On 11/03/2013 11:05, dennis@home wrote:
On 11/03/2013 08:17, polygonum wrote:

The current advice leaflet urges you to take most people to A&E
yourself. A quick dash to a local hospital, maybe a couple of miles
away, is one thing. Indeed I was able to get myself there fine last time
I needed some help. But once you set out on a fifteen mile cross-country
trip, you really have to hope the person does not deteriorate, that your
initial assessment was good enough. And when in doubt, you are more
likely to call an ambulance - which becomes an increase in NHS costs.
But from a different budget.


I would say that if you are unsure about the condition of the patient
you need to call an ambulance anyway.
they will quickly asses if there is a real need and dispatch an
ambulance if needed.
they will probably dispatch one if the need isn't critical and they
aren't all busy waiting at the local A&E (after all its training anyway).

No-one is ever sure about a person's condition.

My experience of calling for an ambulance was that the process took as
long as it would have taken to drive to the nearby hospital. (Though
that case was something which needed a crew and utterly confused both
them and the doctors at A&E.)

Last time I needed help was a bad cut. I hoped it looked like more blood
than it really was and there wasn't an artery about to lose much more
blood. And I drove myself. But I would have been very much less sure if
I had a 15 mile trip ahead. (Yes - this would be in the remit of the
minor injuries unit. It is for illustration of the impact distance can
have.)

--
Rod