To think this should be happening anyway?

[BudgeUpAnne]

Just read this on Sky News:

North East Ambulance Service (NEAS) has been advising some patients with non-life-threatening illnesses to see if a friend or family member could drive them to hospital rather than waiting for an ambulance.

The service has been under extreme pressure and patients are now at "unacceptable" risk due to delays to ambulance response times, its medical director said.

Dr Mathew Beattie said: "This was an incredibly difficult decision to take, but when patients are waiting an average of an hour for an ambulance that should be responding within 18 minutes, there is a risk for them coming to harm if they cannot get to hospital quickly."

I know this has been debated to death on other threads but it shocks me that people with non life threatening issues are still ringing for ambulances without exhausting all other options. And every Ambulance service should have taken this approach a long time ago rather than let it get to such a critical point.

It’s difficult to know what you will actually find yourself doing in a panicky situation - it’s always been my instinct to drive to the hospital on the couple of occasions where an ambulance may have been needed - once we were taken straight into resus . But we only live a 5 minute drive from the hospital and I think I am overtaken by a need to do something - I am not good at sitting and waiting. Other people would instinctively go for the ambulance.

I was haemorrhaging after having DD but compos mentis enough to arrange childcare for DD1 (from the toilet) and pack my joggers full of cloth to get a lift to hospital. When I tell the story people ask about the ambulance but I didn't for a second consider calling an ambulance because I could gingerly walk to the car. It was a 7 minute drive so I certainly got there quick enough for them to help me quicker than an ambulance. When DD1 had an accident on the playing field again we drove her to A&E because it was quicker.

I think unless you need care during the journey (broken neck/heart attack/oxygen) you're better off driving there. We had lots of strangers on the playing field offer help so we could have got a lift if necessary.

I think unless you need care during the journey (broken neck/heart attack/oxygen) you're better off driving there. We had lots of strangers on the playing field offer help so we could have got a lift if necessary.

I have zero medical training beyond a first aid course at school more than 20 years ago. I am not in the slightest bit qualified to decide whether someone needs medical treatment or is safe to transfer by car or not. Serious injuries and serious illnesses are valid reasons to call an ambulance and the system should be able to cope with that.

Don't blame people likely having the worst day of their lives and likely panicking. Blame the complete lack of government funding that means the ambulance service is unable to cope and deliver the service it should be able to.