Ambulance Service
 

It apparently took half an hour for the ambulance to arrive at the Crown Ground when that player was so badly injured the other night.

Criticism of ambulance response time to injured Accrington Stanley player (From Lancashire Telegraph)

Didn't it used to be a requirement for an ambulance to be on standby at such events? I know that when a jockey is injured in a horse race the next race can't start until the ambulance has returned.

If the reason for the delay was because of cuts in spending on the ambulance service, then this is a stark example of spending cuts having potential life or death implications.

Re: Ambulance Service
 

I certainly can't criticise the ambulance emergency service one little bit, because but for them I wouldn't be answering this post, it took just 3 and half minutes after a 999 call for them to arrive another 3 minutes and I'd have been dead, my oxygen stats levels had dropped to 69% and I was becoming hypoxic

Re: Ambulance Service
 

I wouldnt dream of criticising the ambulance emergency staff for a moment, jaysay. I too have personal experience of the fantastic job they do.

But from what you say, if you had been standing in the penalty box at the Crown Ground on Tuesday night when you collapsed, you would now be dead. That poor boy waited 30 minutes for an ambulance, so thank God he was young enough and strong enough to hang on till the ambulance arrived.

Re: Ambulance Service
 

Well the fact is gynn that if (as you seem to be suggesting) there had been any CUTS in emergency ambulance provision for this area, don't you think it would have been headlines in the local press and local radio and TV, this wouldn't have been something they could have kept quiet.

Re: Ambulance Service
 

I am going to assume that this is a fairly common occurrence and the only reason we have heard about is because it was a high profile case.

I wonder how many people die waiting for an ambulance to arrive or being transported to Blackburn from Burnley since the changes were made?

As for an ambulance being on standby - I am fine with that if the club pays for it.
There are far more people in Accrington than were at that match who had no ambulance cover for the same duration.

We don't appear to have enough ambulances in the area.

Re: Ambulance Service
 

From what I remember there are around 5 ambulances on standby over the evening period 1 at Altham, Broad Oak and Waterfoot, and 2 at Blackburn not sure about Ribble Valley, thats been the case for a long time, not something newly introduced

Re: Ambulance Service
 

we also have paramedics on standby at near calagen foam/ accy college.

i dont think we have a problem with ambulances in the area the biggest problem is getting treated at blackburn royal .What a total screw up that place is.Before you can even get to accident and emergency you have to wait many hours in a white potra cabin which i assume was supposed to be temporary but has now become a permament fixture.

Re: Ambulance Service
 

The Ambulance service is stretched to capacity throughout the country. It doesn't help that Ambulances are very much misused, they don't call them 'Shadsworth Taxis' for nothing..

The misuse of Ambulances is a massive bugbear of mine because I see it every day. While they are being used by time wasters who could have got a taxi, a lift or even the bus to hospital, genuine emergencies are not being covered. At least the Paramedic got to the Stanley game, so it wasn't like the young lad was left alone but waiting for an Ambulance can seem an extraordinarily long time when you need one.

I don't know what the answer is... The club could pay for a private Ambulance to be on standby or, the Government could introduce a £20 charge to everyone who calls an Ambulance. It would be a way of ensuring that the time wasters called taxis instead and left our Ambulances for emergencies but why should everybody have to pay because a few people misuse the service.

If any of you want examples of this misuse, PM me, I have plenty:)

Re: Ambulance Service
 

i live near an ambulance station and they come down my road, if you lived as close as i do you would realise how often they are used! they dont have sirens on at night but the light flashes through the curtains and sometimes 5/6 go past in an hour (obviously the same ones on different call outs)

Re: Ambulance Service
 

Lettie when i was in hospital i got talking to the security staff when i went outside for a ciggy and they also told me that drunks,smackheads etc dial 999 faking an illness and when they get to the hospital they just walk away and go home.Theres nothing the ambulance crew can do to stop this they have to take them even if they suspect they are been conned and they cant stop them from leaving either.

something needs doing about this as someone may die because somone is using teh service as tehir own personal freee taxi ride home :mad:

i wouldnt blame them if they recognized a con artist and took them to burnley instead and left them there but they way this soft arse country works the hospital would probably have to pay for them a taxi home :rolleyes:

Re: Ambulance Service
 

I would be surprised if anyone thinks they dont do a great job but like all sections of the NHS the service appears to be managed poorly

Re: Ambulance Service
 

From my experience the ambulance service is probably one of the best run parts of the NHS, and believe me I've had some experience over the last 30 years;)

Re: Ambulance Service
 

Apparently on Tuesday night only 8 crews or 8 Ambulacese covered cumbria and lancashire area.

Re: Ambulance Service
 

Am I wrong in thinking that this young man was attended to promptly at the ground by a Doctor......Had an intravenous line set up and oxygen administered???
He was being looked after(very well) while the ambulance was coming.
If an ambulance was on standby at the ground, it would be idle for much of the time....and unavailable for emergency work in the community.
It was an unfortunate event, and I feel the media have jumped on a service that is already stretched.

Re: Ambulance Service
 

Spot on on both accounts MP,Think most people who were thier on the night like me,couldn't under stand why it was taking ages to arrive,but alls well that ends well and hes on the mend now...