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.

Yes , but the OP is determined to be a dimwit about this. Let her waste time on her complaint. As a previous NHS employee I can tell her that stupid complaints like hers get passed around the office and people laugh before someone does an easy read letter telling the complainant they are an idiot. It won’t be obvious you’re being called “idiot” but that’s what it will mean,

As a medical professional - yes, because if he had had any kind of medical emergency (particularly heart related) in that chair, he would have been saved. If he had had a medical emergency at home, particularly with a long wait for an ambulance, he would likely be dead. So yes, it is a medical opinion that a sick old man with heart issues having just had a cardiac event that couldn’t be ruled out as a heart attack, is better in a hospital.

The notion that paramedics don’t know what AF is, is utterly ridiculous. As is the suggestion that they told you that they would not attend a second time. My Son in Law is a paramedic and says it’s just nonsense. Either you’ve misunderstood or you’re embellishing. And what type of AF has your father been diagnosed with ? I ask because transient AF and chronic AF are two completely different conditions with the same underlying cause but different approaches to treatment.

You haven’t been specific about which type he has. What they do have in common is that if an attack doesn’t subside after self medicating or lasts longer than 15 minutes, then the protocol is to call an ambulance. The paramedics were right to suggest hospital attendance because transient AF can last up to seven days without observable symptoms once the initial discomfort has subsided.

Yes. Absolutely. Because he’s in the right place for immediate treatment should anything happen, rather than at home in bed where he could potentially die in the time it takes for an ambulance to arrive. Stupid question.

I am struggling to find the posts where people have said medical professionals can do no wrong.

I can find a lot of posts suggesting that the OPs medical determinations were less than systematic or informed by knowledge or experience. But that is a different thing all together.

Exactly. My dad has it as well. He’s also had ablation.

Unfortunately there have been times when patients have died in a&e waiting rooms and also died in hospital beds unnoticed.

Can't believe this actually needs to be pointed out...

Stop phoning for ambulances then, ffs

I’d still rather be on A&E having a heart attack than at home.

These events you mention are the exception not the rule.

What's concerning is that there are now 18% of people who have voted, who thinks the OP is NBU

The situation in the hospital is unreasonable. That's not the paramedics fault. They did the right thing.

This! 100% when you phone an ambulance you either think

• diverting medical attention away from those who urgently need it to those who don't need it at all is funny.
• or you or your loved one really needs, or at least probably needs urgent medical care.

Assuming you don't think the former, then you obviously think the later. You can hardly then blamed paramedics from agreeing with you!

I wonder what would have happened if the paramedics had left and then he had a major medical episode that was life-changing/ending?

Would the paramedics have had a complaint then too for not doing enough to make him go to the hospital?

And people wonder why health services are in the state they are

They could have just told him to sign their disclaimer/release form. What they SHOULDN'T have done was the bullying/emotional blackmail of telling him he may not get an ambulance next time. That's pretty close to coercive control!

I know 2 paramedics. They would never say that. A heart attack is a code / catergory 1 incident and they would not refuse to attend. It doesn't matter what form was signed. It's a blue light ambulance incident.

Were you there to hear what was said?

So why didn't he confidently sign? He could've done if he was really that certain that he was ok. Yabu - he is at a and e because he chose to follow their advice. X

I think the person you are replying to is on crack! These people walk amongst us.
You don't call 999 for nothing.

Oh, nothing from the OP today?

It often happens when posters don't agree with op, it goes quiet and we never hear from them again

Haha, I was being sarcastic, sorry!

People like you and your father are the reason I’m considering leaving the NHS.

Until they come on with the “ha!! So I was totally right!!” In this case, op will come
back Monday…the paramedics will be fired, doctors heckled and struck off.. and PALS will have given a compo payout of 6 figures..