Ambulance service says sorry for refusing to help hurt teenage biker

chaparral

chaparral

chaparral

Caporegime
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http://edinburghnews.scotsman.com/topstories/Ambulance-service-says-sorry-for.4413309.jp

The caller responded: "I'm sorry, this patient is seriously ill here. He has suspected head and neck injuries and we do not have a vehicle to transport . . So you're going to let this patient be seriously injured?"

The shift manager replied: "No I'm not, you are. You're getting paid at a private hire and you don't have an ambulance. I have an ambulance for people in the community who need an ambulance because of a medical condition."

A committee member then argues: "We have a guy who is bleeding from the mouth, he's agitated, we've got oxygen on him, we need an ambulance."

As the call went on a third person came on and explained: "We've been arguing for ten minutes and this kid could be . ."

Shift manager: "I'm not willing to discuss it later . . sorry but you're not getting an ambulance."
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[TW]Fox;12359381 said:
Unacceptable but it does rather wonder what the private ambulance company was doing without... an ambulance?
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Am guessing that the organisers of the motocross event didn't want to pay out the extra cash for an on site ambulance....
 
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I'm a little shocked that a Moto-X event didn't have an ambulance on site and hasn't for the last 10 years it's been running! I'd refuse to race at any of my meetings if ambulance cover wasn't provided. Although on a slightly larger scale than Moto-X we tend to have at least 3 ambulances available plus 2 paramedic cars, air ambulance on call for emergency cases and a full blown surgical medical center at most circuits.

Having said that the attitude of the call center manager is appalling, if that lad had died from his head and neck injuries then I'd be demanding her blood. It's all very well saying that they should have provided private cover but if that cover is not available for whatever reason then I expect the NHS to help. They can charge the event afterwards or sue the private medical compnay, whatever. First priority should be the patient.
 
It doesn't really matter if there was a private ambulance at the scene or not, the ambulance and NHS service is there for all of us to use without question.
 
Burnsy2023 said:
That is quite shocking, but why didn't they have a private ambulance on scene?

Burnsy
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I read it as they had an ambulance, but it was the entirety of their cover at the site so taking the guy to the hospital would have resulted in there being no coverage at the site at all. Should have had better provisions, but that the person on the phone to them was such an idiot is shocking - they should clearly have just sent it and if necessary billed them for it later.
 
Isn't this a weird situation? To me, that suggests that if the event didn't pay for private ambulances at all (forgetting other H&S implications for now), the NHS would be just as responsible to attend? But if there is a private service, the NHS can tell them to bugger off? Where do you draw the line? If an event has a first aider on site, then the NHS can equally tell them they can't have some medics turn up in the event of an emergency.


What happens if an event has 2/3 ambulances, there is a huge crash/pileup with 8/9 injured? Would the NHS say: "Sorry, you should have had more ambulances, none of our business."?
 
I think the shift manager was right to have a go at them for not having an Ambulance to cover but they still should have sent an Ambulance to the scene and reported it to the HSE for investigation at a later date, its no good arguing while there is some one needing urgent help.
TBH it sounds as though it was policy to not send an Ambulance to this sort of function as it wouldn't have been escalated to the shift manager if the control room had just sent it out as they would for any "normal" incident.
The **** manager should have just made the point and then sorted the situation out without putting the patient at risk.
 
DB_SamX said:
Isn't this a weird situation? To me, that suggests that if the event didn't pay for private ambulances at all (forgetting other H&S implications for now), the NHS would be just as responsible to attend? But if there is a private service, the NHS can tell them to bugger off? Where do you draw the line? If an event has a first aider on site, then the NHS can equally tell them they can't have some medics turn up in the event of an emergency.


What happens if an event has 2/3 ambulances, there is a huge crash/pileup with 8/9 injured? Would the NHS say: "Sorry, you should have had more ambulances, none of our business."?
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This is exactly what I was thinking.
 
Although I can't condone this news story, being a Paramedic on the front line, it really does get very tiring when event management decide to 'go cheap' and hire a cheaper private ambulance service, yet we get called to the event left right and centre because they PAS don't have the right equipment or are 'short staffed'.
At this point of course a NHS ambulance should be going to the incident, but I do believe that the event company should be charged for the call.
 
Off with her head.

I have an ambulance for people in the community who need an ambulance because of a medical condition."
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A supposed to this rider who was neither in the community or injured?
 
I don't think the whole truth is told..

In one part of the conversation it is said that the ambulance is on it's way to someone with chest pains and there wernt any avalible.. Also I do see where this woman is coming from, but when a life is in danger being none of this matters..
 
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