Been waiting 12hrs for an ambulance

Riggsisadino · 2022-10-25T02:55:25+00:00

I know it's all in the news but ambulance wait times are ridiculous and I know it's mainly due to people in a&e not being moved onto a ward and ambulances not being able to move into a&e. I am currently with someone with a dislocated hip and shoulder and we gave been waiting 12hrs. The pain is getting unbearable and I am struggling to reassure and calm and know what to do. They are saying that they have people in same catogory waiting longer to. I feel bad for the person I'm with but can't help to think people who aren't sat inside or are on there own. I don't know what the answer is but something neeeds to change

2Hot2Handle · 25/10/2022 04:09

I agree, it’s not great at all. The NHS really needs more funding. They haven’t forgotten about you? I appreciate it won’t help much, but could you ask them if you could give the patient painkillers while you wait?

Original poster

Riggsisadino · 25/10/2022 04:12

We've rung up once to say pain was getting worse and can't feel there hand anymore. We were just told they are extremely busy and that some people with life threatening illness are waiting to. They've had done pain relief yes.

OP posts:

BCBird · 25/10/2022 04:13

Omg. I feel so sorry for yiu. Thinking of you all. What on earth has go e wrong? People go to A and E so easily now,in fact it seems they are often advised this by their doctors. I hope you get some service soon. Take care.

Rowgtfc72 · 25/10/2022 04:33

Unfortunately it's not a new thing. My dad was sent home from hospital with a broken knee 8 years ago. We had 5 hours on the floor waiting for an ambulance. Another 5 hrs in a and e before they put him on a ward and another 48 hours before they scanned him and confirmed a broken knee. This was after 2 horrendously painful days of physio.

I hope help arrives soon for you.

Trainfromredhill · 25/10/2022 05:38

you ask them if you could give the patient painkillers while you wait?

of course you can give them painkillers while you wait. colleague recently scooped her dad off the pavement with a broken hip and took him to hospital by car because she realised that the momentary agony of moving him would be infinitely less detrimental than the long term damage of spending the night on the pavement.
lots of people use ambulances as taxis. But even if there were enough ambulances most hospitals are bursting and there isn’t anywhere for you to go once you get there.
hope the ambulance comes soon.

AnonyMouseToday · 25/10/2022 05:59

Can you get your friend into a taxi?

Moon22 · 25/10/2022 06:45

This is awful.
Is there no way you can get them into a car? You might be better driving to a hospital slightly further away- the local one sounds like it's jam packed and they'll be waiting hours/days in the department once they do get there by ambulance.

RosesAndHellebores · 25/10/2022 06:50

With a dislocated shoulder and hip, no I don't think the op can get their friend into a car. Paracetamol and/or ibuprofen is not going to touch that level of pain.

It's all about disorganisation. Money won't help.

Lougle · 25/10/2022 06:55

Could you phone 111 - they might be able to send a doctor out to give an injection while you wait.

rockingbird · 25/10/2022 07:06

This is shocking but sadly now very common!! I'm so sorry you and your friend are in this position and hope that an ambulance shows up soon. xx

Startuplife · 25/10/2022 07:09

This doesn’t surprise me. My sister was recently offered an ambulance for something she could quite easily have got a taxi to the hospital for or driven by any number of willing people. Obviously my dad drove her but why do they not ask if you can make your own way before offering an ambulance?!
There must be loads of people who accept seeing it as a free ride.

LadyPenelope68 · 25/10/2022 07:12

@AnonyMouseToday

Can you get your friend into a taxi?

I doubt it with a dislocated hip AND shoulder

thebellagio · 25/10/2022 07:14

I went to a&e last week after struggling to breathe. I was told I would have to wait 13 hours to be seen. A&e was so busy patients we’re sat on the floor

the NHS is utterly fucked

PeekabooAtTheZoo · 25/10/2022 07:15

Yes this sounds like a situation where you need to drive them as you’re not a priority and it’s not life threatening. They always advise against it for ‘elf and safety but at the moment they’re causing their own problems and maybe if they advised more people with less serious issues to use common sense and make their own way, this wouldn’t be as much of an issue.

PeekabooAtTheZoo · 25/10/2022 07:16

Obviously the ideal solution is to have a properly funded health service but that’s not going to change before you get to the hospital.

girlmom21 · 25/10/2022 07:18

PeekabooAtTheZoo · 25/10/2022 07:15

Yes this sounds like a situation where you need to drive them as you’re not a priority and it’s not life threatening. They always advise against it for ‘elf and safety but at the moment they’re causing their own problems and maybe if they advised more people with less serious issues to use common sense and make their own way, this wouldn’t be as much of an issue.

How do you propose the OP gets someone with a dislocated hip to the hospital?

7Worfs · 25/10/2022 07:21

Unpopular opinion but what needs to be looked at first is living arrangements and support for the elderly.

I live in a street with many people in their 70s, 80s and 90s. Honestly there is an ambulance here at least once a week, often more. One house had an ambulance attend twice in the same day.

I’m not suggesting to rob the elderly of their independence, but we’ve got to be realistic that we live much longer now and it’s no longer the norm to live with/nearby family. They need some level of support that can’t be outsourced to the NHS.

Eskarina1 · 25/10/2022 07:22

Hospitals are full because in some cases (my local hospital for example) 20% of beds are taken up by people who need social care support for discharge. There are people waiting hundreds of days when they do not need to be there. Its contributing to NHS staff burnout - nurses who are skilled and experienced in providing post operative nursing care are providing long term social care to patients with dementia. It's a different skill set. Hospital is also a terrible place to be if you have dementia (bright, busy, confusing) so people deteriorate and violence and aggression is a major issue.

Social care desperately needs more money. People do not want to do the work for the money paid. It wouldn't fix everything in the NHS but it would make a huge difference. No amount of organisation can fix the current mess without a functioning social care system.

It is much much worse than it has been

Sindonym · 25/10/2022 07:22

RosesAndHellebores · 25/10/2022 06:50

With a dislocated shoulder and hip, no I don't think the op can get their friend into a car. Paracetamol and/or ibuprofen is not going to touch that level of pain.

It's all about disorganisation. Money won't help.

Money into social care (ring fenced for wages, so greedy corporate care companies can’t feed their hedge fund backers) might help.

Really hope the ambulance comes soon

WilmaFlintstone1 · 25/10/2022 07:23

It’s all horrendous. Spoke to an 86yr old lady who waited 26.5hrs with a fractured femur. Thankfully she’s now okay, had to have major surgery but recovered. She is one of the lucky ones because people ARE dying as a result of this kind of delay.

Sindonym · 25/10/2022 07:26

26 hours with a fractured femur? That’s horrific. My dog fractured his femur recently & we said goodbye to him while he was under anaesthetic as we thought it would be cruel to bring him around in that level of pain. He didn’t have to wait 26 hours to be seen either.

No dignity either. We should be screaming about the state of social care.

OverTheHillAndDownTotherSide · 25/10/2022 07:33

A friend’s 90 year old mum waited 39 hours on the floor with a broken hip. She had it replaced but died a few days later.

Ambulance crew (not paramedics) are paid less than McDonald’s and Lidl workers. They’re leaving in their droves. You can’t replace them quickly due to the training needed.

Whole thing is a mess.

SuspiciousBanana · 25/10/2022 07:44

The NHS is a total disgrace. Covid was a massive smokescreen for its colossal failings. It’s run by the wrong people in the wrong jobs and poor communication. It’s NOT just lack of funding.

LaGioconda · 25/10/2022 07:48

7Worfs · 25/10/2022 07:21

Unpopular opinion but what needs to be looked at first is living arrangements and support for the elderly.

I live in a street with many people in their 70s, 80s and 90s. Honestly there is an ambulance here at least once a week, often more. One house had an ambulance attend twice in the same day.

I’m not suggesting to rob the elderly of their independence, but we’ve got to be realistic that we live much longer now and it’s no longer the norm to live with/nearby family. They need some level of support that can’t be outsourced to the NHS.

This.

The problem also is that people can't be discharged from wards due to the fact that no adequate care is in place. That is what causes the backlog when people can't be transferred to wards from A&E, and the consequential backlog in taking people off ambulances. The care system needs to be prioritised urgently.

thebellagio · 25/10/2022 07:52

7Worfs · 25/10/2022 07:21

Unpopular opinion but what needs to be looked at first is living arrangements and support for the elderly.

I live in a street with many people in their 70s, 80s and 90s. Honestly there is an ambulance here at least once a week, often more. One house had an ambulance attend twice in the same day.

I’m not suggesting to rob the elderly of their independence, but we’ve got to be realistic that we live much longer now and it’s no longer the norm to live with/nearby family. They need some level of support that can’t be outsourced to the NHS.

I completely agree. I live in an aging village. The big houses are filled with 90+ people living on their own who need carers 3 x a day. Like you, we have ambulances constantly to our next door neighbour. We have three developments taking place right now but none of them have any bungalows where these people could downsize and live independently at home in the village that they are used to and want to remain in

I’ve long said if the provision for downsizing/last home owners was given the same priority as FTB/affordable housing people would be able to live at home independent much longer, less risk of falls, if they end up in hospital for various reasons they can go back to their home rather than being stuck in hospital bed blocking because their home is unsuitable. It would free up a LOT of pressure on social services and the NHS but no one wants to admit it.