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.

[HamiltonFan1]

@PugInTheHouse

My son dislocated his knee at school and he waited almost 2.5hrs for an ambulance, he was in a huge amount of pain (is also autistic with sensory issues) but obviously not life or death even though we were told he was high priority. After over 2 hrs my friend who lived near the school came over to see him, she works in the surgical team at the hospital so called 999 again with the reference number the school were given, she used the proper medical words and they told her they'd be 5 mins, which they were. We live close to the hospital so it's not a remote area.

A friends brother had a heart attack and he waited 4 hrs for an ambulance. To me that's terrifying as you always assume for something like that one would be there very quickly. He is lucky to be alive, he had major surgery and survived. This is 2 different areas also.

Did she use proper medical words or use privilege to get him seen?

My niece is a paramedic and my parents get priority treatment if they call a certain number instead of 999/111 for an ambulance, which I greatly disagree with. She also has told her in laws what to say if calling an ambulance, and it's not medical terminology it's asking for a certain person and pretty much calling in the favour.

[Rosscameasdoody]

@Wouldloveanother

It doesn’t sound like she’s ’fiercely independent’ it sounds like she’s too infirm and needs more support than she can get at home.

I have to be honest and say I do object to the enormous amount of NHS resources that are used by elderly people living in unsuitable situations.

They then tend to end up ‘bed blocking’ (I don’t like that term but there isn’t another) because the situation has reached a critical point where they can’t be sent home.

It’s much better to move into suitable accommodation before it reaches this point so they are settled and in supportive, familiar surroundings when things really hit the skids.

Wow. How about a bit of compassion. The first priority is to provide care to keep someone in their own home for as long as possible - that’s where they do better. This posters’ mother is living independently, with no need for carers more than twice a week, and a bit of support from family and friends, but because she falls once and needs help, you think she’s ‘infirm’ and should be packed off to a care home - presumably totally against her will !! Bed blocking is due largely to lack of places in care homes so it makes little sense to place people in them when they do perfectly well at home with suitable help.

[Rosscameasdoody]

@ShirtingForkBalls

Stop voting tory. Stop voting tory. Stop voting tory....

👏👏👏

[Rosscameasdoody]

@HamiltonFan1

The alternative would surely be people taking responsibility for their own lives and making plans to not end up in a situation where you can't even spend £20 to get your child to hospital

ridiculous and tone deaf comment.

[MedPara]

@HamiltonFan1

My niece is a paramedic and my parents get priority treatment if they call a certain number instead of 999/111 for an ambulance, which I greatly disagree with. She also has told her in laws what to say if calling an ambulance, and it's not medical terminology it's asking for a certain person and pretty much calling in the favour.

If that’s true then that needs reporting.

[HamiltonFan1]

@MedPara

@HamiltonFan1

My niece is a paramedic and my parents get priority treatment if they call a certain number instead of 999/111 for an ambulance, which I greatly disagree with. She also has told her in laws what to say if calling an ambulance, and it's not medical terminology it's asking for a certain person and pretty much calling in the favour.

If that’s true then that needs reporting.

Apparently they all do it, her mentor even told her to!

Granted my Dad has had a few strokes lately and the last one he did wait for 4 hours for an ambulance, but he has been given a number to dial that will mean he will get seen a lot sooner, or if my niece is in the local area she would be rerouted to him as a priority.

I can't imagine it's rare since she has only just started her job a few months ago, so hardly keeping it secret for long term members of staff

[Neolara]

I rang 999 for an ambulance earlier this year and was on hold for 10 minutes until I got through. It was a Friday night, but I was still shocked.

[Rosscameasdoody]

@pickledeggnog

It doesn't really matter though if it's hard

Or even if not possible

They're not a priority for an ambulance, it's as simple as that. If they don't have people around them to take them to hospital that sucks but thems the breaks

No, ‘thems not the breaks’!! These are the consequences of conscious decisions taken by morally bankrupt Tory governments. We should not accept it because it’s unacceptable. If you voted Tory you’re now reaping the rewards along with the rest of us.

[LadyRoughDiamond]

Agreed. Colleague was having an asthma attack, lost consciousness twice. Had previously been hospitalised with asthma. Called an ambulance and was told there was a two hour wait. Took her myself in six minutes but it was bloody terrifying as I was so worried she’d lose consciousness again.

[MedPara]

@HamiltonFan1

Apparently they all do it, her mentor even told her to!

Granted my Dad has had a few strokes lately and the last one he did wait for 4 hours for an ambulance, but he has been given a number to dial that will mean he will get seen a lot sooner, or if my niece is in the local area she would be rerouted to him as a priority.

I can't imagine it's rare since she has only just started her job a few months ago, so hardly keeping it secret for long term members of staff

I have never done that.

[BertieBotts]

We live in Germany and you get a £10 bill for an ambulance. We've had it twice - once when DH broke his foot and I couldn't move him (he wasn't next to a road or we would have got a taxi) and once when DS2 needed to be transferred between hospitals as a newborn.

If it leaves you in financial difficulty you don't have to pay. The ambulance is free at the point of service but you get the bill a couple of months later.

[Rosscameasdoody]

@Wouldloveanother

Plus I hope your neighbour is happy with this degree of (unpaid) responsibility?

Well obviously they are, if they’re on the emergency contact list ! And why would a neighbour, who is possibly also a friend, want payment for being just that - neighbourly.

[HamiltonFan1]

@MedPara

I was referring to all the paramedics she works with, not every one in the country.

But it doesn't seem like an isolated issue, my best friends husband is a doctor and has a way to get ambulances out to friends and family real quick too, suspiciously fast - haven't asked but it does sound like he also knows who to call

[Kendodd]

I wonder if this idea of a fee for an ambulance would be counter productive and result in more ambulances being called?
I heard a psychology study about nursery fines for late pick-up. Nursery had no fines for late pick-ups and occasional late parents. They introduced fines, and parental lateness INCREASED. It was thought this was because with no fine, parents felt they had a moral obligation to show up on time. With the fine, they thought they were just paying for the extra time.

[walkingonsunshinekat]

@pickledeggnog

@Devilishpyjamas

Most with a broken bone or suffering a mild or mini stroke can be taken to hospital by someone else.

They don't need an ambulance

Ambulances are based on need

So of course someone having a heart attack will be prioritised over a 90 year old who has fallen down the stairs

What charmer you are.

That 90 year may well have a series of broken bones, moving them could result in those bones cutting through an artery and death.

They 'll be in a great deal of pain & distress esp if they have dementia but in your brave new Tory world they can wait.

One day you'll be old and lets all not hope you re found 3 days later at the bottom of the stairs.

[walkingonsunshinekat]

@ShirtingForkBalls

Stop voting tory. Stop voting tory. Stop voting tory....

My nan fell backwards and bashed her head, an off duty nurse was nearby and took charge, we offered to drive Nan to AE but nurse said your risking her life, you've no idea what damage she has or not suffered, esp in regard to broken bones and internal bleeding.

Ambulance turns up, accesses, stiches cut and says she can continue her evening at the restaurant, they were now off shift and whilst packing up i asked if they'd like a beer or similar as they'd been brill, they refused (rules against that sort of thing) but did say to our table if you want to help the NHS Don't Vote Tory....
Funny really as the only tory voter there was my Nan.

[PugInTheHouse]

@HamiltonFan1 no she didn't use her position at all, she just said what her job title was (an advanced practitioner of some sort) didn't say what hospital but explained what the exact injury was using medical terminology.

[TinyLittleBug]

111 is total shite, I don’t bother with them. It’s either GP appointment or A&E.
DH’s best mate is a GP and he echos my sentiments about 111. Waste of time and resources.

[Lancrelady80]

@BertieBotts

We live in Germany and you get a £10 bill for an ambulance. We've had it twice - once when DH broke his foot and I couldn't move him (he wasn't next to a road or we would have got a taxi) and once when DS2 needed to be transferred between hospitals as a newborn.

If it leaves you in financial difficulty you don't have to pay. The ambulance is free at the point of service but you get the bill a couple of months later.

IF fees are brought in, this would be a reasonable way of doing it.

[BlooberryBiskits]

@Lancrelady80

£50 is really not a nominal sum for many people! So many people suggest what in their eyes are "nominal charges" intended to put off those who abuse services. But the problem with that is many people genuinely in need will not call for help/ask for necessary appointments.

I know if we try to ring the GP we are subjected to 5mins recorded message desperately trying to get us to go elsewhere. I don't know the 999 call handlers' script, but perhaps there should be a built in sentence asking if it's possible/recommending getting to A&E under your own steam.

£50 really IS nominal if you are using an ambulance for what they are intended for, which is to provide on the spot treatment for real emergencies (heart attack/stroke/serious accidents/unconscious etc) and get you to a hospital in a life or death situation.

There are a lot of ethical issues with treatment not being free at point of accessible, but there are so many pisstakers out there (eg people wanting a prescription for paracetamol etc) that I do think this would be a better option

Like most things , some level of means testing /sliding scale charge to a bill that comes through a few months later would make sense

I have no idea what each ambulance call costs but I guess it must be hundreds: I’ve been told that a GP appointment costs roughly £50

[Sirzy]

£50 isn’t nominal for the disabled person who relies on PIP but has a disablity that means they need emergency treatment.

I am lucky that I live close enough to A and E to get my sister to run us in when ds chest is bad. But he has another condition which means if he has his emergency injection I have to call an ambulance to get him (he is on priority list) i don’t want to be worried about paying every time

[StopStartStop]

I don't think you're 'talking shit' or 'scaremongering', OP. I've heard the same from an ambulance driver. She said that people who don't need ambulances take them for things they could deal with at a pharmacy, and the waiting times mean ambulances stand in queues for hours.

I was transferred between hospitals in an ambulance in February, turfed out at the door, and made to line up outside in the cold. Thereafter followed a long wait in the general A&E waiting room (though my treatment had started in the first hospital) before being moved to a corridor then to a ward.

[Lancrelady80]

When I was receiving Carers Allowance for my son, I received the princely sum of £67 per week. A single person on Universal Credit gets £265.31 a month according to MoneyHelper. So sorry, I stick by what I said. £50 is NOT nominal. It may be only a tiny proportion of the actual cost, but can be a large chunk of someone's actual income.

[MedPara]

Nominal means far below the real value or cost, so technically £50 IS nominal for calling out an ambulance, which costs around £500 without adding any treatment/equipment used costs.

[Blocked]

@Devilishpyjamas

Six years ago my disabled son whacked his head very hard on the floor. It was bleeding and he had a small seizure after it. We rang 111 who said they would send a paramedic for treatment. The paramedic turned up, assessed, treated and said that if it happened again to ring 111 and ask for a paramedic to be sent out to treat as it was more a more accessible way for my son to receive treatment than A&E.

i am assuming that service no longer exists. It’s relevant because people with learning disabilities have a much higher avoidable deaths rate than those without learning disabilities and die decades earlier than they should. A&E/minor injuries is not easily accessible to him.

Paramedics can and will treat patients at home...they don't take you to hospital unless they really have to. They're not just ambulance drivers!