What'S Happening To Our Emergency Services?

[suzeanna]

I'm getting increasingly confused and annoyed by reports on the news or in the papers about emergency service personnel (fire, paramedics and police) who seem to be putting their own safety ahead of the people who I thought they were employed to help! there was the guy who was knocked into a ditch by a car, and various members of these caring professions...ha! stood around making a judgement that it was too dangerous for them to go down a steep bank to help him, so he drowned in 18 inches of water whilst they stood drinking tea and waiting for a "water rescue" to come from 50 miles away! hadn't they heard of ropes for heavens sake? then the guy who phoned 999 saying he thought he was having a heart attack, he was advised to leave his door ajar so the ambulance people could get in, but the paramedic saw the open door and decided someone dangerous might be inside and attack them...and the man died. Now today, a young mother in a pub collapsed...they called a paramedic, female sat in her car and refused to enter the pub until the manager escorted her, then said she couldn't give CPR on her own? what???? customers in the pub attempted it with instructions over the phone, but again this woman died..aged 32, with three young children. She'd developed a blood clot following knee surgery. SOme of it no doubt is down to Health and Safety rules, but when did common sense and a wish to help save someone's life get written out of the rule book?

[murtle]

Sadly when it became acceptable for members of the public to sue those that are trying to help them if they try and fail. If they don't try at all, they can't be sued. The moment they start they are liable. What kind of position does this put people in where they can personally be sued for following their jobs? I'm sure some of it is health and safety, but well done to those that made our rescuers fearful to do what they signed up to.

[fee4]

as a qualified nurse-i know if i stop & help -i make myself liable for accusations/being sued....stepping outside my professional boundaries and thus with no legal protection

especially if it can be shown i have not followed policy-especially health & safety policy

 

if i dont stop-i have broken my duty of care

 

so basically-im wrong whatever i do

 

happy days

 

fee

[blackmagic]

I know a GP who had her occupation removed from her passport, as she said if there was a medical emergency on a flight they would come for a known doctor, but if something went wrong she could be sued and would have no legal protection.

[murtle]

(sorry the well done, was meant in a sarcastic grumpy manner - which may or may not come across in my post)

 

I really do feel for those in that situation.

 

When on holiday recently in France a car decided to somersault a couple of cars in front of us. I would find it really hard to not stop to help, but can fully understand why you need to.

[merledogs]

I don't think it's fair to attack the emergency services based on a few reports in newspapers, which we know for a fact will not give a fair and balanced view (because that wouldn't sell papers, would it?).

 

The case where the female paramedic wouldn't enter the pub - in the article I read it says she found the atmosphere inside the pub intimidating. The blame should not be pointed at her but at why she was on her own attending a scene? Is it due to cutbacks?

 

The emergency services do a fantastic job day in day out yet people are quick to jump on them for a few negative reports (which I have no doubt have been sensationalised in the media).

 

The first thing they must do is to ensure their own safety. What's the point in saving a life if in doing so, you compromise your own?

 

As Fee said, they're damned if they do and damned if they don't

Edited September 2, 2009 by merledogs

[Happylittlegreensquirrel]

I don't think it's fair to attack the emergency services based on a few reports in newspapers, which we know for a fact will not give a fair and balanced view (because that wouldn't sell papers, would it?).

 

 

 

 

I agree,

 

My osteopath is also a paramedic and he has told me recently that if they are sent to a job that involved a fight and they have to enter a confined space ( i.e. a building ) they now have to wait for the police

 

if they don't they can be disciplined and lose their jobs , image that losing their jobs for trying to help. Equally image entering a building to do your job and getting attacked ( because thats happen to some of his colleagues as well )

 

 

The fact that people do attack emergency services both physically and legally at a later date are in my mind what is wrong here. The Emergency services have to work in a society with warped values and over the top health and safety laws

[Ian]

I haven't actually seen tthe stories you refer to I don't think but whilst generally speaking I thionk most of them do do a very good & difficult job there are some cases where I believe there comes a point when they need to tell the bureaucrats where to stick their manuals & rules and just get on with the job they have chosen to do.

 

Sometimes it may not be ideal but there is someone's life at stake & in some cases - eg the police, fire, army etc they did know when they chose that profession that at times they may well be placed in difficult & perhaps even life threatening situations.

 

Harsh as it may seem, to me, if they are not prepared to be in that position then they should choose another career.

[fee4]

Your sentiments are fine Ian.

I shall remind myself of that when facing a disciplinary-or when i cant pay the mortgage.

As a nurse i have met some very difficult and challenging situations-today i was dealing with a man who is currently cutting and/or biting lumps out of himself and eating them.

 

I accept that dealing with these situations is something I choose to deal with.

 

I dont choose to be then prosecuted because you as the Customer/client/patient dont like what I have done and because i did not follow my trusts agreed proceeduresI am therefore solely responsible.

 

have i taken risks? Yes

But the older i get the less willing I am to lose my job/ability to put food on my table/pension

 

Fee

[Kathyw]

Of all the emergency services the ones who seem never to refuse or have the choioce of refusal to enter building as the fire brigade.

 

They know every time they go out on a call - they could lose their own lives but as a friend who is a firefighter said ''I knew that when I started training - it's part of the job'.

[murtle]

Sadly in many of these cases though it's not the possibility of loosing their life it's the consequences if they don't.

[blackmagic]

Entering a burning building is a calculated risk that they are trained to deal with.

Being attacked is not.

 

http://www.fireservice.co.uk/articles/dealingwithattacks.php

 

Ambulance crews and GP's have been lured to addresses and then mugged for drugs.

 

There were cases of GP's only attending night housecalls with a police escort.

[Kats inc]

 

 

Sometimes it may not be ideal but there is someone's life at stake & in some cases - eg the police, fire, army etc they did know when they chose that profession that at times they may well be placed in difficult & perhaps even life threatening situations.

 

Harsh as it may seem, to me, if they are not prepared to be in that position then they should choose another career.

 

I agree with others that I should not have to be put in a position where I have to risk my own life to save another.If as a paramedic walking into a pub to perform CPR means I am liable to be met with violence should I be unsuccessful in my attempts to resuscitate (which tbh most attempts are) then why put myself in that position?

 

Blame the general public for the attitude they have these days towards members of the rescue services and not the rescue professionals themselves for what has had to happen to protect staff members.

 

None of our out of hours GPs go out without a driver now.Many of my visits to more difficult families are done with other agencies as joint visits or sometimes with the police or with police knowledge and back up.It's sad we have to work that way but it's the way we are treated that makes us do it,not just a fancy we take upon ourselves.

[Kathyw]

I honestly believe that the lack of respect for the emergency services, because that is what it is, is caused by the bleeding hearts with their liberal attitudes.

 

'Dont tell little johnny off for spitting at the police/fireman/doctor/nurse - he is just expressing his opinion etc'.

Let the kids roam the streets at night - they have the right to be free etc.

 

Then when johnny and those kids are grown and instead of spitting are throwing stones at the emergency services or worse - it's too late.

 

I have seen cars totally ignore an emergency vehicle and refuse to get out of the way - it could mean life or death but they don't care.

 

I must admit though over the last 20 odd years I have lost respect for many of the so called professionals, simply by having contact with them and finding them less than professional and certainly not caring.

 

While waiting for an ambulancce to take my Mum back to the home I witnessed something that shocked me.

The room was full, Mum was very uncomfortable on the hard chairs. A kind nurse went and got Mum a wheelchair that had cushions and apologised for the long wait.

There was an elderly man with no legs who was very concerned about how long he had been waiting and was hungry. Same nurse was getting concerned about him.

There were many others waiting - all needing to be taken home.

Then the nurse said that the next ambulance was going to take Mum, the elderly man, a pregnant lady and a couple of others and they would be on their way in a few more minutes.

Did not happen - why? because some 9 years old who had hurt his leg did not want to wait and was screaming the hospital down - his mother and the boy did not want to share an ambulance with 'old people' so he and his mother were taken before everyone else even though he was the last to come into the room.

what has he learnt? Scream loud enough and everyone jumps for you - even hospital staff.

 

And we wonder why they have no respect!

 

 

Where once I looked up to doctors etc - I no longer do that as I see them differently nowdays.

[Kats inc]

But if you don't treat us professionals with respect Kathy then how do you expect us to treat you with respect?

 

If someome is direspectful to me either in person or on the phone I simply walk away,end the contact or put the phone down.I don't have to put up with being treated that way just because of the job I do.