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.

So no body actually made him go anywhere. - they gave firm clear advice?

If the episode had passed why didn’t you cancel the ambulance call?

Fucking hell. I've officially heard it all now. You called an ambulance. They gave him their best advice. He had the opportunity to stay at home AMA but didn't. There is no way they told him he couldn't call a second ambulance if necessary. There is no such concept as "you'll go to the back of the queue" in emergency medicine. This is the most shitty, ungrateful thread I have ever read on Mumsnet. The words you are grasping for unsuccessfully are, "Thank you for checking and double-checking that my dad is definitely OK, the NHS is a wonderful thing, and all free at the point of need, how lucky we are in the UK."

Are you a Doctor? How can you ever tell it's "unnecessary"?

Bollocks.

Exactly

Agree with this 100
The entitlement and ingratitude

He knows his own body and he was right. So a complaint has been submitted.

The “threat” has gone from suggestion, to implication to gospel as the thread has gone on. My thoughts are that probably they were candid about waits etc. heart attacks need rapid medical attention- it’s highly possible this wouldn’t have been possible later on if they waited a long time for the ambulance already

If you make a complaint make sure you are more accurate with the facts than you have been here as your story seems to change over time in respect of what the paramedics actually said

Words have actually failed me.

How can you possibly believe the OP after she changed her story though?

If he knew his own body so well why call an ambulance at all?

So what is your complaint? You called an ambulance, they came, you didn’t like their advice so wouldn’t take it.

I ask again - if the attack ended an hour before they arrived - and he’d decided he wasn’t going anywhere when they did arrive - why didn’t you cancel the ambulance so they could be diverted to someone who needed them and was grateful for the help?

If he knew his own body why did you even call the ambulance though. The plan is never call an ambulance and that’s it. It’s call an ambulance for conveyance to hospital for urgent assessment and treatment 🤦🏼‍♀️

if he was having a heart attack an ambulance may not get to him in time. That’s not bullying it’s fact.

You’ve complained??
Don’t call a fucking ambulance again if he’s so completely certain he doesn’t need one!
What way does your mind work? 😳

Paramedics really can’t do anything right in some people’s eyes. Imagine being outraged that the nhs tried to double check in case of a heart attack and you didn’t want them to, then it turned out he had had a heart attack? This is such an odd thing to be angry about. I also don’t understand why you didn’t drive him to hospital if it’s something you’re used to. Its bank holiday weekend, 999 will be rammed.

What an ungrateful specimen that makes you sound.

Imagine complaining that your family member has received medical attention and is ok

If he's psychic and knew he was fine why did you ring the ambulance in the first place?
Next time pop him in the car and take him yourself would be my advice, avoid those nasty bullying paramedics.

Exactly

Feel so so sorry for the paramedics and A&E staff having to deal with these absolute specimens

I'm so glad he knows his own body so well and that you weren't caught out. Be glad you aren't visiting him in CCU tonight.

I once saw a patient in an acute medical unit just like the one your dad was in. I was convinced it wasn't ischaemic chest pain and told him so. He was packing up all his stuff to leave as I checked the bloods/ ECG "just to tick the box".

Patient was happy with this plan. He felt fine and was glad he could go and get to his golf game.

The bloods however were really really abnormal and he had stents placed later that week (this was years ago before primary PCI).

It was a really humbling experience and I have kept with me as I practice.

If you refuse admission and sign whatever they want then that’s for this contact only.
you are still entitled to phone for and be sent an ambulance again in a couple of hours down the line if things change.

AGREE👏