Needed an ambulance last night..

Johnny Blaze

Corinthian

He's back!!!!

LIVERBIRD

Basil Brush Mk II wrote (see)

Hmmm, yes, it does help if you can say when you phone up, "Hello, it's Dr Brush from XX surgery here..."

(Obviously, I don't acshully say that, I'm not really Dr Brush...) 

I'd like it so much better if you were REALLY called Dr Brush BB!

Johnny Blaze

I like Mr Roy....

I like Mr Derek....

But which one's best?

Basil Brush Mk II

Shuffle over and pass the Pringles, will you?

goldbeetle

ZZ is dead long live ZZ

Corinthian

Every time I've needed an ambulance... and there have been quite a few occasions (Accidents, heart problems, crashes etc) They've never took more than 15 minutes to arrive... even the time when I didn't have a clue where I was or where the nearest road was...

Johnny Blaze

We had a paramedic on a motorbike and an ambulance out to Sam once.

But many times we just took him to hospital ourselves.

8 minutes by car

M...eldy

Corinthian wrote (see)

Every time I've needed an ambulance... and there have been quite a few occasions (Accidents, heart problems, crashes etc) They've never took more than 15 minutes to arrive... even the time when I didn't have a clue where I was or where the nearest road was...

You are that much of a liability they follow you from a safe distance  

[Deleted User]

Jokerman wrote (see)

She wasn't seriously ill then was she Giraffe? Now whose being melodramatic?

Actually she was seriously ill and the doc was at our house with 5 minutes and kicked up merry hell with the ambulance control centre when the operator was obviously not qualified to make a decision on a medical condition she knew bugger all about.

And the other reason I am aware she was seriously ill was because i was called to the hospital that night to say goodbye to her as the docs didn't think she would make it to the morning. Try explaining that to a 4 yr old....

LIVERBIRD

Having an epipen sticking out of your thigh makes you feel quite a lot better anyway so waiting for an ambulance is less of a trauma round here!

Corinthian

True Meldy... I've got NHS direct on speed dial

goldbeetle

30-15  I believe

LIVERBIRD

Corinthian wrote (see)

True Meldy... I've got NHS direct on speed dial

Basil Brush Mk II

LIVERBIRD wrote (see)

Having an epipen sticking out of your thigh makes you feel quite a lot better anyway so waiting for an ambulance is less of a trauma round here!

Useful cure for tiredness too, I hear

LIVERBIRD

Is it?

Basil Brush Mk II

Adrenaline certainly wakes you up quickly even if the little prick in the thigh doesn't

Mr Puffy

What's a sweatheart like you doing in a dump like this?

goldbeetle

 jokerman my sister in law had a brain haemorrhage in her sleep some years back 999 operator refused to send out an ambulance they thought my brother was taking the piss hoax phone call, they took her to A and E in a taxi

so no this kind of incident does happen and she was at deaths door and she didnt get the ambulance

Basil Brush Mk II

Most of the NHS system is good and staffed by sensible people, Jokerman. However there are always some people who just get it plain wrong. This wouldn't be the first time I've heard a story like Giraffe's.

goldbeetle

Ive no idea how the operators work but those are the facts

[Deleted User]

It may sound odd, but I can assure that the operator refused point blank to send an ambulance. I was so confused as I was anxious about my partner that I just accepted what she said and hung up. Thankfully my doctor knew what was wrong with my wife and dropped everything to come to the house.

It is the one and only time I have had to request assistance from the ambulance service for my own needs and it will be the last. I have no faith.

Basil Brush Mk II

Jokerman wrote (see)

Surely the 999 operator doesn't take the decision by themself if they have a concern. Don't they refer it to their supervisor?

Substitue "doesn't" for "shouldn't", and you have it right.

Giraffe, you had a bad experience and I'm sorry for that. But don't tar the entire ambulance service with the same brush. Even when I've had to call an ambulance without my "dr" hat on they've been great.

PloddingOn

I had the same thing - once, some stranger in a medial office tried to ring an ambulance for me and they flat refused to pick me up.

The second time, apparently having some kind of weird fit and being unconscious and shaking all over the place works

But then, they send out the paramedic first and HE decides whether it's a code red, yellow or orange...

Still went in the ambulance though  

Most EMBARRASING thing on the ENTIRE planet!!! 

PloddingOn

Also - the above could be the possible difference between an ambulance at 9am on Monday morning in London

And an ambulance at 9pm on a Friday night in Cardiff

Of COURSE the Welsh ambulance was the one that picked me up

LIVERBIRD

Basil Brush Mk II wrote (see)

Most of the NHS system is good and staffed by sensible people, Jokerman. However there are always some people who just get it plain wrong. This wouldn't be the first time I've heard a story like Giraffe's.

I've never had one refused, but then again I tend not to call my own when having severe allergic responses! The problem round here is that I tend to need medical attention when the pubs are spilling out and every ambulance in Warrington is busy with binge drinkers (the paramedics words not mine) and therefore they have to source one from further afield. I recall once sitting in majors and realising that I was the only person there who had not brought their condition about themselves. Made me wonder how the A&E staff cope - I know I couldn't do that job.