Up To 6 Hours For An Ambulance ????

[Gizmonster]

A family friend has had a fall in a care home today and has badly hurt her hip.
She's on the floor and they can't move her in case they cause any damage to the hip, leg, etc.
The ambulance service have said an ambulance could take up to 6 hours ..... that was at 4.30pm and it's now approaching 9pm.
She's 80 year old with a heart condition ..... she's lying on the floor in a corridor of the care home ..... she's in pain ....... and they're saying she's not a priority ...... SERIOUSLY??

Fuming isn't the word ..... I feel a letter to my local MP will be on its way soon ..... whatever good that will do!!

[eve1974]

awful Giz :(.

[Peter Pedant]

there will be an ambulance service
and it will have a head/CEO

he is the one to write to

[eve1974]

good point PP

[david small]

The system is broken. Poor soul eighty years old and going through this trauma. Third world countries do better.

[eve1974]

David small - poor lady indeed. and at her age who knows what the shock may do?
However I assure you (sadly) third world countries are in a far worse state.

We are so lucky here! (although yes im sure this lady feels very far from lucky!)

[roopower]

If you watch the ambulance type reality tv you'll see this happens all the time. The control sometimes have dozens of patients waiting for an ambulance. Heavy blood loss, heart, stroke, trouble breathing and a young child in difficulty would take priority over an elderly lady on the floor indoors, sadly

[barry1010]

Lots of similar reports online such as this 90 year old man who had a fall in his bathroom https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/it-very-worrying-woman-told-20979476

The ambulance service is finite and has to prioritise. Hopefully, your friend was kept warm and hydrated throughout her wait and was made as comfortable as possible with painkillers.

It's not good enough but it is understandable.

[barry1010]

The public's attitude needs to change, too, and stop using paramedic ambulances as taxis. If you need to get to hospital and can go by private car or cab, do so - it will probably be quicker. Only call an ambulance in a real emergency.

[douglas9401]

No chance of an update I suppose?

[Espresso125]

you should have said she having difficulty breathing and loosing consciousness periodically, she has a bad heart, at least paramedics would have made her comfortable with pain relief etc

[William51]

Yes, standards every where have gone down. The NHS uses a triage system now and obviously get some cases wrong.

[roadman]

Im so sorry to hear that gizmonster that sounds awful for this 80 year old :(

[Gizmonster]

Update:
I wasn't there, but my sister was and I think she said the ambulance finally turned up at 10.45pm.
She had fallen upstairs and they had to hoist her into a wheelchair so that they could get her in the lift to get her downstairs and then get her out of the wheelchair onto a stretcher. I don't know why, but for some reason they couldn't put her on a stretcher upstairs and bring her down the stairs.

Anyway, she's broken her hip and apparently it's very complicated. She needs half a new hip (or something like that - I'm quoting what I recall being told from my sister). It's very high risk with her condition and she'll be in surgery soon, because apparently they like to operate within 36 hours of the trauma.
We've also been told that if she survives the op, the life expectancy for someone like her is typically 12 months ..... so it's all looking a bit grim at the mo :(

[barry1010]

Sorry to hear that, Gizmo, I hope your mother is at least comfortable and pain free now

[jennyjoan]

barry - a family friend

[barry1010]

Apologies