Help delayed due to lunch break
It has been revealed that on 19 September, a 50-year-old Aberdeen woman died having collapsed at home 2 days earlier.
Whilst ambulance technicians responded to the 999 call in 4 minutes, a paramedic, who was needed to administer cardiac drugs, did not attend because none were available due to being on rest breaks.
Worryingly, this is not an isolated case. There have been similar reported incidents in Durham and North Yorkshire last year, when paramedics did not attend emergency calls because they were on rest brakes.
A report by the Healthcare Commission last month found that 77% of ambulance responses to the most serious emergency calls arrived within 8 minutes in 2007 an increase from 74.6% in 2002/3. However performance varies between different areas from 61% to 94%.
The news is the latest problem in a string of blunders within the health care service. Such medical negligence has been allowed to happen because a system introduced nationally in 2005 enforced that paramedics were no longer paid for rest breaks during which they cannot be disturbed, but they can volunteer to attend a call out for a special payment – this rule is now under scrutiny.
Ambulance calls soar
In similar news it has been revealed that Ambulance services across England have reported a huge increase in calls over the last couple of months.
This could be down to a number of factors such as car accidents being caused by the wintery weather or snow and black ice leading to personal injury, breathlessness and the elderly falling.
Whatever the rise is down to - services are struggling to cope and members of the public are being urged only to phone for an ambulance in a genuine emergency. London Ambulance Service has reported that last week was the busiest on record.
The Association of Professional Ambulance Personnel (APAP) predicts that 999 calls are increasing by 5%-7% every year.
Nigel Edwards, policy director at the NHS confederation stated: “Sustaining the current pace of work for a prolonged period will be challenging. Nonetheless the system is coping.”
However, this view is not shared by everyone and Liberal Democrat Health Spokesman Norman Lamb has warned that “the health system is under impossible strain, putting staff under intense pressure and risking patient safety.”
Peter Bradley, National Director for the Ambulance Services has admitted that the system is “struggling to cope.” He is therefore asking people to use other services such as NHS Walk-in centres. Staff are working overtime and all non-essential meetings and training have been cancelled.
In an attempt to control the problem, the North West Ambulance Service has launched a ‘Choose Well’ campaign yesterday, to cut down on the number of calls they receive for minor injuries.
They say emergency calls for help with issues like nose bleeds, feeling generally unwell, constipation, and minor injuries like splinters – affects their ability to respond to emergency calls.
Paramedic Ailsa Kerr, 33, who has been based at Carlisle for three years, said: “It can be very frustrating when we are called to deal with a minor injury, especially because we know our services might be needed at an emergency. We cover a very rural area in Cumbria so it is especially important that our resources are used well.”
Updated on 09/02/2010