On hold to ambulance

[AlizeeEasy]

Earlier this evening I had to call for an ambulance, I was shocked to be put on hold for a few minutes. I’ve never had to call them before so I don’t know if this is somewhat the norm, especially for a Saturday evening. Does this seem like it should be the case?

For context I had initially called for the police as I thought the matter was more appropriate for them and they answered immediately but told me to hang up and call back for the ambulance.

I have such a deep respect for the emergency services, so this isn’t a critique of them, just of the apparent lack of resources to cover busier periods.

Not true, we use private crews to respond to 999 emergencies Inc cardiac arrests. Some crews have only a few weeks training but get paid more then me, goodness knows what the service pays the company! When it's quiet we try to target them at hospital transfers and gp admissions but its never quiet so they're just used as a reg crew.

@EmmaAgain22 I wouldn't say so as it just goes to HR who do it as and when they have time. The compliments go on their records so they always appreciate them, even after 8 years DH tells me everytime he gets one haha.
Otherwise dropping something nice off to a station will definitely be appreciated!

GPs have up to 10% of their practice population phoning for an appointment each day. Say the practice has ~8000 pts (probably somewhere in the middle ground) that’s up to 800 people wanting an appt. There aren’t enough hours in the day, and there aren’t enough GPs about to employ. J Hunt promised x thousand more GPs but by the time he left there were a few thousand less.

the whole system is broken. It has collapsed. Our trust has been on max alert so much over summer and autumn - previously only seen a few days in winter. Work is a war zone. Patients don’t even get seen on the wards.

the painful bit is the collapse happening; its awful going to work knowing you can’t do enough for everyone. I’m hoping the new system (whatever it may be) comes in quickly so we don’t have to endure this (patients or staff) for much more.

This is EEast, they have uni students and internal training still so they get people in who then immediately move private or GP for more money. They have a few of the old guard left but mainly its people in their early 20s who don't stick around!

I waited 50 minutes for an ambulance this year. Category 1. 8 months pregnant and bleeding to death. They couldn’t tell us how long the ambulance would be and just kept advising DH to wait. He was looking at me dying, carrying his dying child and trying to decide whether it was worth trying to carry me to the car. 40 mins in he prepared the car and was trying to get me outside when the ambulance arrived. I lost almost 4 litres of blood. I’m not sure how I’m still alive. I shouldn’t be.

So to the PP who said category 1 is always quick… it’s not.

Also, just a little thank you to anyone who donates blood. I had 3 blood transfusions and wouldn’t be here (nor my baby) without them. ❤

I understand. I do. I just can't help thinking now is the worst time to leave; Although who knows when things may improve - if ever. I guess it's easy for me to see it if from only a patient's perspective. I mean I don't know how any Paramedic's do it for a day, let alone an entire career. Especially when there's so many infuriating time wasters

@SleepyRich Yes it is true! If a vehicle says PRIVATE AMBULANCE across the back of it, then it's for transporting dead bodies. You of all people should know this! I'm not referring to private ambulance firms, I'm referring to black vans which actually say "Private ambulance" across the back

ah yes, same issue here; the grads immediately go elsewhere or straight to private. I hope your DH is ok and the new job goes well.

Thank you! He said the grass might not been greener but the nhs grass is on fire already 😂🤦‍♀️

I think its one of those things when it'll always be the wrong time, for us as a family we have Dbaby2 on the way and DH has said several times this job will kill him. So time for him to move on!

I waited 12 hours for an ambulance for category 2 for my DM. The Nurse who assessed my DM and ordered the ambulance also consulted by phone with a doctor and advised the ambulance to be with her in 2 hours. DM in severe and excruciating pain and could not be moved for us to take her. The ambulance service called every hour to check up and apologise for the wait. The wait was horrendous.. The staff throughout were all amazing but this for them must be what they face every shift. DM died in hospital a few days later.

That's awful, I'm so glad you're both okay!

I agree.

From a patient perspective now is the worst time, but for the individual paramedics it can be a choice between leaving or destroying your own mental and physical health.

There is also the ballot for industrial action ongoing, the results will be known early December

I had cause to use 111 a few weeks ago, I did the online questionnaire and the result was 'call an ambulance". Fortunately I knew I didn't need an ambulance and it would be a waste of resources, I got a taxi to the minor injuries walk in centre. Talking to the nurse there and she said there are a lot of people calling ambulance's who don't need them due to rubbish 111 advice. Complete waste of resources and basically being used as free taxis for people who have no common sense.

ExtraOnions "Blaming “middle management & E&D advisors” is Daily Mail rubbish"

re middle mgmt
i blame senior mgmt too

it's not rubbish to say that the bureaucracy is insane

It'll be different depending on area, private ambulances don't transport in my area its a private company called John heaths who use black transporter vans.

There are several different private ambulances operating in this area, they're not black though either white or yellow and they respond to regular jobs.

I'm still waiting for them to call back from last Sunday

I meant a private ambulance service where patients ring in similar to 999 and pay with debit card to have someone take them to a&e in an equipped vehicle.

I don’t mean undertaker ambulances.

The private ambulance services seem to be providing contracts to NHS to plug the gap in ambulance staff. Not a good thing as actually it’s their better terms that’s taking them from the nhs and costing the nhs more.

That's absolutely terrifying. So glad you're ok.

The OP hadn't even been asked the problem before being out on hold, people assuming it's still ok for the greatest emergencies are being naive.

This is absolutely terrifying!

I knew things were bad from our own recent experience but can’t even imagine how that must’ve been for you and your family :(

I really wish there was an easy fix for this but seems if there are to be strikes, things will only get worse.

Christ, I feel like I’m going round in circles here.

THIS SERVICE DOES EXIST!

I’m a midwife. Believe me I know exactly what the Tory’s are doing to the NHS. I just find it shocking how naive some people on this post when they very likely voted for this.

There are times when family can't safely get the person down the stairs and into a vehicle. Paramedics are trained in safe handling and have equipment to help in these situations. Agree if it gets to several hours, though, I'd be absolutely desperate and have to call in help from neighbours.

I'm sure if it was easy enough to move the patient to take them to A&E in a car, taxi or public transport then of course that's what people would do rather than wait for hours!However, immobility issues, a patient being in so much pain they need morphine before they can be safely moved, etc, makes it impossible to get them into transport and driving for over an hour to get them to the nearest A&E. If it was possible for me to transport my DM safely then I'm sure the nurse and Doctor who she consulted would have advised me to do this - and I would have gladly done this but they ordered a ambulance - we are over an hour from nearest A&E. This is the first time in my DM life that she ever needed an ambulance, so absolutely not a regular occurrence - the family always got her to Doc, hospital appts etc and would have this time if it was possible.