To think most people who phone for an ambulance could make their own way to hospital?

[fillmeup]

Either by getting family or friends to drive them there or getting a taxi. Obviously if you’re on the floor with a broken hip etc and can’t be moved or had a severe stroke an ambulance is required but most people I’ve heard on the news recently talking about how long they have waited, I’ve seriously wondered why they waited 20 hours (or thereabouts) and didn’t just get a lift.

@Pleasepleasepleaseno

Having a child with breathing difficulties - how could you think the difficulty parking excuses are anything to do with your situation??

@Princesspollyyy because parking was the issue. I drove him to hospital rather than have the GP call an ambulance because I knew it would be quicker than waiting BUT the problem was not being able to park. If we were ever in that situation again I would 100% wait for the ambulance so we didn't have the parking issues. (Also if you do have a long wait for an ambulance there are worse places to be than a GP surgery where they have doctors and nebulisers) so my point was to people saying parking is not a reason to get an ambulance- it bloody would be for me now.

You're still not really getting it.

For serious problems such as breathing problems, the 'I can't park' issue is not aimed at you.

I'm not really sure why you replied. It's not relevant.

@Pleasepleasepleaseno

Also, our GP surgery doesn't have nebulisers. Something I found out recently, and was shocked at.

Well fair enough but the issue was the parking in my case. I wanted to drive him - the GP asked me if I had a car with me because if not he was going to call an ambulance. I CHOSE to drive because I knew it would be quicker. If I had that happen again I would call one rather than drive NOT because of the breathing issues but because of the parking along WITH the breathing issues. He WAS breathing but struggling. We needed help quickly and so my first thoughts were we'd be there quicker by car. I hadn't thought that doesn't really apply if you can't get out of the car. So really if you have someone that can't go in alone (like a child) then an ambulance is absolutely warranted if they need help quickly.

And that's mad that your surgery doesn't have nebulisers. Can you complain? Surely that's a basic they should.all have. DS used 2 before the GP said we needed A and E.

I do not recognise this idea that you can park close to the entrance to A and E. Our A and E has ambulances around its entry. The car park is a walk away.

Exactly. You can't park close in a lot of hospitals and in some you struggle to park at all.

@Pleasepleasepleaseno

I guess I could complain, but I don't think it would do anything. My DS was having a bad asthma attack, we were at the GP surgery, I asked for a nebuliser, but the GP said they didn't have nebulisers there, and to take 10 puffs of the reliever inhaler instead as it essentially does the same thing.

I declined, as he was already taking the blue reliever inhaler constantly which was doing nothing.

Very frustrating x

For goodness sake, OP said MOST people, not EVERYONE. Well done for using 999 correctly, but can you not comprehend that A LOT of people phone for an ambulance when they really don't need one?

I am sure plenty phone for an ambulance when they do not need one. A public education campaign that comi9ng in on an ambulance does not mean you get prioritised for treatment would help. Even on MN I see this myth being repeated.

Jesus Christ, I didn't say it did!

Sorry- I was a bit 'rambley' in my post.
I meant that anyone who has called an ambulance who didn't need to and is then diverted to minor injuries once at a hospital should be charged £50. Ambulances are not a transport to a minor injuries clinic. People use ambulances as transport and call 999 when there is no need instead of taking responsibility for getting themselves to minor injuries.

I understand what you say about mental health patients- I actually suggest that what we need are mental health services to prevent these crises, many are which are minor and short-lasting panics and could be calmed with conversation and support from a worker who knows the person rather than 999 ambulances. They would probably never get to the point of police. We can not be using 999 and ambulances for people who ring regularly because they feel scared/panicky/upset/are drunk again.

You didn't need an ambulance- they are not there to deal with panic attacks and comfort people who feel panicky/sad/ or are drunk and depressed. There should be better mental health services.
They are there to move potentially life-threatening illnesses/accident cases to hospital and stabilise them to get them there safely.

You shouldn't NOT call an ambulance when you think you're having a heart attack. You should call one, because heart attacks can kill you. If it turns out to be a panic attack, bloody great. Very irresponsible all this bitching about people calling ambulances when they need them.

@LuluBlakey1 You are minimising mental health problems.

I may be wrong, but I suspect a lot of ambulances needlessly called for are by parents for children panicking.

Obviously not 🙄 She said most people, of course there’s exceptions.

Got to see a local A&E and Urgent Care Centre the other day when the ambulance strike was on - was the quietest I'd ever seen it for a long time (I was there in a professional capacity) - so quite clear a lot of people unnecessarily use an ambulance as a taxi, and incredibly due to a strike, their ailment isn't seemingly as urgent without a big yellow taxi being on offer.
The ambulances were still bringing patients that were quite clearly medical emergencies, and none of the crews were complaining that they were struggling to get to those in need because of low staff numbers - it genuinely did seem that people were thinking "oh well if I'm not going to get a free ride, I won't bother/it'll wait".

And this is when the patient should call an ambulance, of course a taxi shouldn’t take a patient who fits into any of these categories 🤦🏼‍♀️.

The above reply is meant for the first sentence.

I live not far from a hospital and Me, DH and my kids almost got run over crossing the road by some bloke who was driving his friend to A&E at speed and ran a red light. He shouted out of the car ‘sorry my friend is bleeding!’ as he screeched past after we screamed at him.

I've had to do this twice once with my own child and once with a friends, very serious injuries, car was quicker and easier than an ambulance in both cases, also kids are pretty easy to scoop up.
Both times, pulled up at the entrance got somebody (staff) to help take the child inside gave a brief overview of what had happened and then jumped back in the car and went & parked it (once legally as it was easy but the other time there was nowhere proper to park so I abandoned it somewhere out of the way on a verge & got a ticket but didn't really care) and then raced back inside.

Thank you @wonkylegs

@wonkylegs Glad they allowed it at your hospital. They do not at mine. And I could not afford a ticket. I have dropped people off who can literally pop out of the car in seconds by stopping on the road passing A and E (so road cars go along to get to other bits of the site). But you cant stop there and get out and take someone into A and E.
There are officially two drop off car spaces instead. But now ambulances wait so long I have never seen them empty. They always have an ambulance in them.
I found it very stressful to stop and drop off a friend on the road who had been to her GP and was being admitted to hospital through A and E. I then parked up about 10 minutes walk away and joined her in the waiting room. But she could walk okay, you could not do that with a child or someone at all confused or frail.

I remember doing an antenatal class at the hospital when I was pregnant with DS and one woman said she'd be calling an ambulance when she went into labour "because its free init".