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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

How far are you from your nearest A&E and could you get your husband there quickly if you had to?

204 replies

verdantverdure · 05/01/2023 17:11

And what would you do with the children?

One of my neighbours had to get her husband to hospital recently in the absence of an ambulance and it took a borrowed wheelchair and several neighbours.

Am I being unreasonable to think most of us don't have a plan for this?

Could most of us get our partners to hospital fast enough in the event of a stroke or heart attack?

What's your plan?

OP posts:
Dunnoburt · 02/03/2023 19:32

Of course.... taxi...could get there in a heartbeat..... once there..... that's another story

soundsystem · 02/03/2023 19:51

I can see the A&E from my upstairs window so... 5 minute walk? Not that I'd be able to carry DH that far and we don't have a car. In an emergency I'd ask neighbours for help; someone with a car to drive DH (and me!) and some of the children/ friends/classmates who live on the street to have them in the immediate term while we make a plan. Would absolutely help my neighbours in the same situation..

lljkk · 02/03/2023 20:12

DH had to take me to hospital at very short notice. I can't recall who sat with the kids, friend or neighbours probably. He weighs about same as me so I could lug him into a car if I had to. 45 min. drive to full A&E.

WhoSaidWhat123 · 02/03/2023 20:17

We are around a 45 minute drive away, fairly rural and don’t have many ambulances covering a large area. Family is around 15 minutes away and we have a young child so would be a bit difficult if we had to make a quick dash to the hospital!

WhoSaidWhat123 · 02/03/2023 20:18

WhoSaidWhat123 · 02/03/2023 20:17

We are around a 45 minute drive away, fairly rural and don’t have many ambulances covering a large area. Family is around 15 minutes away and we have a young child so would be a bit difficult if we had to make a quick dash to the hospital!

And we’ve just moved to the village we’re in so couldn’t depend on neighbours to watch DD because we don’t really know them!

Dinosaurpoopy · 02/03/2023 20:23

We live a 15 minute drive, my family are 15 minutes the other side and could get the children from the hospital. Dh is blue light trained and can do it in 8 minutes

daisypond · 02/03/2023 20:25

I’d call an ambulance. When DH collapsed, I wasn’t strong enough to move him, let alone get him upright and on his feet. We don’t have a car. It would be impossible to get him into a taxi.

daisypond · 02/03/2023 20:26

Family is several hours away - I meant to say.

Phos · 02/03/2023 20:53

12 minutes drive door to door. As long as I could get him safely in the car, I'd probably drive him there myself.

Legoandloldolls · 02/03/2023 20:56

I would never be able to lift dh. He is 17stone. If I didn't need to lift him then yes

TheChosenTwo · 02/03/2023 21:01

If he could get in the car I could have him to the hospital in about 10 minutes. Dc would be fine at home without an adult. He couldn’t drive me there at the moment as he’s at the pub!
I had to take one of my dc recently in an emergency, the traffic was painful and once we got there there was a big queue outside a&e. But I got there and parked in about 20 minutes. I really didn’t think I had a spare amount of hours to wait for an ambulance (we didn’t) so took them myself.

ScreamingTree · 02/03/2023 21:03

I don't drive but it's exactly a mile away. If it wasn't urgent enough for an ambulance or there wasn't one available we'd get an uber.

We have a number of local friends who would be here in minutes if we needed urgent childcare (and have done in the past when I was admitted to hospital in an emergency), if they weren't available then either DH would go alone or the DC would come with us.

Namechangetobeanon · 02/03/2023 21:07

I’m 30 mins drive away from my a&e depending on temporary traffic lights which seem to pop up everywhere. Neighbor would help with kids& dogs thankfully.

OddBoots · 02/03/2023 21:10

10 minute drive, I think I'd need to use the computer chair to get him to the car though.

PaulaPaola · 02/03/2023 21:12

15-20 minute drive and children are practically adults so yes I could.
He couldn't get me there though, if I needed to go urgently, as he doesn't drive.

mightymam · 02/03/2023 21:14

7 minutes one way and 20 minutes the other way. Feel very lucky.

honeyrider · 02/03/2023 21:28

verdantverdure · 02/03/2023 19:01

How would you get him there if help didn't come?

Show quote history

I could drive him across the road in about 1 minute as I'm opposite the hospital. If he needed lifting I'd be banging on my neighbours doors and fortunately there's usually neighbours around as some work from home or have retired.

Woolandwonder · 02/03/2023 21:37

20 mins. I couldn't lift him but could probably get some random neighbours to help in an emergency situation. Do know cpr and have had to deal with quite a few other emergency situations fairly recently choking, seizures etc (although didn't require ambulances) so know I can respond pretty well in an emergency but wouldn't feel great about driving with someone critically ill in the back but I would do it if it was the best option I guess.

Silverstreaks · 02/03/2023 21:43

I could drive to city A&E in 25 minutes as long as it wasn't morning rush hours, that can see an increase of thirty to ninety minutes.
We have an Ambulance station at the top of our street so would try 999 first.

SleepyRich · 02/03/2023 21:46

If you have a car or know someone who can drive it's pretty easy to make your own way with most concerns. The average ambulance patient walks out and takes a seat after being encouraged to take their own paracetamol, maybe given an aspirin as well, it's not something you need to stress about or do a lot of planning for beyond knowing where your nearest A&E is. If something so serious occurs that you're unable to walk then unless it's a child/easily carried then would just have to await he 999 response.

I work on one of the ambulance cars, I've taken many many patients to hospital in the car as couldn't justify waiting for an ambulance when the patient can walk. If you exclude the frail patients whom struggle to walk normally it's actually extremely rare for a patient to need the carry chair/stretcher. We're often bemused by how many hours people are willing to wait for an ambulance when they've got a car on the drive, relative to drive them and are able to walk and talk. I mean if I thought I was having a heart attack I wouldn't consider waiting for an ambulance, I'd want to get to hospital ASAP so would get my wife to drive me in!! Whilst we can provide some symptom relief on an ambulance, it's the hospital where the treatment occurs in most instances.

monitor1 · 02/03/2023 21:48

ShowOfHands · 05/01/2023 17:13

I'd call an ambulance. Strokes and heart attacks still get iman immediate response here. A&E is a 35 minute drive on a good day.

Really, do you not live in the UK? From discussions with lots of other HCPs I know of nowhere that ambulances come immediately for anything.

Woolandwonder · 02/03/2023 21:50

Unconscious people are incredibly heavy. My sister has epilepsy and I regularly have to put her in the recovery position whilst she is unconscious, she's only 10 stone and it's an effort. The logistics of moving someone on your own, or even with some help from say upstairs in a house without any equipment would be challenging and pretty impossible in some cases I'd imagine.

JaffavsCookie · 02/03/2023 21:50

40 mins by car if traffic good, thank god for the air ambulance

Woolandwonder · 02/03/2023 21:53

SleepyRich · 02/03/2023 21:46

If you have a car or know someone who can drive it's pretty easy to make your own way with most concerns. The average ambulance patient walks out and takes a seat after being encouraged to take their own paracetamol, maybe given an aspirin as well, it's not something you need to stress about or do a lot of planning for beyond knowing where your nearest A&E is. If something so serious occurs that you're unable to walk then unless it's a child/easily carried then would just have to await he 999 response.

I work on one of the ambulance cars, I've taken many many patients to hospital in the car as couldn't justify waiting for an ambulance when the patient can walk. If you exclude the frail patients whom struggle to walk normally it's actually extremely rare for a patient to need the carry chair/stretcher. We're often bemused by how many hours people are willing to wait for an ambulance when they've got a car on the drive, relative to drive them and are able to walk and talk. I mean if I thought I was having a heart attack I wouldn't consider waiting for an ambulance, I'd want to get to hospital ASAP so would get my wife to drive me in!! Whilst we can provide some symptom relief on an ambulance, it's the hospital where the treatment occurs in most instances.

This is so true, there's so few situations I'd consider calling an ambulance in. I think some people must think it magics them to the front of the queue.

Forgottenmypasswordagain · 02/03/2023 21:56

I'd call for paramedics so he'd get medical help quickly. Hospital is 10 minutes away.