Patience for the Patients
August 19th, 2008
This post contains language which may offend some readers. It has been quoted directly from the aggressor and its absence would detract from the scene which the incident occured in.
The abuse of NHS staff has been quite widely publicised recently. You don’t have to look hard to find stories like this, though it is unusual for anyone to receive a sentence for it. It nearly every case where I have been threatened, verbally abused or otherwise, it has not be by the patient, but a relative, friend or somebody completely unrelated.
The most common trigger point for threats and abuse seems to be caused by simply blocking the road with the ambulance. In some areas, it is impossible to park in a proper parking area so sometimes we have to seemingly abandon the vehicle in the street. If only people would understand that we only block the road because we have to (and legally we can). I know of crews who have been physically assaulted by upset drivers who have something far more important to do than us; I have been threatened with assault several times, including this week.
Whilst attending to a 2 year old child who was fitting, the front door of the house burst open and in the doorway appeared a driver whose route was being blocked by our ambulance. “Move your fucking van before I move it for you” he balled, staring aggressively at the crew member nearest the door. “There’ll be a fucking emergency out here if you don’t shift it, prick“.
He stormed out of the house, and we simply closed the door behind him and locked it. I took no notice, having heard it all before. Walking out of the house, I openly wrote his number plate on my glove while the crew loaded the patient on to the back of the ambulance and went about my business as if nothing had happened. The driver kept sounding his horn, but apparently felt enough restraint to stay in his car.
I expect no different any more.
Entry Filed under: Work
5 Comments Add your own
1. Trekkie | August 24th, 2008 at 11:24 am
If it had been my child who you were dealing with, I believe that my husband would have gone out and sweetly remonstrated with the driver.
That would be my husband who is a licenced bodyguard and qualified instructor in various types of mayhem. Would you like to borrow him?
PS, he’s also a qualified EMT-A/T
2. John Robertson | August 25th, 2008 at 2:22 pm
Yes please, send him along. He’s most welcome to sit in the passeneger seat all day!
3. Martin | August 31st, 2008 at 12:05 am
Had similar once however due to it being freezing cold and the job being someone fallen outside we’d left the vehicle on run lock to allow us to have the saloon heater running.
Our chap insisted the motor had to be shifted that second as obviously his business was far more important than the broken hip we were dealing with. We naturall explained that it would be a few minutes longer and suggested maybe a two minute detour would get him to his destination sooner. He swore and walked off, next thing we hear what sounds like the ambulance door slam, and shortly after the engine stalls (there’s a kill switch on the handbrake when runlock is on and the keys aren’t in the ignition) My mate is far quicker thinking than me so hits the central locking button on the key fob.
So this bloke has gone from one moment thinking he will take matters into his own hands and move the ambulance to having the engine stall for seemingly no reason, then the ambulance seems to lock itself with him inside.
And the icing on the cake…….. The alarm on the ambulance (anti theft car alarm type) has movement sensors so as soon as he moves to try and get out the alarm starts wailing……
cue one very red faced chap sat in an ambulance blocking the road with its alarm going off and people staring at him
4. medic | September 8th, 2008 at 5:41 pm
omg that is hilarious!
shame on him for being so rude!!!
5. Ramón M. | March 8th, 2010 at 10:10 pm
Hello.
We call to our Coordination Center to report when the ambulance blocks the street or road, and usually a police patrol comes as soon as possible.
Do You have any similar procedure?.
Greetings from Catalonia (NE Spain) and excuse my bad English.
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