There is no ambulance service anymore

[Snog]

Twice so far this year NHS111 have told me that my dd needs paramedics to attend for severe chest and abdominal pain and that they are on their way.

Both times the ambulance service called me later and said they would not be attending that night as too busy.

I am posting this because I want people to know that there is no functional ambulance service any more.

If you need an ambulance try to take your loved one to hospital yourself instead. This could save their life.

Obviously when you get to hospital good luck with that but at least you are not waiting for an ambulance that will never come.

[RedHelenB]

I think that's a scaremongering post, obviously there are ambulances just not enough for everyone who calls 999. Hence them having to prioritise. How's your Dad?

[Allelbowsandtoes]

Tell that to the paramedics who are rushing from one urgent job to the next for 12 hours at a time.

[missbipolar]

Once the ambulance operations people receive a request from 111 they asses it, it'll be decided that based on their assessment an ambulance isn't required, or in some areas they sent taxis to people who need to get hospital but don't need immediate medical attention and then the people who actually need an ambulance are left. But wait times are horrendous, so even if your in dire need you could be waiting 4+ hours.

[Snog]

My dad is dead?
I was posting about my dd.
You might think this is scaremongering, I am sharing my experiences to benefit others. Even if NHS111 say an ambulance is on its way in my experience that is not true.

[Devilishpyjamas]

Agreed. Two neighbours have needed an ambulance this year. One, in his 90’s, waited for over 12 hours with a broken back, the other, also elderly waited 8 hours in considerable distress.

Some of the issues here are caused by the near collapse of social care - as the hospitals are full of people who need social care, not hospital, meaning ambulances cannot unload. I work in social care & can’t see anything improving any time soon.

[QuebecBagnet]

Agree. A friend was first on the scene at a 2 vehicle head on collision. Multiple broken bones, 2 unconscious people. 2 hours before an ambulance came.

[Thisismynamenow]

You're scaremongering, we've had 2 ambulances out in the past 2 months for my baby and they arrived in less than 5 minutes.

It's there, just prioritising the most urgent.

[Pmsfml]

An elderly neighbour waited 4 hours for an ambulance, then when they got him to the hospital there were no beds so spent 18 hours sat in that same ambulance. The doctor came round and treated him there. Its so sad what's become of the NHS.

[Devilishpyjamas]

@RedHelenB

I think that's a scaremongering post, obviously there are ambulances just not enough for everyone who calls 999. Hence them having to prioritise. How's your Dad?

This is not the case. The issue locally is that ambulances are stuck outside hospitals for up to 15 hours because there is nowhere to unload. Don’t buy the ‘public misusing’ narrative. The 90 year old neighbour with a broken back very much needed an ambulance - a 12 hour wait was not caused by people ringing an ambulance for a cold.

[Allthegoodnamesarechosen]

It depends. Neighbour was bleeding quite badly, we couldn’t stop it. Ambulance arrived in 20 minutes.
Elderly cousin fainted , doctor advised hospital, ambulance arrived in 30 minutes.
It obviously varies from case to case. Both examples during the day, but one in Scunthorpe, the other In Abingdon.

[Cwcwbird]

As someone who once worked for 111 that was part of the ambulance service in our area, she's not wrong. Unless you need the lifesaving equipment on an ambulance or the patient is unconscious, not breathing, at risk if you move them - get them there yourself if you can.

[phishy]

Why didn’t you drive her, or call a taxi or ask someone for a lift?

Might the problem be people calling for ambulances when a speedy trip to A+E would be better?

[Hearthnhome]

I think you are talking shit tbh. I get you feel the Service is poor where you are. But that's not the equivalent of it not existing.

But last December, my mum collapsed at home, there was a fast responder who arrive in 4 mins and an ambulance shortly after.

They tried their best, worked on her for ages but couldn't save her. They tucked her in her bed so we could see her and stayed until the police attended as they had to(classed as a sudden death at home). They were amazing. They even made us hor drinks while we sat in shock.

7 months later an ambulance was called round her neighbours where a young boy had a fit. Again, immediate response with 2 ambulances and fantastic paramedics.

[Devilishpyjamas]

@Thisismynamenow

You're scaremongering, we've had 2 ambulances out in the past 2 months for my baby and they arrived in less than 5 minutes.

It's there, just prioritising the most urgent.

Is a broken back for a 90 year old not urgent?

[Snog]

@Thisismynamenow I'm glad you got the ambulance you needed quickly

My point is that lots of people do not and if they knew that they could sometimes make other arrangements and this could save lives.

People assume that if they need an ambulance and have been told this by a doctor at NHS 111 who also say one is on its way that it will come

[PasnipPasta]

100% agree @Devilishpyjamas , they'll be nobody who wants to work in social care , medicine or the police force soon
Who wants to deal with the stress it brings
I wouldn't want that for my children

[QuebecBagnet]

@Allelbowsandtoes

Tell that to the paramedics who are rushing from one urgent job to the next for 12 hours at a time.

Nobody is blaming them but the issue is they’re not rushing from one job to another. They’re spending most, sometimes all of their shift outside a&e unable to offload patients. They’re as fed up as anyone about it. Not unusual to see 10 plus ambulances parked up outside the hospital where I work. When I talk to the paramedics they’re worried, one said recently there wasn’t a single available ambulance in the county as they’re all parked up.

[rockyg]

Tbf this is why I would never live far away from a hospital. I have called ambulances in the last few years though & they have been fantastic.

[Hearthnhome]

Also we called an ambulance for me when I was 17, on advice of the meningitis helpline due to the rash I had. 999 advised it would be a while so my parents should rush me to hospital themselves. That was in 1999.

People act like these things are new. They aren't.

[Devilishpyjamas]

No-one is complaining about the paramedics. The ambulance service here has said that the situation is dangerous, people are dying because of it & that it is unacceptable. They cannot do anything about it because the problem is in the hospital & social care. They are the symptom of very significant problems & a sector that is close to collapse.

If things are still working in your area maybe treat the rest of us as canaries in the coal mine.

[pastaandpesto]

It's not scaremongering where we live sadly. I've actually been advised by my GP not to call an ambulance, but to make our own way to hospital, should anyone in our family need emergency care.

[Brighton5555]

Have to agree . Had to call one last week early evening for a customer who had a prolonged seizure, and had hit his head on the way down catching it on a metal trim that was near the entrance door … causing a extensive head wound that was bleeding a lot.

Ambulance dispatch couldn’t say when it would arrive, in the ‘ old days ‘ they would say it’s on the way before you ended the call and on this occasion they took just over a hour to show up.

[NannyR]

We needed to call an ambulance out for a church member who had a delayed reaction to a head injury and was unconscious and having seizures. The ambulance came in 11 minutes, maybe things are quieter on Sunday mornings, but I was amazed after reading recent horror stories of ambulances taking hours.

[Geneticsbunny]

If it is safe to do so it has always been quicker and a better idea to drive yourself or get a taxi to a and e. Ambulances are for urgent things like anaphalaxais and heart attacks or for impact injuries where moving someone without equipment might cause more damage.

If we want a better health service we need to get rid of the conservatives. They clearly don't give a shit and reducing taxes will only make it worse.

[rockyg]

But what do people expect when the government has done nothing to prepare for the huge demographic shift? It's only going to get worse