UK ambulance wait crisis..
Discussion
Not even halfway through November and it appears the waiting times for ambulances are already reaching critical levels...
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-59237935
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-59237935
Anecdotally my wife (who at the time was 7 months pregnant) collapsed In the street a few weeks ago. A kind stranger called an ambulance and waited with her. And waited. And waited. Then I turned up and also waited.
3.5 hours later the ambulance turned up. She and the baby are ok, but all the ambulance dispatcher could say whenever I called was "I have no ambulances available and it's up to you whether you want to take her to a and e yourself".
If someone was having a cardiac arrest they'd have had it.
3.5 hours later the ambulance turned up. She and the baby are ok, but all the ambulance dispatcher could say whenever I called was "I have no ambulances available and it's up to you whether you want to take her to a and e yourself".
If someone was having a cardiac arrest they'd have had it.
Depressingly, our government have had well over a year now to prepare for this.
All they seem to be doing is taking our trousers down further by forcing care home workers to quit their jobs over a vaccine.
The same plan is in place for NHS staff next year.
Biggest bit of advice for 2022 = do not get seriously sick/injured and require hospital treatment.
All they seem to be doing is taking our trousers down further by forcing care home workers to quit their jobs over a vaccine.
The same plan is in place for NHS staff next year.
Biggest bit of advice for 2022 = do not get seriously sick/injured and require hospital treatment.
princeperch said:
Anecdotally my wife (who at the time was 7 months pregnant) collapsed In the street a few weeks ago. A kind stranger called an ambulance and waited with her. And waited. And waited. Then I turned up and also waited.
3.5 hours later the ambulance turned up. She and the baby are ok, but all the ambulance dispatcher could say whenever I called was "I have no ambulances available and it's up to you whether you want to take her to a and e yourself".
If someone was having a cardiac arrest they'd have had it.
s3.5 hours later the ambulance turned up. She and the baby are ok, but all the ambulance dispatcher could say whenever I called was "I have no ambulances available and it's up to you whether you want to take her to a and e yourself".
If someone was having a cardiac arrest they'd have had it.
t, that's awful to hear, glad she's OK.Thing is it's nothing new. Back when we lived out in the country we saw a bloke slip and crack his head and was obviously going into shock. We got a blanket for him and the ambulance took four hours to eventually arrive. That was coming from Addenbrooke's Hospital.
It's grim.
princeperch said:
Anecdotally my wife (who at the time was 7 months pregnant) collapsed In the street a few weeks ago. A kind stranger called an ambulance and waited with her. And waited. And waited. Then I turned up and also waited.
3.5 hours later the ambulance turned up. She and the baby are ok, but all the ambulance dispatcher could say whenever I called was "I have no ambulances available and it's up to you whether you want to take her to a and e yourself".
If someone was having a cardiac arrest they'd have had it.
Hope the Mrs is okay, this is going to sound provocative, however why didn't someone pop her in the car, or call a taxi?3.5 hours later the ambulance turned up. She and the baby are ok, but all the ambulance dispatcher could say whenever I called was "I have no ambulances available and it's up to you whether you want to take her to a and e yourself".
If someone was having a cardiac arrest they'd have had it.
To the wider audience, isn't the problem people calling ambulances when cars or taxi's would do?
The NHS is no longer a a Health service it's an 'Are you going to die imminently, can we prevent that and stabilise you long enough to get you home' service.
I guess the ambulance service should be advertised as a mobile A&E for which you only call if immediate attention is required to prevent death and nothing else.
Not that I agree or support this, I have called the ambulance for a pregnant lady who collapsed in the street too!
Eric Mc said:
I am waiting for a year where there ISN'T an "NHS Crisis" set of headlines.
24 years ago we were told we had 24 hours to save the NHS.
Same here. I'm sure the NHS are under pressure but we get the same line every year. How are we supposed to know when there is a genuine crisis?24 years ago we were told we had 24 hours to save the NHS.
My brother was hospitalised with Covid recently, and both times the ambulance was called he got one quite quickly.
100SRV said:
Can't blame that on climate change.
What is the root cause?
Too many people
Not enough ambulances
Not enough ambulance crews
Increase in heart attacks/strokesWhat is the root cause?
Too many people
Not enough ambulances
Not enough ambulance crews
Lack of care home staff meaning they can’t take back residents/new residents from hospital
Patients unable to return home due to lack of carers
Patients stuck in hospital beds on wards due to the above
Ambulances unable to offload at A&E as A&E cannot move patients to the wards because the beds are blocked
I’m sure “get another job” Sajid and his cronies have manufactured the latest crisis
98elise said:
My brother was hospitalised with Covid recently, and both times the ambulance was called he got one quite quickly.
Well back in January I had to call an ambulance as my mother had a fall and we found her shaking on her kitchen floor after not answering her phone. The ambulance arrived pretty quickly after I went through the call-handler's extensive Covid questionaire and got quite angry about it.
Now though there seems to be constantly ambulances flying around with their lights and sirens going.
dundarach said:
princeperch said:
Anecdotally my wife (who at the time was 7 months pregnant) collapsed In the street a few weeks ago. A kind stranger called an ambulance and waited with her. And waited. And waited. Then I turned up and also waited.
3.5 hours later the ambulance turned up. She and the baby are ok, but all the ambulance dispatcher could say whenever I called was "I have no ambulances available and it's up to you whether you want to take her to a and e yourself".
If someone was having a cardiac arrest they'd have had it.
Hope the Mrs is okay, this is going to sound provocative, however why didn't someone pop her in the car, or call a taxi?3.5 hours later the ambulance turned up. She and the baby are ok, but all the ambulance dispatcher could say whenever I called was "I have no ambulances available and it's up to you whether you want to take her to a and e yourself".
If someone was having a cardiac arrest they'd have had it.
To the wider audience, isn't the problem people calling ambulances when cars or taxi's would do?
vixen1700 said:
princeperch said:
Anecdotally my wife (who at the time was 7 months pregnant) collapsed In the street a few weeks ago. A kind stranger called an ambulance and waited with her. And waited. And waited. Then I turned up and also waited.
3.5 hours later the ambulance turned up. She and the baby are ok, but all the ambulance dispatcher could say whenever I called was "I have no ambulances available and it's up to you whether you want to take her to a and e yourself".
If someone was having a cardiac arrest they'd have had it.
s3.5 hours later the ambulance turned up. She and the baby are ok, but all the ambulance dispatcher could say whenever I called was "I have no ambulances available and it's up to you whether you want to take her to a and e yourself".
If someone was having a cardiac arrest they'd have had it.
t, that's awful to hear, glad she's OK.Thing is it's nothing new. Back when we lived out in the country we saw a bloke slip and crack his head and was obviously going into shock. We got a blanket for him and the ambulance took four hours to eventually arrive. That was coming from Addenbrooke's Hospital.
It's grim.
100SRV said:
What is the root cause?
Too many people
Not enough ambulances
Not enough ambulance crews
Largely, it's a knock-on effect from hospitals and (especially) A&Es being overstretched.Too many people
Not enough ambulances
Not enough ambulance crews
A paramedic said:
He said the delays in handing patients over to hospital staff were causing havoc.
Mr Webber said waits of three or four hours were not uncommon.
"It means on a 12-hour shift we can only attend two or three incidents, whereas previously we would do six, seven or eight," he added.
Simply put, if the ambulances are sat there for three hours waiting to offload the patient then that's three hours that they aren't responding to emergencies.Mr Webber said waits of three or four hours were not uncommon.
"It means on a 12-hour shift we can only attend two or three incidents, whereas previously we would do six, seven or eight," he added.
My dad had a small stroke one morning in September as he and my mum were walking home from the local shops. He sat on the drive at home for 90 minutes waiting for an ambulance because my mum couldn't get him into the house. He then spent ten hours waiting in A&E for a scan, which he ended up not having as he'd entered the daily "sundowning" phase with his dementia and had become very agitated and distressed and refused point blank to co-operate with anyone. I ended up taking them home after 11pm.
deckster said:
100SRV said:
What is the root cause?
Too many people
Not enough ambulances
Not enough ambulance crews
Largely, it's a knock-on effect from hospitals and (especially) A&Es being overstretched.Too many people
Not enough ambulances
Not enough ambulance crews
A paramedic said:
He said the delays in handing patients over to hospital staff were causing havoc.
Mr Webber said waits of three or four hours were not uncommon.
"It means on a 12-hour shift we can only attend two or three incidents, whereas previously we would do six, seven or eight," he added.
Simply put, if the ambulances are sat there for three hours waiting to offload the patient then that's three hours that they aren't responding to emergencies.Mr Webber said waits of three or four hours were not uncommon.
"It means on a 12-hour shift we can only attend two or three incidents, whereas previously we would do six, seven or eight," he added.
Are we seeing more people having accidents that require A&E? Or is it some of those issues would have gone via GP previously but now unable to get appointments for weeks / call up at 8am when it opens and your on a call waiting for 60-90mins to be told all full today call tomorrow- abs you cannot book a future date either?
Is it the change in taxation for pension funds where if you go over the lifetime allowance it’s a punitive so they either retire straight away or drop the number of days worked for barely any difference in net pay.
Is it the £100-125k salary range where it’s 62% marginal rate due to tax free allowance taper removal.
Is it the hours they are required to work
Is it that they do not want face to face appointments
Is it no shows for appointments - missed appointments /late turn ups should pay or lose their slot.
MitchT said:
My dad had a small stroke one morning in September as he and my mum were walking home from the local shops. He sat on the drive at home for 90 minutes waiting for an ambulance because my mum couldn't get him into the house. He then spent ten hours waiting in A&E for a scan, which he ended up not having as he'd entered the daily "sundowning" phase with his dementia and had become very agitated and distressed and refused point blank to co-operate with anyone. I ended up taking them home after 11pm.
You have my sympathy. My late dad had alzheimers and I had 3 visits to A&E with him in the last 2 years of his life. On one occasion I was there all night sitting next to his bed. He more or less had a fight with the staff at one point. (He was very frail so couldn't do much harm.) My experience of waiting for ambulances is that they are focused on getting help quickly to those that most need it. Not that I'm suggesting that always works well.
vixen1700 said:
princeperch said:
Anecdotally my wife (who at the time was 7 months pregnant) collapsed In the street a few weeks ago. A kind stranger called an ambulance and waited with her. And waited. And waited. Then I turned up and also waited.
3.5 hours later the ambulance turned up. She and the baby are ok, but all the ambulance dispatcher could say whenever I called was "I have no ambulances available and it's up to you whether you want to take her to a and e yourself".
If someone was having a cardiac arrest they'd have had it.
s3.5 hours later the ambulance turned up. She and the baby are ok, but all the ambulance dispatcher could say whenever I called was "I have no ambulances available and it's up to you whether you want to take her to a and e yourself".
If someone was having a cardiac arrest they'd have had it.
t, that's awful to hear, glad she's OK.Thing is it's nothing new. Back when we lived out in the country we saw a bloke slip and crack his head and was obviously going into shock. We got a blanket for him and the ambulance took four hours to eventually arrive. That was coming from Addenbrooke's Hospital.
It's grim.
When our daughter was just a few months old last year she got ill and had some breathing difficulty. She went proper lethargic and limp so we phoned 111 and they straight away went for the ambulance. In fairness someone did arrive pretty prompt. It was one of the fast response cars and he said you could take her to A&E yourself or wait for an ambulance. They didn't know how long it would be, so we took her: Easier, faster, saves them a job for something more "emergency". Turned out ok in the end.
Would have been nice to have had that "comfort" of being in a wheeled box with medical staff and equipment in but the first responder didn't seem too urgent with his advice.
Thing is the 111 services willingness to drop straight to the 999 option and get an ambulance. We've actually had cause to ring 111 a few times and they very quickly err on the side of going to A&E or getting an ambulance. probably isnt that helpful in the grand shceme
Edited by Otispunkmeyer on Thursday 11th November 11:36
Welshbeef said:
Why are A&Es over stretched?
Are we seeing more people having accidents that require A&E? Or is it some of those issues would have gone via GP previously but now unable to get appointments for weeks / call up at 8am when it opens and your on a call waiting for 60-90mins to be told all full today call tomorrow- abs you cannot book a future date either?
Mrs. PP used to work as an A&E receptionist at 2 South Bucks Hospitals. Pre covid, she would regularly get people coming in saying they had toothache, or period pains etc. People would also arrive and ask to join the queue then ask if they can leave a phone number and come back later because they wanted to wait at home instead.Are we seeing more people having accidents that require A&E? Or is it some of those issues would have gone via GP previously but now unable to get appointments for weeks / call up at 8am when it opens and your on a call waiting for 60-90mins to be told all full today call tomorrow- abs you cannot book a future date either?
During Covid, I clumsily dragged a saw over the back of my hand and opened it up quite badly. I went to A&E and was triaged within 5 minutes and treated within 30.
I asked why A&E was so quiet as I'd expected about a 4 hour wait and the nurse basically said Covid was keeping the time wasters away.
I guess they're all back now and that affects the genuine A&E patients.
My niece drives an ambulance.
If they were allowed to have a chart of local time wasters, and simply ignore them, there would be a lot more capacity. Most of the time she seems to be dealing with morons who are “feeling a bit weird” and call an ambulance. Of course, there would be hell to pay if someone called an ambulance for something trivial and then died, so they have to spend hours with each one.
If they were allowed to have a chart of local time wasters, and simply ignore them, there would be a lot more capacity. Most of the time she seems to be dealing with morons who are “feeling a bit weird” and call an ambulance. Of course, there would be hell to pay if someone called an ambulance for something trivial and then died, so they have to spend hours with each one.
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