Do people realise how bad the Ambulance service is right now?

[Things change I've changed]

Last night my GF's father was very ill, violently sick with blood and in severe pain, they called the ambulance at 6pm, it arrived at 2.30am, right now he is still in the ambulance outside the hospital!

What the hell is going on? you can't even get into hospital via an ambulance, you can't see a Doctor anymore, seriously, how has this country fallen this far, you can't even rely on a basic emergency service.

'People are dying' due to 'worse than ever' ambulance queues

An ambulance worker told Somerset Live 24 ambulances were stuck in a queue outside Bath's RUH on Wednesday (May 11)

www.somersetlive.co.uk

"An ambulance worker says "worse than ever" queues outside hospitals in Somerset and across the South West are "without doubt" leading to deaths."

Ambulance wait times endangering patients, doctors say

New data shows a 77% spike in the number of safety incidents involving ambulances over the past year.

www.bbc.co.uk

"They explained she had a severe head injury and her leg was badly hurt but we were told it would be a 10-hour wait for an ambulance and we'd have to get her to hospital ourselves."

'It's totally unacceptable': MP's anger as 15 full ambulances queue at hospital

A total of 15 ambulances were seen queuing outside Southend Hospital today with the new MP branding it as a "totally unacceptable…

www.echo-news.co.uk

"A total of 15 ambulances were seen queuing outside Southend Hospital today with the new MP branding it as a "totally unacceptable situation."

Heart attack and stroke patients waiting almost an hour for ambulances

Experts raise serious concerns about potentially disastrous impact of chronic ambulance delays

www.birminghammail.co.uk

"Heart attack and stroke patients waiting almost an hour for ambulances in West Midlands"

Royal Cornwall Hospital ambulance queues 'a major issue'

A letter from inspectors expresses concern over queues but praises staff at Royal Cornwall and West Cornwall hospitals.

www.bbc.co.uk

"Inspectors have said the number of ambulances waiting outside the Royal Cornwall Hospital is a major issue."

This /\ is a picture of my local hospital, Where's the public outcry? this should be on the front page of every newspaper? All these Ambulances sitting there that should be available for other emergencies.

 

[VincentHanna]

The worst one I saw was that the head of the ambulance service in a certain area (can't remember where) had a stroke and her husband knew to drive her to hospital rather than call for an ambulance, because he knew they would otherwise be waiting hours and time is essential when it comes to strokes.

Edit, found it.

NHS boss feared waiting for ambulance after stroke

A hospital chief executive's husband drove her to A&E because of concerns over long 999 waits.

www.bbc.com

 

[mjt]

I guess this is what happens when you vote for a bunch of charlatans. Glad to see that £350m a week is going straight to the NHS like promised!

Not to worry though, the Tories will no doubt privatise the NHS soon enough, making millions for themselves and their mates, whilst making the services even worse than they are now.

 

[SPG]

Yep its abysmal.

Red tape, chronic lack of investment. Got knocked off my pushbike last year and it was quicker to to get a CAB than a ambulance. That was the advice from the woman who turned up in the car they run around in.

 

[Rroff]

It is definitely crazy right now - my grandad (mid 90s) had to lie for ~10 hours on a cold floor with a broken hip before they could get him an ambulance, some of my colleagues have been waiting hours after things like having a serious heart related incident, etc. until people managed to contact family who took them to A&E, etc.

EDIT: I know people who work for the local district hospital who say if we have another major COVID wave it will be pretty much apocalyptic for the hospital as they've been pulling out all the stops to keep things running - some infer it is probably not unintentional.

 

[Semple]

Very recently had an elderly relative that needed an ambulance, thankfully it wasn't life threatening but doctor had ordered an ambulance, even then that took about 14 hours to turn up.

She unfortunately struggles to get in and out of cars so family couldn't take her upto A&E themselves, in hindsight they should have probably got something like an uberXL that are a bit easier to get into.

 

[413x]

It will end up privatised I'm sure.
It'll be gradual at first. But eventually it'll be like the USA.

 

[throwaway4372]

I've been saying the NHS doesn't exist for a long time. People whine about it going private, but private is better than nothing. I've had to use private healthcare for years anyway, usually get it via work, and the dentist has never been free at the point of use.

 

[rare]

I guess this is what happens when you vote for a bunch of charlatans. Glad to see that £350m a week is going straight to the NHS like promised!

Not to worry though, the Tories will no doubt privatise the NHS soon enough, making millions for themselves and their mates, whilst making the services even worse than they are now.

I think the issues run way deeper than the government of the day. The NHS budget is still truly colossal, the organisation is massive and complex. I would imagine in many instances it’s hugely inefficient.

Scary times though when you can’t get an ambulance, I’ve been in a similar position myself not so long ago.

 

[V F]

I've been saying the NHS doesn't exist for a long time. People whine about it going private, but private is better than nothing. I've had to use private healthcare for years anyway, usually get it via work, and the dentist has never been free at the point of use.

With massive fees that most wont have so it is effectively nothing for them. Great if you can afford it.

 

[413x]

I think the issues run way deeper than the government of the day. The NHS budget is still truly colossal, the organisation is massive and complex. I would imagine in many instances it’s hugely inefficient.

Scary times though when you can’t get an ambulance, I’ve been in a similar position myself not so long ago.

As much is I'd love to just blame tories the bill is vast. I have no idea amount of waste but I do feel. As people get unhealthier the burden will only increase.

I expect the obvious privatising will come. By excluding certain treatments initially.

 

[Rroff]

It will end up privatised I'm sure.
It'll be gradual at first. But eventually it'll be like the USA.

Only if people let it sadly many will vote short sightedly and let it happen.

 

[C Kent]

Had to go to the hospital last year in an ambulance and chatting to the paramedics they often have people calling 999 and ambulances for stupid things like stubbed toes, sprains and the like. They do a great job under difficult conditions.

 

[GreatAuk]

Not surprised to hear. Have an elderly relative who was lay on the floor outside for hours and hours after a fall. For friends in healthcare it's a constant story of massive backlogs and being hugely over capacity.

It will end up privatised I'm sure.
It'll be gradual at first. But eventually it'll be like the USA.

The ambulances are kind of privatised to a greater or lesser extent already. Various companies have contracts to provide ambulance services to supplement the NHS ones.

 

[Rroff]

Had to go to the hospital last year in an ambulance and chatting to the paramedics they often have people calling 999 and ambulances for stupid things like stubbed toes, sprains and the like. They do a great job under difficult conditions.

Sadly there is no shortage of people who'll call for an ambulance because they fancy a bit of a chat and some attention and don't give a **** someone might be lying in the road dying for want of an ambulance.

 

[Mason-]

Christ all the hyperbole around privatisation there aren’t just two health care systems in the world. It’s not a decision between NHS and ‘murica. Get a grip. This reactionary crap is the reason the NHS is still a terrible dinosaur. It’s a political religion and anyone who wants to change it (for the better!!!) is blaspheming. Go look at the best health care systems in the world, they’re not like the NHS and they’re not like America.

 

[dlockers]

Had to go to the hospital last year in an ambulance and chatting to the paramedics they often have people calling 999 and ambulances for stupid things like stubbed toes, sprains and the like. They do a great job under difficult conditions.

This is part of the issue though isn't it - the entitlement to the service that means folk will rant and rave until one arrives, versus those that are silent/quiet and probably quietly dying.

 

[Hades]

Last year I found a poor lady lying on the middle of the road having slipped over and broken her hip. It took nearly two hours for an ambulance to arrive. Awful.

This year I've needed an ambulance for myself twice and it took about 30 mins each time. The first I was knocked off my bike by a car and the second, yesterday, I had severe chest pain and breathing difficulties. Not as bad as two hours but still abysmal.

 

[Rroff]

Christ all the hyperbole around privatisation there aren’t just two health care systems in the world. It’s not a decision between NHS and ‘murica. Get a grip. This reactionary crap is the reason the NHS is still a terrible dinosaur. It’s a political religion and anyone who wants to change it (for the better!!!) is blaspheming. Go look at the best health care systems in the world, they’re not like the NHS and they’re not like America.

That is great and all but it isn't generally the direction of travel in the UK.

 

[GreatAuk]

Had to go to the hospital last year in an ambulance and chatting to the paramedics they often have people calling 999 and ambulances for stupid things like stubbed toes, sprains and the like. They do a great job under difficult conditions.

I've always thought this was a pretty terrible excuse. Not the paramedics' fault, but more the call handling / dispatch system.

I get that some people lie about being seriously injured when they aren't just to get an ambulance out or whatever and you can't really do much about that. However some people ring up and tell the truth about what s happened. If 999 (or more likely 111) decide to send an ambulance for someone with a minor injury then that's on them. Simple answer is that if someone rings up with an injury that doesn't need an ambulance then don't send them one. Tell them to get the bus or a taxi to the nearest urgent care centre.