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

[ThirdWorld]

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.

What point are you even making?

This is unbelievable, how awful!

I can’t count the number of patients with a bed guard who have climbed over it and fallen on the floor!

I drove dc into town last week and there was an elderly lady laying on the pavement surrounded by people, pillow under her head, covered with a duvet. Looked like she had been there a while. I drove home 2 hours later and she was still there laying on the pavement. It was quite a cold day. I couldn’t believe it.

When we had snow a few weeks ago, my mil refused to leave the house. I understand why.

What point are you even making?

I think the point was that this is an awful siutation and is made sadder by knowing it's not even the worst scenario that ambulances are being called to, hence the wait - because they are having to prioritise and others have been placed higher on the list. Which is tragic because this is a terrible scenario that seems like it should be high priority.

YANBU OP. Unfortunately what you have described is not new or uncommon. The Tories have destroyed the NHS.

@Cloudhoppingdancer surely the point @BillyMack is making is, imagine how bad the other patients are that the ambulance was prioritised going to them first (ie they must have been in a terrible state / risk of imminent death)

Did this woman have any relatives with her? Not enough information really to know the whole story.

Could they not have rolled onto a sheet and got her lifted off the floor onto a mattress or something at least. And yes why would the pub stay open? And what were her injuries?

There has to come a point where leaving her on the cold floor was more risky than moving her.

Some of you really don't live in the real world! I am sure if they could have moved her safely they would have! I am sure if they could afford to close they would have too,.although they probably didn't expect to be waiting so long for help to come. People are struggling, businesses are struggling. Maybe ask why she was waiting for so long for an ambulance and what the hell this government is doing about it! Stop blaming other people for her having to lie there with no dignity. This is the government's fault.

All of this is awful. The poor woman's wait for an ambulance. Everyone eating their pub grub and carrying on as normal around her while she lies on the floor. The fact that OP knows all the details so staff are being really indiscreet and people are gossiping about her unfortunate situation.

@LadyHaHaHeeHaw I guess l was a bit sarcastic. I was really saying ld have thought its pretty obvious why the pub wasn't closed....they could afford that. The punters (inc OP) obviously had a similar mentality...its awful, but what can I do...life goes on

Indeed. Years ago people might actually get themselves to A&E, now no-one moves anyone and would rather leave an elderly woman laying on a pub floor. The ambulances would have been attended people having heart attacks or strokes or RTE's so their is an order of priority with urgent first.

However, the Tories just don't fund the NHS the amount it needs for ambulances to attend quicker. So don't vote Tory?

Last winter I was with a lady in late 60's who had fallen in ice,she was lying in a frozen puddle for 4 hours at 0- temp before an ambulance came,saw her a few months later and after the fall she had ended up back in hospital because a sore had developed on her lower region where she'd been laying it had filled up with pus,she'd had to have an operation to clean it out and pack it.

Its actually terrifying the state of the NHS and not being able to count on an ambulance.

What can be done? Obviously not voting Tories is one.

Rishi and his billionaire wife pay their proper taxes is second.

Jail Boris for lying is third.

Send Rhys Mogg on an antarctic expedition to find a new energy source then leave him there is 4th.

How awful the pub staff thought it was ok to stay open. How mercenary can you get?

You're not meant to move them at all. They could become paralysed as a result.

Common theme here is it's mostly elderly people who are not seen as a high priority. The longer they are left waiting for an ambulance treatment the less likely they will make a full recovery and more chance that they will need more medical attention and be a greater burden on the NHS.

why didn't they shut the fucking pub?!?!?

I totally get why people haven’t moved her. But if it were me I’d want someone to try. If it was too painful then obviously stop. But I’d sooner someone try and get me in to a car to hospital than be left that long on the floor

It is all too believable and it is happening all over the country every day. I wish I could share what happened to a relative of mine but I would out myself. I think there is an element of ageism and sexism, as a fractured neck of femur is typically suffered by older women. When people on Mumsnet encourage posters to mislead call handlers for their children / others it results in these women who often have no one to be their voice waiting longer. I do, however, appreciate it shouldn’t decline into a situation of people fighting for priority, we all deserve decent, safe care in a timely manner.

As for the pub remaining open. I was in a restaurant once and the women in the next table went into cardiac arrest, they literally didn't cpr on the table and yet they still carried on! I can't blame the pub for not closing in this instance people can't afford to.

Anyone saying why didn’t they move her. I wouldn’t volunteer to be the one to do that.

picking my mother up off her bedroom floor only to hear a god almighty crack as I lifted her into bed before she was carted off to hospital in an ambulance in March 2020 as the last time I’d ever see her alive will haunt me and stay with me forever.

do not move someone unless you are either medically equipped or can risk the consequences.

21st century Tory Britain is starting to resemble a 3rd world country.