BBC 1 Ambulance

[HollowTalk]

Is anyone else watching this and infuriated with the patients who won't accept help? That woman who didn't want to go to hospital and wanted the GP to treat her at home really made me mad. It must be so frustrating for the ambulance crew.

I’m wiping away my tears as the credits roll. I don’t feel anger for Patricia, she had been in hospital for 4 weeks & was discharged the day before, she wanted to be at home. I think the GPs response was what was lacking. From the conversation we heard the GP had no intention of coming out to see her. It was a case of 2 overstretched care providers not meeting what the patient wanted.

I've just watched it and felt the same as you @thesurreyyouth
I just felt sad about the whole situation, I could understand why she didn't want to go to hospital when she'd only just been discharged after being there for 4 week. But I did also feel sorry for the paramedics, who must feel at a complete loss when patients won't accept help.

I didn't see much of it, but if an ambulance was called, surely the patient should go to hospital if that's the medical advice given? That lady was quite able to make a decision - why call the ambulance if she was going to refuse hospital? The crew could have seen other people in that time.

Every episode of any tv channel showing a programme involving emergency responders (medical, police, fire) just highlights the very vulnerable elderly people with complex health issues living in the community, needing more than outpatient appointments at the local hospital. Years ago the local GP would have conducted home visits. The district nurse team would have been the ones popping in, chatting to the patient, seeing to the medical needs whilst making a cup of tea. Remember the tv show ‘whete the heart is’?

Did it say whether she'd phoned 999, I just wonder whether she'd phoned 111 & they'd sent an ambulance? Or maybe the nurse they mentioned had called one? I missed that part so apologies if it was her that phoned 999 herself.

I think it was a member of the care staff that called round & called 999

She seemed thoroughly fed up. I know she should have gone to hospital but can't blame her for wanting to be at home.

The paramedics are bloody wonderful. So caring and kind and doing their best to make a frightening situation feel better.

I looked up their wages. They start around 25k. They deserve more.

thesurrey- not just the elderly as well. I was discharged 21hrs post major spinal surgery. Not allowed to lift anything, bend (even to spit out toothpaste) or twist
No sitting for more than 45 mins
I had nobody to help at all, and had to get myself to the district nurse clinic to get my stitches out (an hours wait and I couldn't sit!)

Did I hear right that the man who died of cardiac arrest had only just been sent home from hospital having been told an earlier episode was only a faint? If so that's tragic.

musicposy that's what i thought i heard. He had gone in that day and been discharged think that should be investigated!

HollowTalk i completely disagree. That lady had been in hospital for 4 weeks and just got out. She had made thedecision she didn't want to return to hospital and knew this could mean her death. It had been the nurse that had called 999. It must be extremely frustrating for paramedics but we have the right to give our consent or not to any medical intervention we require which includes being admitted to hospital.

@musicposy yes that is what had happened. Presumably it will have been investigated by the hospital and the coroner.
I did wonder if the paramedic shouldn't have mentioned getting the GP out before she had checked that they actually would come out.

Loved the 95 year old lady!

Those of you who, like me, have had to be a hospital in-patient for several weeks will know that it feels more like several years and you become desperate to get home. Every sympathy with Patricia (but also the ambulance staff - and her carer - who were so worried about her - not the GP though!).

Paramedics are amazing.
They should be paid a lot more.

I really liked Andrea (?)

Paramedics and the ambulance service seem to pick up alot of the mess due to shortages/over stretched other areas of society. They do an amazing job. I do like this series. It does show the difficult choices the controllers have to make and actually how stretched the service is.

I recall an earlier series of Ambulance which I think was based on the London Ambulance service. I was shocked at what people called an ambulance out for. Accidents in the home resulting in bad cuts etc. Yes they needed hospital treatment but that's the kind of thing i would drive a neighbour or family member to a local a&e or minor injuries unit for. My arm would need to be hanging off to call an ambulance. The amount of DIY accidents myself and dh have had and we've never called an ambulance. Although someone did point out to me that not many Londoners drive so I suppose it's not ideal to get the tube whilst bleeding or in pain but even so, I am shocked at what "minor" injuries some people deem ambulance worthy.

Yes. The elderly man who was in pain didn't need an ambulance. They needed better community support and joined up thinking. A social worker should have been the people making the phone calls. Not paramedics.

What Patricia needed was IV antibiotics. In some parts of the country this can be done at home by community nurses. It’s a shame that wasn’t possible for her and she ended up with paramedics x2 and another hospital stay.