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AIBU?

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Original poster

To wonder if this doesn't upset you, nothing will

306 replies

ThirdWorld · 21/03/2023 19:21

I've name changed for this as it's very identifying.

I live in a small village and and as a treat after a long hard day at work popped into my local pub for dinner.

Lying on the floor was an elderly woman. She was covered with a warm blanket. She had tripped and fallen at lunchtime, and obviously badly hurt herself.

An ambulance was called at 12:30, she is still lying there in the middle of the pub waiting for an ambulance.

I've obviously read about how broken our NHS is and even read the thread on here where a poster had written about her aunt who had fallen and was waiting for about 12 hours for an ambulance. But reading about it and actually seeing it for real is even more heartbreaking.

This poor old woman has been lying on a cold wooden floor for 7 hours! The owners and bar staff have been amazing and are looking after her. Well as much as they can.

I can't tell you how useless I feel. There is nothing anyone can do. The woman has obviously been refusing food or fluid in fear of wetting herself.

I know from reading the thread I mentioned previously that there is nothing anyone can do but wait.

As we left they were getting her a pad to relieve herself. In the middle of a pub!!!

This is 21st century Britain! I don't know what I'm expecting from this thread, am tempted to call the local press to see if the publicity could hurry things along, but that would probably be even more humiliating for her.

This woman has no family and is cold, miserable and in pain lying in the middle of a pub.

I just can't believe our country has fallen to this. God knows when an ambulance will arrive. She will end up getting more dehydrated and probably go into shock. And there is nothing anyone can do.

So distressing to see and my heart bleeds for the poor woman. Just prey that none of your relatives ever have a fall.

Let's hope an ambulance comes soon.

OP posts:
Nimbostratus100 · 21/03/2023 19:22

how awful, poor woman.

BillyMack · 21/03/2023 19:23

It’s also upsetting to realise that there are people in a worse state of need and therefore a higher priority.

TenterfieldSaddler · 21/03/2023 19:23

I agree, OP.
The state of healthcare in this country is a travesty and a disgrace.
Could they have sectioned off the bit of the bar she fell in, or was it too small?
Poor woman, I hope she gets the help she needs soon. God help us all as we age in this shithole of a ‘developed’ nation.

LadyHaHaHeeHaw · 21/03/2023 19:25

Dear God that poor lady
Why have they kept the pub open though,can they not screen her off to give her some dignity?

theysaiditgetseasier · 21/03/2023 19:25

Awful! I wonder why no one took her to a&e though? I know people are worried in case they hurt her when moving but 7 hours in a public place whilst people carrying on socialising doesn't feel right!

Redglitter · 21/03/2023 19:25

Sadly its not uncommon. She's 'lucky' being indoors & being looked after. I know of a lot of cases where people have lain outdoors for similar/longer spells

It's an absolute disgrace but unfortunately the situation seems to just keep getting worse and nothing is changing

FrankColumbo · 21/03/2023 19:25

Did they not consider shutting the pub?!!

Gymmum82 · 21/03/2023 19:26

Unless very severely injured I’d wonder why no one picked her up and took her to a&e themselves. I know what I’d prefer and it’s not lying on a floor for 7 hours

Mateyduck · 21/03/2023 19:27

FrankColumbo · 21/03/2023 19:25

Did they not consider shutting the pub?!!

Exactly what I thought…

premicrois · 21/03/2023 19:27

I'm stunned that the pub owners didn't close off the pub or shift everyone to a different area. How awful.

coffeecupsandwaxmelts · 21/03/2023 19:27

Gymmum82 · 21/03/2023 19:26

Unless very severely injured I’d wonder why no one picked her up and took her to a&e themselves. I know what I’d prefer and it’s not lying on a floor for 7 hours

You shouldn't move people with certain injuries/suspected injuries as it can make things worse.

Tarantellah · 21/03/2023 19:28

The problem is that when a person lies immobile on a cold hard floor for hours on end, that causes additional injuries. Muscles are deprived of oxygen due to poor circulation and the cells start to die. Like when you sit on a hard seat and your bum goes numb - then imagine staying there until the muscle dies. Then the body breaks down the dead muscle and releases large amounts of chemicals into the bloodstream which damage the kidneys.

It’s called rhabdomyolysis and it can result in a person dying several days after the initial injury. If they survive, even if the broken bone is fixed, they still can’t walk because their muscles have died.

Fuckitydoodah · 21/03/2023 19:29

Poor poor woman. Why haven't they shut the pub though? I can't imagine they'll miss out on much money on a Monday night.

The NHS is broken and it's terrifying. It's hard to believe we're in a first world country in the 21st century.

Gymmum82 · 21/03/2023 19:32

coffeecupsandwaxmelts · 21/03/2023 19:27

You shouldn't move people with certain injuries/suspected injuries as it can make things worse.

Show quote history

So can lying on a cold floor for 7 hours!

Redglitter · 21/03/2023 19:32

Why haven't they shut the pub though? I can't imagine they'll miss out on much money on a Monday night

Youd be talking about the pub being closed from 1230 until heaven knows when. The way things are just now the owner probably just can't afford to lose lunch & dinner trade while they wait. You'd hope she's at least screened off for privacy

teenagetantrums · 21/03/2023 19:33

I had to call an ambulance a few weeks ago..my partner fell and was bleeding everywhere, broke a varicose vien. They were here in 20mins l was so surprised l was expecting hours wait. Guess it depends where you are. I would have expected the pub owner to at least close pub or move her to somewhere else if they couldn't get her in cab. Where people really having an after work drink while she was on floor?

PotKettel · 21/03/2023 19:33

It’s very sad by not new. A female relative of mine had a bad fall in a public place some years ago and had to wait four hours for ambulance. Eventually the pain and cold (from being on a Cold floor and having wet herself) meant her stats worsened so then an ambulance came and she was blue-lights to hospital. She has smashed some bones in her body during the fall and was in a bad state.

Tarantellah · 21/03/2023 19:35

The pain of a broken hip is unbelievable. It took a team of seven paramedics with inflatables to raise my Gran off the floor and onto a trolley, and they had to dose her with morphine first and she was still screaming. You can’t just put someone with a broken hip in the back of the car! Not to mention that the hospital has no beds so you have to lie outside in the ambulance for several hours - which means you need to have gone there in an ambulance.

MarshaBradyo · 21/03/2023 19:36

That is odd. Customers milling about whilst a woman lies on the ground, and the pad part is even more so

Daisybee6 · 21/03/2023 19:36

Gymmum82 · 21/03/2023 19:32

So can lying on a cold floor for 7 hours!

Show quote history

You can kill someone by moving them incorrectly

24KaratCucumber · 21/03/2023 19:37

There is nothing anyone can do.

Not voting Tory or supporting their policies would be a good start.

LadyHaHaHeeHaw · 21/03/2023 19:38

Redglitter · 21/03/2023 19:32

Why haven't they shut the pub though? I can't imagine they'll miss out on much money on a Monday night

Youd be talking about the pub being closed from 1230 until heaven knows when. The way things are just now the owner probably just can't afford to lose lunch & dinner trade while they wait. You'd hope she's at least screened off for privacy

She had tripped and fallen in their bloody pub, of course you'd expect them to close, not have people drinking alcohol around her
Let's have some sense of decency here
I feel for the pub losing money but come on...

Fallin · 21/03/2023 19:39

Disgusting both the wait for the ambulance and the fact the pub thought of money over this poor ladies dignity.

neverbeenskiing · 21/03/2023 19:40

Redglitter · 21/03/2023 19:32

Why haven't they shut the pub though? I can't imagine they'll miss out on much money on a Monday night

Youd be talking about the pub being closed from 1230 until heaven knows when. The way things are just now the owner probably just can't afford to lose lunch & dinner trade while they wait. You'd hope she's at least screened off for privacy

I can't imagine many people will feel able to sit there tucking into a meal and socialising while there's an elderly lady lying in the middle of the floor in a state of distress. I certainly couldn't.

marshmallowsforbreakfast · 21/03/2023 19:41

Why didn't they shut the pub???