Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Been waiting 12hrs for an ambulance

332 replies

Riggsisadino · 25/10/2022 03:55

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

OP posts:
LakieLady · 25/10/2022 12:48

donttellmehesalive · 25/10/2022 09:03

Social care is the biggest issue as many pp have said. A family member works in a private care home. They cannot recruit or retain staff for the wages they pay and are operating at increasingly dangerous ratios or paying agency staff much higher hourly rates. Families want staff to be paid more but do not want to pay more.

I have a friend who works in a dementia care home. She gets just over £10 an hour.

She has been bitten a couple of times, and staff are reguarly punched, slapped and spat at. They have a resident who likes to throw shit at staff. And the job is physically demanding, stressful and requires working unsocial hours.

I wouldn't do it for 3 times that rate of pay, but friend loves it and finds it really rewarding.

They are so short of staff where she works that they are using agency staff from overseas, and paying the agency £16.50 an hour.

walkinginsunshinekat · 25/10/2022 12:57

BigWoollyJumpers · 25/10/2022 12:48

But we wouldn't need more beds if they sorted social care. In some trusts up to 50% of beds are blocked by elderly people who shouldn't be in them. That's hundreds of beds. If you magically removed all those people, there wouldn't be a bed problem.

As we all know, they managed to clear these beds for Covid. Turns out it wasn't a good idea, however, they did clear the hospitals. It can be done. Why not now??

Jesus! they emptied the hospitals by discharging medically unfit patients to CH's and stopping all elective surgery.

I thought everyone knew this?

Of course we need far more beds regardless, the NHS wasn't brilliant pre 2020, we still had about 2,5m waiting for surgery/treatment & 40k vacancies in nursing alone & thats before addressing all the other AHP we need.

Atmywitsend29 · 25/10/2022 13:01

walkinginsunshinekat · 25/10/2022 12:57

Jesus! they emptied the hospitals by discharging medically unfit patients to CH's and stopping all elective surgery.

I thought everyone knew this?

Of course we need far more beds regardless, the NHS wasn't brilliant pre 2020, we still had about 2,5m waiting for surgery/treatment & 40k vacancies in nursing alone & thats before addressing all the other AHP we need.

Haha and as someone working in care homes when they did this, the way in which they emptied hospitals into CHs was abysmal, removed all choice,and frequently caused massive outbreaks within the homes that killed 14 people in a week!! (In the home I worked in) and massively contributed to the burn out of staff, many of whom left, causing the subsequent collapse of the social care sector.

LakieLady · 25/10/2022 13:01

oakleaffy · 25/10/2022 10:57

A taxi or lift to hospital.
Ambulances are surely for life saving things or really serious injuries?

Not everyone has family or friends close by who can give them a lift and not everyone can afford a taxi. The taxi fare to my nearest A&E is close to £30.

I was cross with my neighbours recently though. Wife fell down the stairs and badly gashed her arm, husband had a drink and couldn't drive, so they called an ambulance. I would gladly have dropped her at the local UTC, where they would have been able to suture it, I'm sure, or even A&E. I've made sure they know this in case of further falls!

Topgub · 25/10/2022 13:01

@britsabroad

What isn't true?

Your post tells us nothing about elderly or social care

stopbeingacunt · 25/10/2022 13:01

oakleaffy · 25/10/2022 12:40

These are good

EXCEPT my neighbour, 92 , fell and could reach her button- She had it on her, but it had slipped around and wasn’t reachable.
Very unlucky.
She died after 36 h on floor.
She could have shouted, I’d have heard her.

She “ Had had enough “ her daughter thought.
Neighbour said to me a few months prior “ I just want to join my Boys” ( In afterlife) .

I'm so sorry to head about your neighbour.

The alarms aren't failsafe, but I thing ever is. I have had 3 occasions in the last 6 months where I have suffered a collapse whilst being seated or laying in bed, so obviously the falls alarm has nothing to react to.

It is frightening, but at least if that happens and I die I won't know anything about it.

Supup · 25/10/2022 13:03

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.

They do and not always at the appropriate time either. Can’t expand as would definitely out me.

stopbeingacunt · 25/10/2022 13:03

sorry for the typos I use speech to text and I swear it's sole purpose is to smbarass me!

VaccineSticker · 25/10/2022 13:05

This thread… The state of this country… my heart weeps.

Haybo26 · 25/10/2022 13:05

LucilleBallsy · 25/10/2022 11:28

You should have called for a taxi or somehow got a neighbour with a car to drive them there.

Let's hope you never dislocate a hip luv!

TabithaTittlemouse · 25/10/2022 13:06

WalkthisWayUK · 25/10/2022 12:33

We need to do something to support the NHS. This should not be just stories on mumsnet. It should be all over the media and every politician should be answerable.

Maybe people could clap again?

MarshaBradyo · 25/10/2022 13:07

LakieLady · 25/10/2022 12:30

Money for social care would ease bed blocking, enabling patients needing to stay in hospital would get a bed more quickly.

This would free up space and staff in A&E so ambulances wouldn't be stuck outside for ages until there's capacity for the patient they're carrying to be admitted, so money would help.

Exactly solve social care and we get people put to get more in.

That and overall population health

Plus not against NI rise for social care

ithoughtisawapuddycat · 25/10/2022 13:10

I was recently offered an ambulance to be taken from the drop in center to the hospital which is about 5 mins by car. My issue turned out to be a stroke but the doctor at the drop in center didn't think it was!

It is ridiculous the situations they use for ambulances, if I'd have waited for one it could have been hours, as it was within 10 minutes I was in a&e and checked in.

BigWoollyJumpers · 25/10/2022 13:15

Atmywitsend29 · 25/10/2022 13:01

Haha and as someone working in care homes when they did this, the way in which they emptied hospitals into CHs was abysmal, removed all choice,and frequently caused massive outbreaks within the homes that killed 14 people in a week!! (In the home I worked in) and massively contributed to the burn out of staff, many of whom left, causing the subsequent collapse of the social care sector.

You misunderstand.... sorry. I am not advocating the decision to remove those people at that time. But, the underlying systems that were put into place, as you mention, by removing choice for example, but also funding up front in order to release people from hospital into care homes.

MayISuggestSomeThickCutSteakChipsToGoWithThat · 25/10/2022 13:17

ChagSameachDoreen · 25/10/2022 08:05

Get the poor sod into a car or taxi, FFS! Momentary pain is better than languishing for hours and hours.

It took 4 off us to get a lady who'd fallen and broken her hip up off the floor and that was with pain relief. Oh and all 4 of us are trained in lifting properly. OP has one side of the top of the body she can use. Not only is she likely to cause significant pain and potentially more damage to the lady she's with. She's likely to also injure herself in the process. Besides there is no way I would appreciate someone trying to move me by putting their arms under mine when I'd dislocated my shoulder unless I was off my head on pain relief.

PinkyFlamingo · 25/10/2022 13:22

ChagSameachDoreen

Get the poor sod into a car or taxi, FFS! Momentary pain is better than languishing for hours and hours.

I cant believe anyone would be so idiotic to suggest trying to moving someone with broken bones, especially a hip! Are you wanting to do permanent damage!

CoastalWave · 25/10/2022 13:23

ticktock19 · 25/10/2022 11:44

I had a fall outside last week and unfortunately have broken my arm in many places and dislocated my elbow. Unfortunately after waiting for the ambulance for 2 1/2 hours then my friend drove me to the hospital. The pain of moving and being driven was something truly horrific. A&E were absolutely packed and I waited a further 5 hours to be seen by minor injuries.
I went back and forth to X-ray and each time the corridors were getting fuller and fuller of people on beds with drips and numerous ambulance crews waiting to discharge their people too. The HCA's told me that 'corridor' is now a designated work area to be based at for their shift.
I was discharged at 11pm with my arm in a partial plaster and sling with the instructions to be back at 7am the next day for emergency surgery. This was then cancelled at 6.30am and 6 days on I'm still waiting. I'm told that it definitely won't be before Thursday as it's half term so they're short staffed and in all likelihood won't be until next week. I've investigated going privately but the surgeon I need is the nhs surgeon too so I won't get it any quicker. I'm ok in myself and just staying very still and appreciate that orthopaedic surgery always gets bumped for life threatening surgery but I'm very sad that things are this way.

People like you ringing for an ambulance for a broken arm, are why this lady is still stuck on the floor with a broken hip!

An broken arm does not stop you getting in a taxi and getting to hospital :S ( having had 3 broken arms myself and a collar bone I can confirm this)

Husband drove me to hospital last year with a broken leg! Never occurred to us to ring an ambulance for me- not an emergency and in no way life threatening.

If it's a hip and you're elderly and on the floor, you've got no chance of getting up to get into a car - it can be life threatening.

OP - hope you've been seen by now.

nilsmousehammer · 25/10/2022 13:26

Every area needs their cottage hospital back (many of the buildings still there) with beds that can deal with basic breaks, sprains, casts, dislocations, wounds, fluids, observation with ability to pass on to a hospital or fracture clinic as needed, with a children's team and a designated falls team. Possibly a cluster of these can have between them one drunk tank facility. This would help free up another time consuming time waste for police and A&E workers.

Then re establish recuperation nursing homes that can take people of all ages who no longer need active hospital treatment but still need nursing care and are waiting for social care packages to be created. They would be heavily dominated by the elderly with close links to move people on to home care or residential nursing homes.

Sort out GPs and 111 so that there are face to face appointments easily available in all areas who pick up the low level stuff and people aren't sent to A&E because they need to be seen briefly by someone qualified. Out of hours care also needs to be improved.

Every area also needs a separate designated mental health A&E which not only is staffed to assess and meet immediate need with referral onto other services as needed, but has facilities to provide place of safety which is often what is most needed and from which a lot of people could then be safely discharged back to community support. (Which also needs sorting out.) Also would help the police who currently end up doing a fair amount of this.

Then much tougher expectations for accessing higher level services with people turned away to go to the lower level matching facility as needed. But if people were not scared and aware that they can't get a GP appointment, that their child is ill and children can deteriorate etc, they would feel more confident to use those services instead of all the eggs being in the one basket of A&E.

If it's not a case of money, then possibly its a case of a major refit in how police, NHS and social care money is organised and spent.

nilsmousehammer · 25/10/2022 13:27

OP hope you've got help by now. Awful when you have to start weighing up which is worse - to move a badly injured person or the serious circulation damage of lying on the floor too long, a poster was talking about that the other day.

ticktock19 · 25/10/2022 13:30

@CoastalWave I didn't get an ambulance and made my own way to hospital. Other people phoned an ambulance as I was unconscious after my fall but then came round and after eventually being able to stand made my own way. I appreciate what you are saying but the decision to phone 999 initially was taken out of my hands.
I completely agree that my arm is in no way life threatening and that's why it's almost a week later I'm still waiting for emergency surgery. Sadly it's not a simple break I've got and my arm needs wiring, pinning and plating back into place for it to become functional again

EilonwyWithRedGoldHair · 25/10/2022 13:32

Wiluli · 25/10/2022 09:10

Dislocated bones than press on blood supply and lead to amputation . This should be considered an emergency . Make sure if they suffer long term damage they look into their legal rights . This so clinical neglect at its best .

But if there isn't an ambulance available what can they do? And there will be calls that are considered greater emergencies, and some of them will have to wait hours because the capacity isn't there.

Wiluli · 25/10/2022 13:36

EilonwyWithRedGoldHair · 25/10/2022 13:32

But if there isn't an ambulance available what can they do? And there will be calls that are considered greater emergencies, and some of them will have to wait hours because the capacity isn't there.

If it was you risking loosing limbs you would not be thinking that way . This should be seen a life threatening because it actually is .

nilsmousehammer · 25/10/2022 13:40

EilonwyWithRedGoldHair · 25/10/2022 13:32

But if there isn't an ambulance available what can they do? And there will be calls that are considered greater emergencies, and some of them will have to wait hours because the capacity isn't there.

In terms of basic economics it's farcical.

To use the case of the poster the other day: a family member had a fall, lay on the floor for hours and hours, blood supply was cut off because they were too badly injured to be moved, tissue and muscle were damaged to the point that some of it died.

When the family member finally got to hospital they developed sepsis and needed days and days of in patient care, taking up a bed and a lot of resources to deal with the secondary complication injuries and trauma acquired as a direct result of the first trauma not being responded to quickly. And that's wholly setting aside the awful impact on them personally and the family, that's just looking at good use of money and resources.

They probably could have been home the same day with a prompt ambulance response.

scaredoff · 25/10/2022 13:44

TabithaTittlemouse · 25/10/2022 13:06

Maybe people could clap again?

LOL. Yeah, and then vote Tory again.

MayISuggestSomeThickCutSteakChipsToGoWithThat · 25/10/2022 13:48

oakleaffy · 25/10/2022 10:57

A taxi or lift to hospital.
Ambulances are surely for life saving things or really serious injuries?

Pretty certain a dislocated hip is a pretty serious injury!!

Swipe left for the next trending thread