far

Hapoydayz · 28/12/2021 01:01

You poor thing. I would probably go in the car. The NHS is a shit show right now. I don't know why they bother with all the adds on what to do for strokes etc. When they can't provide the service. But more than anything I hope your dad is ok

Seafog · 28/12/2021 01:04

I have taken a first aid course every few years, through St. John's Ambulance. I can call 911, check for symptoms, administer cpr/AED if needed.
I would not move the person* especially as you can not administer cpr on a soft surface like a car seat, if needed.
It's super scary when it happens, but it is less so with training on what to look for, what to expect, and how to help.
I hope your dad is ok, and has a strong recovery. I hope you are okay too, it is a real shock when a medical emergency happens.

*If I have absolutely no method of communication to get help, and the person was conscious, and I was very isolated (150km to the hospital) I might risk transporting them

saltinesandcoffeecups · 28/12/2021 01:08

2 hours for a heart attack… that is ridiculous. I’m sorry you had to go through that I hope your dad is ok.

I’m not sure why bother spending money on an ambulance service with that kind of response time. You’d be better off paying taxis.

wanttomarryamillionaire · 28/12/2021 01:09

If he stopped breathing in the car he would immediately become eligible for a cat 1 ambulance. Yes you would have to pull over and do CPR.

Original poster
1wokeuplikethis · 28/12/2021 01:10

Thank you, it’s been such a shock. He had a heart attack last week and I knew he was staying with us so I brushed up on CPR but in my mind that was for if he had another and we were waiting 15-20mins for an ambulance. The operator didn’t stay on the line- she said wait or go, we were completely on our own. My husband drove and I tried to call ahead to a&e so they knew we were coming but nobody answered the whole journey. When we finally, agonisingly got outside I just fucking ran in and shouted help, my dad is having a heart attack, help please.

I don’t think I’ll ever get over that.

Dad is thankfully doing ok, but as a person who always likes to be prepared this absolutely threw me. I felt so abandoned.

OP posts:
Scrooge89 · 28/12/2021 01:12

I’ve thought about this as my good friend lost her amazing husband in July only aged 40 to a heart attack she did CPR on him. He died later in hospital. 3 children and her left behind.

saltinesandcoffeecups · 28/12/2021 01:14

The operator didn’t stay on the line- she said wait or go

That’s damn near criminal. In my area if something like this can be proven, at a minimum that dispatch would have been fired.

Rangoon · 28/12/2021 01:15

In my country I'd wait for an ambulance but in yours I'd have bundled him into the car and driven. I wouldn't have gone through red lights though as more likely to cause a crash on the way. The rate of success of amateur CPR is not great I think so I'd prioritise getting to the hospital. I mean obviously as a first step I'd perform CPR if there was no heartbeat.

immersivereader · 28/12/2021 01:16

Very hard situation... Not sure what I'd have done really. Probably driven??

IDontKnow00 · 28/12/2021 01:18

2 hour ambulance wait for a heart attack? That's unbelievable and terrifying. I'm so sorry this happened to you. Is this what it's like everywhere atm? Sad

CagneyNYPD1 · 28/12/2021 01:21

You absolutely did the right thing. I would like to think that I would have the guts to do the same.

saltinesandcoffeecups · 28/12/2021 01:27

Is this what it's like everywhere atm?

I know the favorite pastime here is to mock US healthcare. But our wait times average 4-9 minutes regardless of the type of call (stubbed toe, strokes, heart attacks, to picking up gran after a fall) for an ambulance.

I honestly can’t imagine counting ambulance wait times in hours.

Tangtoes · 28/12/2021 01:28

Bloody hell OP, so sorry to hear this, a genuinely horrendous situation but sounds like you did amazing.

The NHS is a pile of shite currently, it has been for a while but its next level now, its scary.

IDontKnow00 · 28/12/2021 01:30

I honestly can’t imagine counting ambulance wait times in hours.

Well neither can I or the rest of us who are in the UK. It's not normally like this. I've heard reports in the media of problems with ambulances being held up in hospitals for ages and unable to do handovers but I never imagined it's gotten to the point of a 2 hour wait for a heart attack!

Tangtoes · 28/12/2021 01:32

@saltinesandcoffeecups

Is this what it's like everywhere atm?

I know the favorite pastime here is to mock US healthcare. But our wait times average 4-9 minutes regardless of the type of call (stubbed toe, strokes, heart attacks, to picking up gran after a fall) for an ambulance.

I honestly can’t imagine counting ambulance wait times in hours.

Funnily enough when profit is involved services can be good. When they've been stripped back for years and people take them for granted and call for ridiculous things as its free at point of use its not good.
Original poster
1wokeuplikethis · 28/12/2021 01:33

I’m sorry to scare anyone, I don’t know if it’s the same everywhere but it’s been a horrible, horrendous experience and now dad is ok I’m sat here trying to comprehend everything that’s happened today.

OP posts:
Kanfuzed123 · 28/12/2021 01:35

Oh OP! How horrific. I’m so sorry that happened to you and your family. I’m glad your dad is doing ok, all things considered.

Can I ask where you live? Reason being my 3 week old had severe breathing difficulties x mas eve and as per midwife and HV advice (and nhs website as I’ve gone back and looked since) I called an ambulance to go to the local childrens hospital. Told by handler would be emergency and ambulance took 2 hours. We live in a city and about 10/15 mins in traffic from a hospital.

In your situation I think, I’d have gone 2 to a car, you in the back as you’d done more recent first aid training and the driver sped there and honked at anyone who got in the way. Not sure about red lights as that could make things even more dangerous, ran if no traffic and waited if there was.

Someone come in here but can you put in a complaint about a call handler? The least they could have done in this awful circumstance is to stay on the line just in case you needed assistance when driving DF to hospital and to give you some guidance.

As a general point I can’t believe that This is what our health service has become, reading posts like this i actually feel sick and terrified all in one. The nhs is our only infrastructure for emergencies and it is failing in life or death circumstances through years and years of underfunding that gets blamed on the scapegoat du jour (incorrect usage, immigrants and covid). Please stop voting conservative!