Comments on: Its Not Pretty…!!!

By: kingmagic

kingmagic — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 16:14:55 +0000

UHDD…Blues & Twos can be okay but it adds that other dimension of speed and lack of speed of thought from other drivers to shift.

John R…we used to run on American based systems which took some getting used to but at least we had most of the important info required. This system of Call Connect is all about ‘Times’ meeting government targets set out by the great God ‘ORCON’

By: John R.

John R. — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 16:19:26 +0000

Where I work, we at least get some idea of what we’re rolling on when we’re dispatched. Any drug/ETOH overdose or suicide attempt call gets law enforcement and they secure the scene BEFORE we go in. Unless the responding crew has their heads up their arse and doesn’t wait. The larger services often use something called “systems status management” and are also dispatched using codes like “thirty-two-bravo” or “sixteen-delta” (which is Greek to me, we don’t use them).

By: uphilldowndale

uphilldowndale — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 19:26:31 +0000

That must put you at risk more often than is necessary, driving on ‘blues and twos’ must be more dangerous than ‘regular driving?

By: kingmagic

kingmagic — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 19:14:41 +0000

Mr. Nighttime…I followed your link and read the story about the Paramedic refusing to cut short his break.

What it does not say is that if the Paramedic knew that it was a heart attack patient then he would most likely have attended the scene.

We now have ‘Call Connect’ in this country which means the ambulance is sent before we even know what we are going to. This means invaribly getting sent on ‘Blues & Twos’ to every call whether it is life threatening or not. And most cases are not life threatening.

Some crews have opted out of the availability breaks because they were either not getting a break at all or having their break disturbed by having to attend a needless call.

It all comes down to getting the right info at the time of call…something that Call Connect does not do.

As I said earlier if the Paramedic knew it was a heart attack patient I’m sure he would have responded. But sometimes control have their hands tied with not being allowed to contact the crew on their break.

My solution…Get rid of Call Connect and get the right info off the caller and get the right response to the right patient at the right time.

Common sense is becoming a rare commodity in the NHS at the moment!

By: Mr. Nighttime

Mr. Nighttime — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 18:35:05 +0000

WEll, this can’t be good:http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/north_east/7629268.stm

By: kingmagic

kingmagic — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 15:05:45 +0000

john WH…sometimes the people who complain are just totally oblivious to their surroundings and what is going on. Once they wake up and realise the seriousness of the event most of them switch on.
But some are just downright ignorant, selfish t**ts who would not p**s on you if you was on fire!

By: john WH

john WH — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 14:12:46 +0000

Re – ‘public attitude’ to resus – A friend of mine was in (voluntary) first aid attendance at the local theatre, when a gent in the Circle collapsed in cardiac arrest. Whilst she was doing CPR, nearby members of the audience complained that she was blocking their view of the stage and spoiling their enjoyment.

By: uphilldowndale

uphilldowndale — Sun, 14 Sep 2008 19:36:37 +0000

As a ‘bystander’ who has done CPR, (a gent who had been knocked down by a car) I can vouch for the fact it is extremely hard work and very, very intense, if you have ever done a first aid course, you will have done a couple of mins of compressions, but in reality, it goes on and on, time enters another dimension and when the medics arrive they want you to keep going, with the compressions, so they can do all of the above. I couldn’t walk or stand straight for days afterwards, I was so stiff, and my knees were grazed from kneeling in the road. I remember thinking as they cut through his collar and tie, ‘oh no his tie, some one will have bought him that for Christmas’ how silly of me, in the circumstances. But I came away in no doubt that everything that could have been done to help him was, with as much dignity as the circumstances allowed and that was a comfort.

By: Emma

Emma — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 17:19:54 +0000

I don’t know how you do it, I wouldn’t have the patience to deal with everyone around aswell.

Big respect to all of you…xx

By: kingmagic

kingmagic — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 16:14:08 +0000

Wild Cat…thanks Wild Cat. Hope it didnt put you off too much?

AnneDroid…we do what we do. Mostly it goes to plan, sometimes it gets messy. And we try to protect the patients modesty best we can.

Louise…when I’m in the back of a moving vehicle doing CPR I always try to maintain 5 points of contact for stability! Feet on floor, hands holding onto something and my arse gripping the seat!!!

Caroline…the media try their best in most cases, but sometimes you might a lazy researcher or producer who sticks to the old stereo types. I always check that I am resuscitating the right end as I do not want to have to explain in a disciplinary why I was trying to inflate their lungs via their arse!

Mr. Nighttime…Good reply to the preacher! I,ve been in clubs/pubs/discos etc where the music has been deafening and it has taken a mighty effort to get them to turn it off! Also been fighting to save a woman in cardiac arrest when the pub kicked off..it was like something out of the Wild West! As it was some time ago I may do a post on it.