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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Ambulance and A&E performance drop to lowest levels on record

146 replies

JC544D · 14/04/2022 19:06

Ambulance and A&E performance drop to lowest levels on record

Are I being unreasonable in saying that this is the worst that we can ever remember it?

I used to think that if you called an ambulance in an emergency, that they would come rushing. That's what the emergency services are for.

Sadly, I don't think that this is any longer the case. It feels that today, you are just going to have to wait, if they even turn up at all. The same applies to the other emergency services.

What happened?

OP posts:
MyNameIsAngelicaSchuyler · 15/04/2022 08:29

I wasn’t trying to be funny I was making an observation on the state of the nations health. The most expensive / complex diseases are those of the brain, when the body is still functioning. If we succeed in killing off our bodies sooner than the the deterioration of the brain begins it’s a net win for the NHS.

portionplate · 15/04/2022 08:32

I don't think obesity actually shortens life that much. 3-10 years?

portionplate · 15/04/2022 08:36

Plus eating better is not a quick fix to reduce obesity. Personally I think it's a product of our hectic lives for many.

MyNameIsAngelicaSchuyler · 15/04/2022 08:36

I guess we’ll start to find out pretty soon. I’m sure the last 10-15 years of life can be pretty expensive for the health service in many cases.

What does seem clear is that there is little appetite across the population for living a healthy lifestyle which definitely diane help the current pressures.

portionplate · 15/04/2022 08:39

What does seem clear is that there is little appetite across the population for living a healthy lifestyle

Well lots of young people are far healthier than I was at the age. They exercise & eat well, don't really drink or smoke. However I think they have far more mental health pressures.

MyNameIsAngelicaSchuyler · 15/04/2022 08:46

In certain pockets that’s true, in others it isn’t. The divide in health inequalities is widening.

portionplate · 15/04/2022 08:48

And that's driven by socio economic factors as opposed to just because people are lazy & greedy.

hotdogsjumpingfrogs · 15/04/2022 08:57

Are there any statistics about the misuse of NHS? There are always stories about people calling an ambulance for a stubbed toe on threats like this, but I've never managed to find any stats on the percentage of resources used /wasted on trivial issues. I'm guessing if it was substantial there would be some formal way of measuring it?

I always fear it's a way of blaming individuals for a systematic failing...

OldTinHat · 15/04/2022 08:58

I wonder how many problems are caused by lack of accessibility to GPs in the first instance. I live in a county town and when I moved here, there were three surgeries. They've all closed in the past six months so we have no doctors surgeries at all. Rumours are one will be built but who knows how long that will take.

My 90yr old neighbour had a fall in her daughter's garden last autumn and broke her hip, arm and wrist. Ambulance took four hours to arrive, paramedics asked if she had lost consciousness, no, so they told her to call a taxi to A&E, gave her morphine and left.

choppitychipchop · 15/04/2022 09:02

@desiringonlychild2022 those figures are out of date, you should research more recent statistics which do not agree with that article any more.

ImanAccountant · 15/04/2022 09:04

Wards in my hospital are okay because it's childrens. However it's adults that is the issue. So you have a ward where 5 people could go home/'to a care home but there is Covid in the bay and quite rightly the care home won't allow them back in until the Covid outbreak id over on the ward which could weeks so you've got people who could go home blocking beds so the ambulances cant offload new patients because a&e is full and there's nowhere for admitted patients to go

mycatisannoying · 15/04/2022 09:06

The drinking culture in our country doesn't help the situation.

QuebecBagnet · 15/04/2022 09:07

@NurseButtercup. Yes. Including bed bound patients

Abraxan · 15/04/2022 09:08

Who then arrange an ambulance when someone could have took the patient to A&E in the first place. I had someone moan to me recently, “we waited 3 hours for the ambulance so I drove him to A&E myself”

To be fair I had this happen to me, but not through choice.

My BP was sky high, I was giving breathing more laboured and I had chest pain. I was actually at the drop in centre and a cat 1 ambulance was called. Due to ab era incident between me and the hospital the ambulance was very very delayed. We (Dh came to find me) kept asking for Dh ti be allowed to take me but the centre wouldn't allow it. Kept saying I needed to remain monitored and if anything happened on the way we'd be struggling.

After over an hour or two of waiting for an ambulance we'd been assured would be only a few minutes Dh finally persuaded them to let him take me. He and I had to sign paperwork which basically meant the health centre wouldn't be held responsible for any issues en route.

The health centre did say they would let the ambulance know and cancel it.

But I can assume it's similar via 111 in the case of long delays. Advised against naming your own way there for some health complaints.

ImanAccountant · 15/04/2022 09:11

@MrsSkylerWhite no they don't. Most ambulance patients get out into the waiting room

FreddyVoorhees · 15/04/2022 09:39

@Edmontosaurus

Years of Tory cuts affecting the entire healthcare system

I think the problem is that UK residents expect a Rolls Royce Health Service but are not willing to pay for it.

This.

Combined with a huge increase in population. Hugely increased life expectancy.

And an NHS that's never been brought into the modern era because every single time anyone does anything, the howls of outrage begin.

Throwing even more money at the NHS won't solve it, not as anyone wants to pay for it. They just want other people to pay for it.

Atmywitsend29 · 15/04/2022 09:44

It's almost like the services can't function properly when they've been chronically underfunded Shock

lollipoprainbow · 15/04/2022 11:13

@portionplate yes, I'll just wait and see how long before the racist card is mentioned.

CurbsideProphet · 15/04/2022 11:25

@BetsyBigNose that must have been absolutely terrifying for you and your family. I hope you (and they) are recovering 💐

MrsSkylerWhite · 15/04/2022 20:43

ImanAccountant

@MrsSkylerWhite no they don't. Most ambulance patients get out into the waiting room“

Not in our (reasonably regular) experience. At which point we have already been seen and assessed by a skilled medical professional.

Every single time my husband (rate, life threatening condition) has needed urgent care, he has received it, immediately, even during the pandemic.

mmmmmmghturep · 15/04/2022 21:06

Losing weight and excersising requires sticking to a routine. Those routines were disrupted in favour of lockdowns

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