Paramedics made my father go to hospital

[wecangoupupup]

My father has atrial fibrillation. He has had this for years.

He has been told multiple times what to do in the case of an episode of AF. Today, he had one while I was visiting. It took a long time to pass, so in line with his consultant’s plan my mother called 999, after the usual medications had been given at home.

In the time it took for the paramedics to arrive, the attack passed and when they did arrive, it had been nearly an hour since it had ended.

They still made him go to hospital as they “couldn’t rule out a heart attack”, despite my father insisting that he knows his body, knows what an AF episode feels like and knows when it has passed. All he wanted was to go to bed and sleep off the effects of the beta blockers he had taken.

They still essentially made him go to hospital, saying that they would make him sign forms if he didn’t which showed he had refused medical advice. I was present and the paramedics essentially made it sound as though he would be at the back of the queue if it returned and he needed an ambulance again.

Fast forward 10 hours and he’s still in hospital, no doctors available to read his ECG or his blood test results, and he’s been sleeping in a hard plastic chair. AIBU to think this is ridiculous? Paramedics really shouldn’t be encouraging patients to attend hospital when it’s not necessary.

Here here

how bloody entitled is she!

Given the Op has posted at least three different versions on this thread I think we can be sure she isn’t the best narrator of events

Why post in AIBU? You clearly think you are 100% right.

Don't forget the ambulance crew had never heard of AF 🤣🤣

Gosh doenst it

totally ungrateful cow

Had similar with mum - they do understand it but they will always take you to A&E

One of them said to me that they are hoping the guidelines will be changed

I think they're in a tough spot

Threatening you that an ambulance wouldn't be available later is not on

But last AF attack Mum had, we didn't ring for the ambulance. I don't like that but she's waited in A&E for 22 hours and just over 24 hours and age 87, that's more likely to kill her... she has a DNR and everything. So she isn't too bothered.

actually, we've have had two calls where we've told the paramedics that we're not going in... it's been going on for so long I've tried to pack it away in my head...

The stage we're at now is that it seems rather unfair to call them because why are we calling them if she's not prepared to go to hospital?

Anyway, I'm sorry he went through this

In reality, if you had needed to call them later, I'm sure they would've taken him though. They can't refuse can they?

Essentially you’re annoyed that he’s had his time wasted, well tough, that’s life. He could have signed their forms or left the hospital at any time so too bad.

Did they actually say that? Because earlier it was they insinuating it and before that it was that they asked him to sign a disclaimer. Story growing legs as you tell it. If you call an ambulance out and change your mind, please sign the disclaimer if you don’t want to follow their advice. Otherwise you can sue the NHS which takes more money from front line services. If he wishes to now leave the hospital, get up and go? They’ll ask him to sign a disclaimer again but he can just leave if he wishes.

You sound very foolish OP. The complaint you submitted will yield absolutely nothing in terms of sanctions as proper procedures were followed and good care was taken of your dad in terms of a best attempt to avoid a negative outcome for him. Giving correct medical advice and doing your best to get a patient with cardiac issues to be checker over isn't bullying.

Your dad is an adult who was perfectly capable of refusing to go with the paramedics that his own family asked to attend mind, and completing the paperwork to confirm this. Plenty of people do this. He could have also self-discharged when he got to hospital if he wanted, it isn't prison.

Perhaps best to educate yourselves on due processes so that you and your family don't find yourself in this situation again next time with the wrong idea and submitting time-wasting complaints.

He didnt have to go with them.
Obviously they would still send an ambulance again if needed.
He could leave hospital at any time.
This whole thread is about OP feeling foolish for not stick up for herself/Dad not sticking up for himself and looking to blame others.

Yes!

I wonder - are you workingOP? You see to have a lot of time to go about complaining

You are a fool OP! Nothing to do with you if your father can advocate for himself!
Ridiculous to make a complaint,total waste of time it won’t go anywhere.

He didn’t HAVE to go to hospital,he agreed to go.He didn’t HAVE to stay there,he chose to stay.

Give your head a wobble and be grateful your Father isn’t dead.

If he was worried he might need an ambulance later then he wasn't sure he was OK. They have to do their duty as they see it, if he got really ill after they left and they hadn't strongly suggested he went to hospital they would be in trouble and also feel really guilty. He could have said no.

Hopefully they will put this in the stupid pile and pay it no mind

i Lena what is the complaint? Called ambulance - it came - gave good medial care

Yup

As if it's some rare unknown entity 😂

Yes you are right - don’t know what they mean about your week

The graveyard is full of people who “know their own body”. Luckily, this time, it was AF. But paramedics hear it all the time that people aren’t that ill and someone is making a fuss. So are they supposed to just take everyone at their word? Or are they supposed to do their job?

She’ll embellish what actually happened out of all recognition, you know she will.

wecangoupupup · Today 18:30
Knowing him it wouldn’t surprise me! He’s on blood thinners so that would be a bloody big mess too!
It just makes no sense. He’s spent a whole day there just to be told what he already knew. What a waste of resources

where else did he have to be?

So.. your mother called an ambulance. It was no longer needed but an hour later nobody had cancelled it. Your father then said he'd rather not go to hospital as the episode has passed. The paramedics said if he goes against medical advice and stays at home there's no saying that a second ambulance will get to him quick enough. He goes to hospital, has a set of observations and a blood test and was then waiting whilst people who were actually having heart attacks were being treated, in a place where he could be treated if he deteriorated, whilst awaiting the results of his blood test and ensuring he didn't deteriorate. There is very clearly a shortage of ambulances, paramedics, doctors and nurses. If your dad went into cardiac arrest you'd expect him to be the priority. This time he wasn't but if he deteriorated he was in the right place. Absolutely complain about that if it makes you feel better. All those professionals love spending time dealing with complaints rather than checking blood results and writing discharge letters! If the paramedics suggested staying at home as there was too long a wait at hospital and your dad had a cardiac arrest would that have been the preferred way to deal with the situation? Mindblown that people really think like this!

And if he had had gone to bed and had a heart attack and died, would you be saying he was neglected and should have been taken to hospital?

wecangoupupup · Today 18:25
He does not need to be there. Chronic AF can be a risk factor, but only if it is chronic. Not a transient episode, like this one. I think half the issue is the paramedics have never heard of it so don’t know how to treat it.
Show quote history

omg I’m rolling around - how thick are you - paramedics don’t know what AF is - good you are thick - this has to be a wind up