Refused an ambulance

[dollypeg 10]

Last Thursday morning, when I tried to get out od bed, I found that I couldn't put my right foot to the floor. My foot was swollen and very painful. I eventually managed to hop to my living room, and call NHS Direct. Their advisor told me to go to A & E within the next 4 hours. As i have no means of transport other than public, I rang for an ambulance. I couldn't believe it when this was refused, despite the fact that I am 67 years old and live alone. I explained that I would have to hop down 2 corridors (about 30 yards_ to the entrance of my building and then a further 30/40 yards to the roadside to get in a taxi. This fell on deaf ears. With the help of an elderly man who lives in the same complex I eventually managed to make to hop to the taxi.

 

Please don't think that i am a person who always finds fault with the NHS, indeed I have twice in the last 10 years been very grateful to them, as both times I was near to death. Neither am I a person who calls for ambulances at the slightest excuse. But I honestly do think that I wasn't treated properly.

[ryder8904 10]

I do sympathize with your predicament but from the 999 operators perspective they have certain guidelines to follow and would get in trouble if it was ever suggested they were sending ambulances for non-emergencies.

[rachels1980 10]

Ambulances are usually reserved for life-threatening emergencies such as heart attacks, road traffic accidents, strokes etc. and not for swollen feet... I think if an ambulance had come to you instead of attending an emergency, then someone else would have been putting in a negligence claim...

[ryder8904 10]

Ambulances are usually reserved for life-threatening emergencies such as heart attacks, road traffic accidents, strokes etc. and not for swollen feet... I think if an ambulance had come to you instead of attending an emergency, then someone else would have been putting in a negligence claim...

 

What if she had a blood clot in her foot and the ambulance turned her down? Odds are she would not be posting on here if she did because she would be dead.

[truman 10]

Ambulances are usually reserved for life-threatening emergencies such as heart attacks, road traffic accidents, strokes etc. and not for swollen feet... I think if an ambulance had come to you instead of attending an emergency, then someone else would have been putting in a negligence claim...

 

You often see them on TV taking drunks to hospital...

[nexusdee 10]

What if she had a blood clot in her foot and the ambulance turned her down? Odds are she would not be posting on here if she did because she would be dead.

 

You read my mind

[dollypeg 10]

Ambulances are usually reserved for life-threatening emergencies such as heart attacks, road traffic accidents, strokes etc. and not for swollen feet... I think if an ambulance had come to you instead of attending an emergency, then someone else would have been putting in a negligence claim...

 

I can assure you it wasn't just a case of a swollen foot. I certainly would not like to have put anybody elsea at risk. I still cannot walk and am having to wear a special boot.

[maccapacca 10]

Sounds like the operator made the right call. I'm sure they had better things to be doing. If every DVT arrived in hospital by ambulance we'd need significantly more ambulance crews.

[rachels1980 10]

Sounds like the operator made the right call. I'm sure they had better things to be doing. If every DVT arrived in hospital by ambulance we'd need significantly more ambulance crews.

 

Completely agree. Not saying it wasn't something serious, but if someone is fairly mobile and can get a taxi instead of using an emergency service, then I also think they made the right call.

[francypants 441]

Last Thursday morning, when I tried to get out od bed, I found that I couldn't put my right foot to the floor. My foot was swollen and very painful. I eventually managed to hop to my living room, and call NHS Direct. Their advisor told me to go to A & E within the next 4 hours. As i have no means of transport other than public, I rang for an ambulance. I couldn't believe it when this was refused, despite the fact that I am 67 years old and live alone. I explained that I would have to hop down 2 corridors (about 30 yards_ to the entrance of my building and then a further 30/40 yards to the roadside to get in a taxi. This fell on deaf ears. With the help of an elderly man who lives in the same complex I eventually managed to make to hop to the taxi.

 

Please don't think that i am a person who always finds fault with the NHS, indeed I have twice in the last 10 years been very grateful to them, as both times I was near to death. Neither am I a person who calls for ambulances at the slightest excuse. But I honestly do think that I wasn't treated properly.

 

I think this is diabolical and should be investigated. Surely the operator on the telephone didn't have the person's medical history and it could have been very serious ( I was thinking blood clot too ) If I was you I would take this further.

[rachels1980 10]

You often see them on TV taking drunks to hospital...

 

Don't even get me started on that subject - that really is a complete waste of resources!

[nexusdee 10]

What if she had a blood clot in her foot and the ambulance turned her down? Odds are she would not be posting on here if she did because she would be dead.

 

Completely agree. Not saying it wasn't something serious, but if someone is fairly mobile and can get a taxi instead of using an emergency service, then I also think they made the right call.

 

So what you are saying if someone is having chest pains as long as they can still move they should get a taxi & just hope & pray they don't have a heart attack on route?

 

An ambulance isn't just a taxi, just because a person might manage some minor mobility does not mean they won't need urgent medical care on route something I don't believe the majority of taxi drivers are trained to do.