What a f**cking day, at the NHS.

[draykorinee]

No it's not, I've lived with a paramedic for three years, if you phone for an ambulance they have to respond. I could go on to list a fuck ton of stories he came back with, but we'll be here all night.

I'm sorry but its just not true.

http://www.yas.nhs.uk/Calling999/doc...0E-version.pdf

Category C patients have their ambulance cancelled. So I guess in a way we're both right, in that they will put you in the queue for an ambulance but that doesn't mean its going to get to you or that they have to respond, they can tell you that you aren't getting an ambulance. You still have no legal right to an ambulance.

I spoke to our paramedics yesterday because I wanted to check, they rarely if ever go to a dislocation, they have done it if they have other symptoms but otherwise the 999 call handler will ask them to get there via alternative means. Although you're correct in that an ambulance will originally be assigned even if its then cancelled. So the OPs story doesn't sound like the full story.

My only experience of 999 was I got a phone call from an on call GP during, I didn't even get told to go to ED. Mainly because it was related to mental health but still...

The funny thing is you'd actually be faster getting there by Taxi than ambulance in this scenario.

[medievalman1]

I'm sorry but its just not true.

http://www.yas.nhs.uk/Calling999/doc...0E-version.pdf

Category C patients have their ambulance cancelled. So I guess in a way we're both right, in that they will put you in the queue for an ambulance but that doesn't mean its going to get to you or that they have to respond, they can tell you that you aren't getting an ambulance. You still have no legal right to an ambulance.

I spoke to our paramedics yesterday because I wanted to check, they rarely if ever go to a dislocation, they have done it if they have other symptoms but otherwise the 999 call handler will ask them to get there via alternative means. Although you're correct in that an ambulance will originally be assigned even if its then cancelled. So the OPs story doesn't sound like the full story.

My only experience of 999 was I got a phone call from an on call GP during, I didn't even get told to go to ED. Mainly because it was related to mental health but still...

The funny thing is you'd actually be faster getting there by Taxi than ambulance in this scenario.

The issue with the disparity between what you know of paramedics and myself and other posters is the country. In the US, paramedics can unofficially attempt to dissuade people from being brought to en ED, but if the patient insists, the paramedics must bring them in for a medical screening exam by an MD. If they don't, they open themselves up to lawsuits, being fired, etc.