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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

I know IABU, blatantly using this for traffic. Emergency situation, no ambulance still, and need advice

765 replies

TheChinkOfaGlass · 19/12/2022 16:35

Hi everyone

My Auntie had a fall this morning and has seriously hurt her hip. Luckily she was close enough to the bed to get herself up on it.

999 said it is not an emergency and to contact 111, she was in severe agony and is 78 years old. I rang 111 who after assessing her, decided she did indeed need an ambulance.

I had originally offered to take her to the hospital but she lives on the top floor of a maisonette, and is unable to sit up (so a car journey would be no good and I would be unable to carry her to the car anyway. I did get help but she declined due to the inability to even sit up).

Her husband is disabled so isn't much use (I mean this in the nicest possible way, he is trying his best) other than keeping an eye on her.

So we could be waiting hours for an ambulance but in the meantime she is soaked through on the bed due to urinating on herself. I am going there in the next 30 minutes.

Is it safe to roll her to change the sheets to make her more comfortable? I don't like the idea of her lying in a soaking bed while she waits. I am also scared of causing more pain/damage by moving her. We do not know what's wrong, she thinks it may he her hip. I just don't know what to do. I have never experienced this kind of thing.

Her partner has managed to change her underwear but when the bed is so wet, it wouldn't really make a difference.

OP posts:
MoltenLasagne · 20/12/2022 09:12

I am so sorry to hear your aunt is still waiting for an ambulance, and also worrying about your mother's medication as well. It is genuinely scary what has become of our health service.

HiCockalorum · 20/12/2022 09:13

Good morning, I am so sorry you and your auntie are having such a dreadful time. I’m a paediatrician, so entirely wrong age range, but my main general concerns would be dehydration, pressure areas and skin and muscle breakdown which can all compound the original injury. First advice would be to see what situation is with GP - ideally, you want someone trained to assess her. If no luck there, try nearby community - any medics, nurses or paramedics amongst the neighbours? Try a call for help on website Nextdoor.com, asking for any properly trained people off duty.
With the strikes today, I have to wonder if she’s been better off carefully looked after in bed rather than potentially waiting hours on a hard trolley - you sound like you’ve done an amazing job.
Regarding toilet issues, I’d recommend some toddler sized nappies, and just hold them against her when she goes - they are v absorbent. Also, regular small sips of rehydration salts in warm water - she needs a bit of sugar and salt. She really needs to drink to stay in the best possible condition, even if that means having to pee on a nappy.
If I can help in any other way, please PM me - I’ll keep an eye out. Best of luck to you, and your aunt and mum.

tulips27 · 20/12/2022 09:16

This is terrible! So sorry you are going through this.

Start recording calls and make notes on times and contents of all calls so far now while your memory is fresh to support a later complaint.

BeethovenNinth · 20/12/2022 09:17

mandating the goddam vaccine was a bloody stupid thing to do. I was yelling with anger at the TV when that was announced. Moronically stupid

i am the one who said aunt has cardiac issues. I think she urgently needs taken to hospital and I would have no qualms about saying that. Many people don’t need an ambulance but she does.

peridito · 20/12/2022 09:17

Everything that HiCockalorum says .

Very interested to hear about technicians visit .Is that their job title ? Are they paramedics ? Who could they be ?

Wagsandclaws · 20/12/2022 09:26

Yes to the meds shortage.

I can't get my type 2 diabetes medication either.

I asked if there is a shortage and was told that Ozempic ( semaglutide ) keeps coming in and out of stock - this was last Thursday.

It's all such a mess.

Original poster
TheChinkOfaGlass · 20/12/2022 09:28

Metformin we were waiting for. Managed to get it. They saod it wasn't ordered until Friday but that's not true

OP posts:
TheCallOfTheMild · 20/12/2022 09:29

This is truly outrageous and frightening to read. 24 hours waiting for an ambulance with a suspected broken pelvis/hip?! And I'm sure your aunt's situation is being played out across the country with many others suffering similarly. I hope you get some response soon.

SomeBeings · 20/12/2022 09:32

This is terrible. I really hope something gets sorted too.

SchrodingersUnicorn · 20/12/2022 09:32

This isn't new. Last year we had to call an ambulance for a family member with a known heart condition who was having a cardiac seizure and chest pain and dangerously low blood pressure. 999 took 10 minutes to answer at all and about 5 hours later, still no ambulance, they called back and because they were still alive and now conscious (as long as they didnt try to sit up, because of the blood pressure) they cancelled the ambulance altogether.
It was 48 hours before we managed to transfer them to a car to get them to a&e ourselves (because they couldn't sit or stand without blacking out).

SchrodingersUnicorn · 20/12/2022 09:34

Really hope your aunt gets an ambulance soon OP. It is very worrying as the relative trying to help, much sympathy to you too

oakleaffy · 20/12/2022 09:46

@TheChinkOfaGlass
Can't believe that you are still left without medical help for a person with suspected fracture.
My elderly neighbour broke her femur {90's} and paramedics were around within half an hour and gently lifted her from the floor and have her morphine.
They were great.

The toilet thing is very bad..It must be awful for your poor aunt {and her carers} to have to deal with not being able to use a lavatory.

spookypump · 20/12/2022 09:54

wonkylegs · 19/12/2022 18:23

I'm really sorry you are going through this too, my mum fell yesterday and they thought she fractured her pelvis and couldn't move her. Care home staff were fab but they couldn't move her so they just put pads round her and lots of blankets to make her as comfy and warm as possible. Sips of water to keep her hydrated but not needing to wee too much. Lots of reassurance.
Wait for ambulance was 5hrs, wait in ambulance outside a&e was 13 hrs and the 11hrs in assessment unit waiting for a bed. She's just come up to a ward now. Thankfully just broken ribs but has to stay in for pain relief and she's extremely distressed as she has Alzheimer's but she's ok as long as I stay and talk to her. I'm having to go to hotel for a sleep in a bit because I've been up since yesterday so I hope she's ok. Got to say all the staff have been fab but the waits are awful. Make sure you have water and snacks to take with you and phone charger as you may need to stay with her a while.

I am so sorry that your Mum (and you) have had such an awful experience. It's a disgrace that things have got this bad. Animals would receive better care, not that they should suffer either but I hope you know what I mean. I hope you can get some rest and your Mum is on the mend soon.

spookypump · 20/12/2022 09:57

MingeofDeath · 19/12/2022 18:45

Have just finished shift at an ambulance service trust, some poor buggers have been waiting for over 7 hours for C2 (supposedly 18min response) ambulance. These are people who are fighting for breath, are actively having heart attacks and strokes. As harsh as it sounds, a potential fractured hip will not be prioritised over these people. Some of my colleagues have been sitting crying at their desks. The situation appears to be the same nationally. I know in Kent the other day there were 27hr waits for ambulances, in the Staffordshire are a a few weeks ago there were THREE DAY waits. People are dying and there is nothing we can do, it's heartbreaking, I didn't sign up for this.

Thank you for all that you do ❤️

oakleaffy · 20/12/2022 09:58

spookypump · 20/12/2022 09:54

I am so sorry that your Mum (and you) have had such an awful experience. It's a disgrace that things have got this bad. Animals would receive better care, not that they should suffer either but I hope you know what I mean. I hope you can get some rest and your Mum is on the mend soon.

Show quote history

Animals have very expensive private healthcare, {Unless one is able to use PDSA}.
Something desperately needs to be done about the NHS, it has been allowed to be run into the ground.

justasking111 · 20/12/2022 10:01

OH walking the dog this morning. A lady had just found a body, suicide. She dialled 999 , the handler asked her to perform CPR but rigor Mortis had set in. Five minutes the ambulance took. Now why at a time like this can they achieve this. Wouldn't it be better used on a living person

LadyGardenersQuestionTime · 20/12/2022 10:08

TheChinkOfaGlass · 20/12/2022 09:01

She didn't sleep great and is understandably ratty this morning.

2 technicians are apparently being sent to help with toilet situation but I have explained she can't be moved so who knows.

It may be different in Wales but if the ambulance service are sending a double tech crew then ours have some pain relief (entonox/gas and air) and everything necessary to take her to hospital - fully kitted ambulance + all the skills. They won't have higher level pain relief (IV paracetamol/morphine) but if your aunt can use the entonox well it's very effective and I've seen plenty of ?#nof (shorthand for possibly-fractured-neck-of-femur) transported by technician crews. Fingers crossed for her.

LadyWithLapdog · 20/12/2022 10:09

OP, so sorry your aunt is in pain and not knowing when it’ll get sorted.

And thank you to all HCPs working in such trying times. It’s inexcusable we should be in this situation in this country.

tulips27 · 20/12/2022 10:09

@justasking111 I see your point but a few years ago an ambulance would be dispatched to both cases promptly.

So what is behind this situation? What has caused it? And for once, it can't be explained by the Conservatives wanting to bring in private healthcare because I believe even after privatisation is implemented we will still use NHS emergency departments and services.

LadyWithLapdog · 20/12/2022 10:11

@justasking111 IKWYM but maybe it’s easier to offload (apologies, can’t find the right word) a person already dead, than waiting in the queue to get into A&Es with someone who needs intervention.

MessageToRudy · 20/12/2022 10:17

@justasking111 it's probably a different area to where the OP is. It's amazing how different each health authority can be

LadyGardenersQuestionTime · 20/12/2022 10:24

justasking111 · 20/12/2022 10:01

OH walking the dog this morning. A lady had just found a body, suicide. She dialled 999 , the handler asked her to perform CPR but rigor Mortis had set in. Five minutes the ambulance took. Now why at a time like this can they achieve this. Wouldn't it be better used on a living person

  1. Probably coded as C1 as it's a cardiac arrest and a public place and 2) different area/ambulance trust. Wales is performing particularly terribly I believe.
stbrandonsboat · 20/12/2022 10:27

A dead person isn't a dead person until a suitably qualified person has declared them dead, so a suicide in rigor mortis will still be classed as a cardiac arrest.

oakleaffy · 20/12/2022 10:58

justasking111 · 20/12/2022 10:01

OH walking the dog this morning. A lady had just found a body, suicide. She dialled 999 , the handler asked her to perform CPR but rigor Mortis had set in. Five minutes the ambulance took. Now why at a time like this can they achieve this. Wouldn't it be better used on a living person

So often bodies are found by ''Dog walkers''.
I know a person traumatised by having to do CPR on a deceased elderly relative. If someone is clearly dead, surely CPR is futile?

Laiste · 20/12/2022 11:20

Oh my god you're still waiting for an ambulance?!

I was telling one of my (grown up) daughters about this thread this morning and said i'd take a look and see how it was going. I thought the ambulance would have come by now and we'd be getting updates about the wait at the hospital.

Jesus.
Sad

My elderly mother (85) lives with us, and likes to go for a creep up the road and back on 2 sticks when it's not raining or icy. I've told her it'd be better not to, as much as she likes to get out, as if she has a fall now she's buggered! She won't listen though ... so worrying.