When would you call an ambulance?

[sue11]

I am asking the question out of interest because I have read the book 'Blood Sweat and Tea' about the daily life or grind rather, of an EMT (emergency medical technician) in the ambulance service. I would definately recommend it by the way, as it is a very good read. It is lifted in part from the authors (Tom Reynolds) daily internet blog and made into a book. In the book Tom relates incidents about being called out for 'life threatening' situations such as as cut fingers, coughs or strained ankles. He also tells us that it is not just the members of the public who call for ambulances for non urgent cases, but also doctors who cannot be bothered to leave their homes to attend to patients. It is much easier to get the ambulance to take them to hospital instead. It seems that even the police in some cases would rather get the ambulance personnel to deal with the drunk in the street, than dealing with it themselves. I know that in my case I would never call an ambulance for anyone unless I considered it to be a life threatening injury such as someone who is unconscious or who has been severly injured. What do you feel about this and in what situation have you ever called an ambulance or would feel it serious enough to call an ambulance?

[4getmenot]

I called an abulance when I found a body in the road, when my mate got hit with a baseball bat. So therefore anything I think is serious, elderly people that cannot get about and dont forget joyous accoasions where an expectant mother cannot get to hospital

[fine,thanks]

everyones perception of "serious" is different, best to be safe than sorry eg. chest pain an ill child. anything acute and sudden onset, all head injuries, uncontrolled bleeding. burns. the list is endless.

[redcrx]

there are too many variables to this. I agree with your two instances but how about a pregnant woman whos fallen and in pain or bleeding, or one whos waters have broken knowing baby isnt in correct postition.A toddler with a high fever that cant be controlled. An elderly person who seems suddenly confused, someone with chest pains.

I agree that the service is abused by many and that they should think before making the call if it may be possible to take that person to the GP or A&E instead but Id rather people call than have people feel afraid that theyre wasting the ambulance services time when it really is an emergency.

[4getmenot]

well anything where you need to get them to hospital quicker than you can in a car

[sue11]

Yes I think that any situation which has the potential to turn into something more serious does justify an ambulance. The book does relate expectant mother incidents, some justified and some obviously not, in those situations they rename the tax matern-a-taxi!
Was the body in the road (your mate?) seriously injured, not dead I hope?
Sue

[redcrx]

ive had to call an amulance for work related incidents when people have been badly cut. The ambulances were called before we took too close a look. Good job really as both required lots of stiches and were bleeding profusely. We administered first aid until they arrived.

[sue11]

By the way, I used to work as a telephone operator in BT and used to man the 999 station from time to time. Two memberable instances with calls made to the emergency services were to the police. The first was from a lady whose car had broken down on a double yellow line and she wanted the police to move it quickly before she got a ticket (hopefully the police did get there quickly, to give her a ticket!) and the second was from a man who wanted the police to stop a family funeral taking place that day, open the coffin and remove a ring from the body that he claimed belonged to him! The police simply told him they would call round to take a statement!
Cheers Sue

[4getmenot]

Well I was driving about at 2am and came across a body. Didn�t know what was wrong but also the fact I didn�t want to be dealing with a man on my own in early hours of the morning. I rang 999 and explained I didn�t know what was wrong just a man in the road and it was them that suggested an ambulance and police. Every time I�ve rang 999 and believe me its a lot I�ve never said what I want just explained situation and left it in their hands. They were fine, just a very drunk bloke that had walked into a lamppost and split his head open.

[sue11]

Hi 4getmenot, yet another drunk for them to deal with (!!), but in that situation I too would have called the emergency services for advice!
Many thanks for all the responses, by the way in my first response it should have been they renamed the ambulance matern-a-taxi, not the tax!!

[4getmenot]

I remember one night driving on a busy road I spotted a dog running on it. Wasnt sure what I should have done, I didnt want it causing an accident and couldnt get out myself as I have a phobia of dogs and felt silly ringing 999 but I did and they got police out.

[RATTER15]

I have called the ambulance 3 times

When I found an elderly neighbour dead on his lawn.

When I found a very confused man sat beside a man road and when I approached him to see if he was OK, he started crying and talking gibberish and was very confused as to his whereabouts, could not smell any alcohol!!

when at work an elderly resident collapsed, (had a stroke)

I work in a care home with usually 3 members of staff on duty, we have strict instructions that if a resident falls and we cannot easily lift that person, then we must phone an akbulance rather than struggle, even if that person is unharmed!! In reality we would probably just struggle as long as we didnt put the resident at risk!!

[sue11]

Hi 4getmenot, I think I would have called the police rather than the ambulance for the running dog, but I suppose you could argue that it may have caused a serious accident, however I probably would not have termed it life or death.
Hi ratter15, think in each situation I would have done the same as you. The care home situation re lifting people strikes a cord, as my father recently suffered a stroke and although at home, was a bit wobbly on his feet. My mother contacted the doctor to ask for advice on what to do if he fell over and was told to ring for an ambulance, rather than try to lift him onto his feet. She is of the same opinion as you, rather than bother the ambulance she would try to call me or my sister first to see if we could help.
Cheers Sue

[wiggal]

We had an ambulance called to work today for a women i work with. We had a fire drill and as we were leaving the building, she slipped down the stairs and hit her back, i would of been with her but had ended up quite a way in front.
She had numbness down her back and couldnt feel her feet so an ambulance was called, paramedic arrived first and checked her over. She went into hospital, apparently nothing fractured or broken, just very bad bruising!

[joko]

if you are not bleeding profusely, feeling like you are going to collapse etc then i think a taxi should be used.

there is a book and website with genuine 999 calls listed - a few corkers in it.

i called the nhs helpline about my bf perianal absess - it was getting bigger literally by the moment!
they told us to call an ambulance ( not the emergency type) i was worried, but also thought it was a bit over the top - he felt fine, it was just sore, i felt we could have got a taxi, but it turned out that if it had burst on the inside, because of a bump in the road, it could have caused septicaemia etc
they needed to be sure the pus was urgently released through the skin, not the internal wall

[4getmenot]

Didnt call ambulance rang 999 and asked suggestions. they got police out. It would have caused an accident as Big wolf hound