How long would you expect to wait for a ambulance after ringing 999

[Daven 10]

There is no excuse, other than insufficient budget, for a call in a city, at that time, to not be answered within 15 minutes.

 

In the rural parts of the Netherlands they manage that 95% of the time. So why not here? Money.

 

You can hardly compare a cosy rural area of the Netherlands with an inner city area in the UK

[The linnet 10]

OK in short on sat night / sun morning 3.10 am I was driving home throu uperthorpe when I came across a man on crossroads lay in road .there was nobody else about he was in a very dangers spot as any car coming round corner would of gone straight over him .

 

I stopped not knowing the situation weather he was a drug user,drunk, or many other things that could happen assult ext ,,

 

I pressed my horn few times no response and nobody came out to see what noise was

 

I checked him over looking for blood ext he seamed to be fitting as if epelectic fits but I no medic so wasn't sure.

 

So I phone 999 and explain situation

 

The fits continue and I get worried as every ten min or so they stopped and he seamed lifeless very week breathing.

 

The lady on 999 phone was telling me to put him into recovery position ext every time fits stopped .

 

It took 50 min:confused: for a ambulance to turn up to me this is way to long and just wondering if this is normal service ...

 

I not after a medal or ewt just wondering if this is normal time frame and also if anybody knows the guy if he is ok .idident get any name or anything from him as he was not able to speek.

 

The man was about 35/40 years old about 5 foot 6 inch blue jacket blue jeans black shoes

 

Well done for such nobility.....

[Paddy 10]

Well done for stopping and helping this man. Regarding the wait for the ambulance I can only imagine things are going to get worse due to financial cutbacks.

[Nagel 10]

If think if they are still breathing, with no obvious injury, it would not be classed as life threatening. Again, if if wasn't for the drunken idiots clogging up the system and it wasn't a weekend, he would probably had a quicker response.

 

The NHS have a classification and this case falls into the top category:

 

Handling 999 calls

 

Any 999 call to an ambulance service is prioritised into two categories to ensure life-threatening cases receive the quickest response:

 

1. Immediately life threatening

 

A. Red 1: 75% of Category A Red 1 calls (the most time critical, where patients are not breathing or do not have a pulse) to be responded to within 8 minutes

B. Red 2: 75% of Category A Red 2 calls (still serious, but less immediately time critical, like strokes or fits) to be responded to within 8 minutes. The clock starts ticking up to 60 seconds after the clock for Red 1.

 

http://www.nhs.uk/NHSEngland/AboutNHSservices/Emergencyandurgentcareservices/Pages/Ambulanceservices.aspx

[*_ash_* 88]

OK in short on sat night / sun morning 3.10 am I was driving home throu uperthorpe when I came across a man on crossroads lay in road .there was nobody else about he was in a very dangers spot as any car coming round corner would of gone straight over him .

 

This was probably one of the worst times this week to try for an ambulance. Fresher's week, and at this time of night too. Still 50 mins must have felt like a lifetime.

 

It is completely unacceptable in my view, however I do not blame the emergency services. The ambulance service, along with the police, are that overstretched it is at breaking point. People also need educating on what warrants dialing 999, the system is abused. Thank the government for the cuts to public services for your wait.

 

Things are going to get worse people, a lot worse.

 

 

How many ambulances and ambulance staff have been cut in Sheffield?

 

 

Yes, good on you for staying with him, most people would have just driven passed.

 

Would they, how can you know that?

[Daven 10]

The NHS have a classification and this case falls into the top category:

 

Handling 999 calls

 

Any 999 call to an ambulance service is prioritised into two categories to ensure life-threatening cases receive the quickest response:

 

1. Immediately life threatening

 

A. Red 1: 75% of Category A Red 1 calls (the most time critical, where patients are not breathing or do not have a pulse) to be responded to within 8 minutes

B. Red 2: 75% of Category A Red 2 calls (still serious, but less immediately time critical, like strokes or fits) to be responded to within 8 minutes. The clock starts ticking up to 60 seconds after the clock for Red 1.

 

http://www.nhs.uk/NHSEngland/AboutNHSservices/Emergencyandurgentcareservices/Pages/Ambulanceservices.aspx

This doesn't account for life in the real world - on a night when Sheffield has had an influx of thousands of new student 18 year olds out on the lash for the first time - the ambulance service doesn't have an infinite number of response crews .

50 minutes is a long time to wait for an ambulance but the caller was on the phone to the call handler the entire time - any deterioration in the casualty would have flagged up and some other poor soul waiting for an ambulance would have been pushed back in the queue.

What is the solution Nagel - apart from the obvious of having more response crews ?

Edited September 29, 2015 by Daven

[green_man 10]

This doesn't account for life in the real world - on a night when Sheffield has had an influx of thousands of new student 18 year olds out on the lash for the first time - the ambulance service doesn't have an infinite number of response crews .

50 minutes is a long time to wait for an ambulance but the caller was on the phone to the call handler the entire time - any deterioration in the casualty would have flagged up and some other poor soul waiting for an ambulance would have been pushed back in the queue.

What is the solution Nagel - apart from the obvious of having more response crews ?

 

This pretty much hits the nail on the head.

 

Weekends in Sheffield are a big stretch on the Ambulance service as it is due to a shortage of vehicles on the road. Any major events in the area obviously stretch things a hell of a lot more and I consider hundreds of drunken, rowdy teenagers as a definite major event.

 

Unfortunately the truth of the matter is that the OP didn't have to wait 50 minutes for an ambulance due to sheer neglect but due to the fact that this was the quickest that it was logistically possible to get a crew to the patient.

 

There are multiple reasons for this and they all have knock on effects. You only have to read the local media to see that ambulances are queuing outside the doors of A&E just to book patients in, recent figures showed that this could take in excess of an hour and even up to 2 hours. Now we don't know how busy A&E at the Northern was but at a weekend you would imagine rather busy which means crews have to wait around and all of this wait time keeps them off the road.

 

The only real solution is to have more crews on the road. Trusts seem to be actively recruiting in an attempt to solve this despite cuts. Again it has been well documented in the local media that not only Sheffield but the UK as a whole is suffering a lack of qualified Ambulance staff.

 

EDIT:- A big well done to the OP by the way. I'm not saying everyone but some people would have simply drove past the patient believing them to be drunk or whatever and at that time of night I would imagine it is quite daunting to have to stop and offer assistance. Not only did you do so but you stayed around the whole time liaising with the ambulance staff. You definitely deserve respect and credit for that.

Edited September 29, 2015 by green_man

[Obelix 11]

The NHS have a classification and this case falls into the top category:

 

Handling 999 calls

 

Any 999 call to an ambulance service is prioritised into two categories to ensure life-threatening cases receive the quickest response:

 

1. Immediately life threatening

 

A. Red 1: 75% of Category A Red 1 calls (the most time critical, where patients are not breathing or do not have a pulse) to be responded to within 8 minutes

B. Red 2: 75% of Category A Red 2 calls (still serious, but less immediately time critical, like strokes or fits) to be responded to within 8 minutes. The clock starts ticking up to 60 seconds after the clock for Red 1.

 

http://www.nhs.uk/NHSEngland/AboutNHSservices/Emergencyandurgentcareservices/Pages/Ambulanceservices.aspx

 

Someone having a fit, whilst breathing and having a pulse is not a Red call. This would be classed as a green call, and probably not the highest category. The response time for this could be up to four hours. (if you have for example a simple broken bone, call a taxi. It's usually going to be quicker on a busy weekend night)

[Daven 10]

I'm not sure why anyone would consider a woman in labour warranted a 999 call unless the babies head was visible

 

---------- Post added 29-09-2015 at 11:41 ----------

 

[/color]

This pretty much hits the nail on the head.

 

Weekends in Sheffield are a big stretch on the Ambulance service as it is due to a shortage of vehicles on the road. Any major events in the area obviously stretch things a hell of a lot more and I consider hundreds of drunken, rowdy teenagers as a definite major event.

 

Unfortunately the truth of the matter is that the OP didn't have to wait 50 minutes for an ambulance due to sheer neglect but due to the fact that this was the quickest that it was logistically possible to get a crew to the patient.

 

There are multiple reasons for this and they all have knock on effects. You only have to read the local media to see that ambulances are queuing outside the doors of A&E just to book patients in, recent figures showed that this could take in excess of an hour and even up to 2 hours. Now we don't know how busy A&E at the Northern was but at a weekend you would imagine rather busy which means crews have to wait around and all of this wait time keeps them off the road.

 

The only real solution is to have more crews on the road. Trusts seem to be actively recruiting in an attempt to solve this despite cuts. Again it has been well documented in the local media that not only Sheffield but the UK as a whole is suffering a lack of qualified Ambulance staff.

 

EDIT:- A big well done to the OP by the way. I'm not saying everyone but some people would have simply drove past the patient believing them to be drunk or whatever and at that time of night I would imagine it is quite daunting to have to stop and offer assistance. Not only did you do so but you stayed around the whole time liaising with the ambulance staff. You definitely deserve respect and credit for that.

 

Will everyone PLEASE read this post before posting - this chap really knows how it is out there - the clue is in his user name.

Regards.

Edited September 29, 2015 by Daven

[Obelix 11]

Unfortunately the truth of the matter is that the OP didn't have to wait 50 minutes for an ambulance due to sheer neglect but due to the fact that this was the quickest that it was logistically possible to get a crew to the patient.

 

There are multiple reasons for this and they all have knock on effects. You only have to read the local media to see that ambulances are queuing outside the doors of A&E just to book patients in, recent figures showed that this could take in excess of an hour and even up to 2 hours. Now we don't know how busy A&E at the Northern was but at a weekend you would imagine rather busy which means crews have to wait around and all of this wait time keeps them off the road. .

 

As well as all the frequent fliers you get - there's one house in my village that I get called to for "breathing difficulties" and there's hardly ever a problem that you need a plaster for, let alone a full response. One day he's actually going to need a proper response and we will die of shock when we turn up for it...

 

---------- Post added 29-09-2015 at 11:49 ----------

 

Well done for stopping and helping this man.

 

Seconded. Far too many drive by but it only takes one to stop and help. Be that one.

[spider1 11]

OK in short on sat night / sun morning 3.10 am I was driving home throu uperthorpe when I came across a man on crossroads lay in road .there was nobody else about he was in a very dangers spot as any car coming round corner would of gone straight over him .

 

I stopped not knowing the situation weather he was a drug user,drunk, or many other things that could happen assult ext ,,

 

I pressed my horn few times no response and nobody came out to see what noise was

 

I checked him over looking for blood ext he seamed to be fitting as if epelectic fits but I no medic so wasn't sure.

 

So I phone 999 and explain situation

 

The fits continue and I get worried as every ten min or so they stopped and he seamed lifeless very week breathing.

 

The lady on 999 phone was telling me to put him into recovery position ext every time fits stopped .

 

It took 50 min:confused: for a ambulance to turn up to me this is way to long and just wondering if this is normal service ...

 

I not after a medal or ewt just wondering if this is normal time frame and also if anybody knows the guy if he is ok .idident get any name or anything from him as he was not able to speek.

 

The man was about 35/40 years old about 5 foot 6 inch blue jacket blue jeans black shoes

No way should you get out of car / Police should have attended and if they cant be bothered neither should you. There are loads like that sat night upperthorpe is your clue

[Obelix 11]

No way should you get out of car / Police should have attended and if they cant be bothered neither should you. There are loads like that sat night upperthorpe is your clue

 

Take that attitude to France and see how far you get....:-)

 

Clue: if you drove past you'd be breaking the law. I often wonder if we should have a similar law here.