Thinking about people and NHS in general

More government spending on mental health services.

We have responders in cars that go first unless heart attack, etc to save the ambulances. They are very good and I'm sure it can save time with the time wasters.
We also have a number to call with nurses on the line for you to speak to. I had to call one night as I passed out with a pain in my side and they were able to tell me by my symptoms it sounded like I was passing a kidney stone and they were correct. It saved me wasting an ambulance.

not everyone has someone who can help, ie. take them to hospital

and my experience , once, phoning 111, the person answering insisted it was ambulance or nothing! no opportunity to speak with a doctor..

My son is a call handler for the police. They too have regular 999 users. Another thing is young people saying they can't get home from a night out. They mention feeling suicidal and the police are obliged to find them and take them home.

An emergency service cannot ethically block a number - after all the next call from that person might be a legitimate emergency.

They can or should be able to either send a bill for the time the medical team or police took to answer a call that proved unnecessary, or even be able to get the police to fine the person for wasting emergency services* time.

There is surely something sadly wrong with the system if a mentally ill person can repeatedlly call upon services she does not need, and nothing is done to ensure that this poor person gets the care and treatment she obviously does need.

FannyCornforth

BlueBelle Your neighbour has an ambulance come to her house up to ten times a day!?

Surely the ambulance service should have something in place to deal with her differently?
She is going to be costing a fortune, as well as putting others at great risk.

That is absolutely ridiculous. Every time an ambulance is called and attends, it costs the NHS £250 approx.

I live in Devon, on Dartmoor, we have had to call 999 a few times for an ongoing condition which causes extreme chest pain and blackouts. Also for my Father in Law who is 91.

We have a chap from the next village, with First Aid qualifications (his words), who appears on a motorbike before an ambulance reaches us. No issues.

My Mum lived in a large town in Gloucestershire, and we frequently had a 6-8 hour wait for paramedics. Even when she was on the floor and I couldn't raise her.

However, I am forever thankful for all the call handlers who stop you panicking, and ambulance crews who are kind and efficient...let alone our chap on a motorbike xx

Saga I had the opposite experience. DH at a hospital for blood test two days prior to his regular chemo session. His breathing was awful but we thought it was from chemo. Hemotology unit on seeing him said he needed looking at and they called an ambulance for us. Yes hospital called an ambulance as they only had a minor injuries unit and couldn't deal with breathing issue. I had a phone call from the Ambulance Service querying why they were called when we were in a hospital! Explained and they attended carried out tests, excellent service. Devision made DH had to go to A & E in major hospital but if Ambulance took him he would be at end of queue as he would be considered "safe" with paramedics looking after him. If I took DH, along with printouts of tests etc I would be treated much quicker. I drove and we were taken within 20 mins. Suppose we freed up ambulance that had travelled 20 miles to first hospital and had they taken us to A & E would have another 12 miles added a return journey of 32 miles. When people phone 999 ambulances are not on their door step sitting waiting for work. People should remember that.

I have hardly ever called an ambulance until about two years ago….. my husband falls 2-3 times a day…he’s 13 st and 76 and disabled.I’m 71 … weigh 9.5 st and I would have to pick him off floor . He cannot help himself at all…. he’s started to suffer from memory problems! Last year was horrendous…and then in May I was picking him off the floor for the third time that morning ….and I had my third stroke ( small)..thankfully! He was on floor in bedroom ranting and raving at me … I was stroking out on landing . I had left my mobile downstairs and it took me 25 mins if critical time to get to it with my husband telling me to ‘stop mucking about’. I called ambulance …they were there in 15 mins .. luckily my back door / gate was open. When they appeared one went to sort hubby out the other saw to me… my daughter turned up just after the ambulance !
I was sent to a stroke ward in a town 20 miles away my husband sent to local hospital…because he’s unable to look after himself. I was told EMPHATICALLY never to attempt ti lift him in future . Of course I have done because I think if he’s not injured then im wasting there time. He’s fallen twice this week… I’ve picked him up! Us oldies worry about calling 999 for no reason.
Although it’s getting increasingly impossible. The ambulance will be at my house 2/3 times a week if I called them every time he fell. Darent tell my kids I pick him off floor. They’d go mad at me.

About 3 years ago a 90 year old lady who was a distant relative of my DH sadly died. She had called an ambulance many times saying she had chest pains and was eventually taken to A and E. She was very rude to the consultant there and he arranged to have her sectioned. It was a terrible time but she was very difficult indeed.

Anything free is not valued by some people. I have just paid over £200 for Physio as I don’t want to be the 6 000 002nd person on a waiting list. I have followed the exercise regime to the letter - sadly I am now in the NHS system as the problem is too severe.

Never even thought of calling an ambulance when the injury occurred - I was brought up to “shut up and get on with it”. Frequent flyers are a d##n pain in the butt, but may have other issues, they do love all the attention though, I’ve noticed.

aonk

About 3 years ago a 90 year old lady who was a distant relative of my DH sadly died. She had called an ambulance many times saying she had chest pains and was eventually taken to A and E. She was very rude to the consultant there and he arranged to have her sectioned. It was a terrible time but she was very difficult indeed.

Perhaps she had dementia?

Slightly off subject, but I read, recently that defibrillators are sometimes donated to places such as pensiones' clubs, village halls, etc, and often not registered. The ambulance service can check online where the nearest machine is, tell the 999 caller, and it can be used before they get there, sometimes saving a life.
If the emergency services haven't been told about the position of new machines it could be fatal for someone having a heart attack.

icanhandthemback

At the moment, the Fire Stations can also send people with defibrillators if there is suspicion of a heart attack, etc. I would have thought that there could be a system of having volunteer/care workers who could attend to people who are known to have mental health problems. They could then alert the ambulance service if there was a bigger issue that needed a paramedic. A bit like the Samaritans with transport. Obviously this would need funding but it would take the pressure off the Ambulance Service who need to give life and death service. We also need more ambulances, paramedics and space in A&E to take people. My mother has sat outside a hospital in an ambulance for hours before she could get moved into the corridor of A&E. The ambulance staff couldn't leave her until she was "handed over" formally so for 4 hours that ambulance was out of action. That is completely ridiculous.

A defibrillator wouldn't have done me any good. I was having a heart attack, not a cardiac arrest. I needed to be in hospital quickly and have a stent inserted. In a way, I was lucky because I had a heart attack in Cambridge. An ambulance arrived within minutes and rather than being taken to hospital for assessment, the paramedics examined me, confirmed I was having a heart attack and blue lighted me directly to the Royal Papworth Hospital. While I was in the ambulance I was given oxygen and 300mg aspirin (the best thing you can do if you think somebody is having a heart attack) and was partially undressed in readiness for the op. When we arrived at hospital, the ambulance reversed into the cath lab entrance and I was treated. Sorry, but no GP or fire officers with defibrillators could have done that, nor could wasting time with triaging. There was no messing about, which resulted in a successful outcome.

GreenGran78

Slightly off subject, but I read, recently that defibrillators are sometimes donated to places such as pensiones' clubs, village halls, etc, and often not registered. The ambulance service can check online where the nearest machine is, tell the 999 caller, and it can be used before they get there, sometimes saving a life.
If the emergency services haven't been told about the position of new machines it could be fatal for someone having a heart attack.

A heart attack isn't the same as cardiac arrest. A heart attack is caused by a a circulatory problem, so the blood vessel needs unblocking. A defibrillator won't do that. If you think somebody is having a heart attack, please get them to hospital as quickly as possible.

Rather like those who turn up at A&E because they tripped and bloodied their knee, or have a bad headache ... or are drunk. However, might your neighbour be in the early stages of dementia? I'm not sure how that could be dealt with, especially if that person lives alone unless the phone number is marked when first calling the ambulance service that the caller may have dementia.