5 hours wait for an ambulance and counting

[FredaFox]

Not sure what else to say, my mum has mobility issues and today literally cannot walk, she also has incontinence which means frequent trips to the toilet
At 830 as much as I tried to get her to the toilet she couldn't move so I rang an ambulance, busy and could be up to 2 hours wait, fine we understood
5 hours later still no sign, my mums dignity is shot, she's wet herself, now unfortunately she's soiled herself
She's in agony trying not to wee as worried her continue pad will overflow
Don't know what to do, I'm helpless, I can't do anything for her, just here to rant really
I know the nhs is strained beyond belief and it's not their fault but this is heartbreaking

@Topseyt I don’t think this is right. She isn’t an emergency, as far as we know. She is in pain, but stable.

An emergency is people bleeding out in a car crash, having a serious heart attack right now etc. It is morally wrong to make a noise to get attention when other people have greater need. The services do their best and the answer is to give the information asked for and allow the call handlers to assign ambulances based on objective criteria.

When my mum had a fall and passed out, she came round in agony (later transpired she had smashed her shoulder in many places, right old mess) but she had to wait on a cold floor for just over 4 hours as there were other bigger emergencies to deal with. She wet herself, she had no choice of course as she couldn’t be moved or move herself at all.

The answer is to just pee yourself and then someone brings you a warm blanket. Emergency services are used to it, lack of dignity be damned.

Really feel for you op, awful awful situation for you and your lovely mum.
You are so understanding and calm, despite the distress and upset that this has caused you.

You are a very rare find, people are more inclined to be ranting and ripping the situation to pieces, complaining and behaving in a terrible manner towards the paramedics and call handlers.

Be assured that those members of staff will be aware of your length of wait and will be feeling terrible about it, this situation will be occurring frequently and will be one of the very reasons that at least one person on that shift will be contemplating leaving the service. No one goes into this profession thinking that the service that they will be a part of is as awful & stretched as this.
Those poor paramedics will have had an absolutely horrendous shift before getting to you and I’ll bet that they were so lovely and kind that you would have no idea.
So, just a warm virtual hug from me to say thank you for being so lovely.

@CustardyCreams

You are deranged.

Being unable to stand or a sudden reduction in movement, when you have previously had the ability to, is absolutely a medical emergency.

Google “cauda equina” for just one example.

Freda, I am so glad that your dm got help in the end and I hope you get some answers soon. Mumsnet attitude to calling ambulances is sometimes utterly baffling. Sudden lack of mobility obviously needs investigating. The NHS should be adequately funded so they can deal with car accidents and other emergencies.

OMG! All I can say is thank goodness I don't live in the UK. Any time I have called an ambulance - and it was never an emergency - they have arrived within minutes.

I'm sorry to hear about your long wait OP, and am pleased to hear your DM is finally getting help.

I hope you got some sleep, Freda.

So glad your mum is finally comfortable and being seen to.
Sadly, the help didn't come quick enough for my dad, we lost him in November

@FredaFox hope everything is OK now - I hope this never happens again but if it does they prioritize on the basis of the person's observations so if you are able to do this if helps:

pulse
count respiratory rate for one minute
blood pressure
are they confused when they normally aren't
oxygen saturations

I had to do this for my mum, we had by chance bought a home BP monitor a couple of days before and her horrendous reading meant that she got prioritized to an immediate ambulance.

[quote VaguelyInteresting]@CustardyCreams

You are deranged.

Being unable to stand or a sudden reduction in movement, when you have previously had the ability to, is absolutely a medical emergency.

Google “cauda equina” for just one example.[/quote]
Agree.

How can people be so lacking in common sense?

OP I hope your mother is all right, I hope you got some rest.

Well she's text me from hospital, still in a bay having bloods etc so no real news yet but she's being looked after

I'm up showered and got the washing on, I'm going to keep myself busy and shampoo her carpets!

@AnnaMagnani I fully agree she wasn't a priority, my mums an ex nurse and theatre sister we fully know the challenges and priorities of the nhs but when you get to 5+ hours and your lived one us in discomfort you seek whatever solace you can

@Imnotaslimjim I'm sorry to hear that , I hope you and your family are ok, I lost my dad 7 years ago and I miss him terribly. My mum is all I have now so just want her comfortable and home

You lot are a caring bunch thank you ❤️

Pleased to hear she is being looked after now, hope she is back home soon. Old age and the ill health it brings can be terribly unkind.

Sorry I didn't mean my post like that - I've sat for many hours waiting for an ambulance with my mum on the floor only for an ambulance to arrive and them say 'Oh no, we should have had you as a higher priority'

We learned how to speak their language and the next time they didn't treat her as 'just a fall' as we knew what to say. If her observations had been normal, we would still have had the long wait but I meant it might have been helpful for another person instead of like us saying 'fall' when actually your parent is really ill and the 999 person misses it.

@fredafox we're doing as well as we can. Today was our first father's day without him so that was tough but we're getting there. Glad your mum is being looked after. I hope they get to the bottom of it soon

@FredaFox hopefully you’re sleeping now but I just wondered how your dear mum was today?

@IAmDaveTheSerialShagger

With respect it's not the Ambulance Services job to take your mum to the toilet, it's neither life threatening or valid enough reason to even call them.

You are wrong. *@FredaFox* has done the right thing. Somebody who suddenly can't walk, definitely needs an ambulance to find out why her mobility issues have suddenly worsened. My husband recently spent a month in hospital for the same reason, after 111 called an ambulance because his mobility problems suddenly worsened and he could not stand. If the ambulance personnel hadn't come and got him he'd still be in his chair now. And as a result of the tests they did we found he has a very serious underlying condition. *@FredaFox* didn't call an ambulance to take her mum to the toilet. She called it because there is obviously something wrong, and she had no choice.

I hope your mum had an okay night @FredaFox and you got some rest.

@FredaFox was thinking of you and your poor mum and hoping you get good news today. What a worry for you. Hang in there!

How's your mum doing? my gran had a similar sounding condition (syringomyelia) and it was just awful. She lived with us my whole life so we could look after her until she passed just before I turned 18. Really hope your mum's ok x

Thankfully the unkind and hard of thinking posters were in the minority.

Hope you had a good nights sleep @FredaFox and that your Mum is soon back home, well.

So sorry to hear about your mum. I honestly can’t understand the nasty responses to someone in such a worrying situation in the middle of the night! Being so antagonistic and negative must be exhausting.

Fingers crossed for some news soon 🤞

I understand. We once waited 10 hours for an ambulance for my grandmother. It was 2am before it arrived. She wasn't an emergency, but there was no other way to get her to hospital due to her mobility. It's so stressful. I'm sorry you and your mum had to go through this.

Your poor mum. Glad she's in and being cared for now.

Hi all just a quick update as you've been so kind

She has cellulitis in one leg so is on antibiotics. This leg was her weaker leg however the issues are now in the other leg, so far she still can't stand up. She's had X-rays and they are thinking mri scan now it might just be arthritis but my worry is obviously if she can't stand she can't walk and how does she manage
She's had occupational health to see her? Might be seeing a physio today
I was able to visit for an hour and can go again today

bless your heart op.
it always takes a long time for an ambulance even before covid.
i do help she gets the help she needs

Hopefully everything will progress quickly and positively now that your mum is in hospital and tests and treatment has started.