Where's my ambulance?

[Margaret Pilkington]

Originally Posted by MargaretR

I think that no improvement in service will happen, because the cost cutting ideology will prevail - sick people are a severe drain on national resources and it is cheaper to let sick people die.

This might be the case Margaret, but I am sure there would be a publicity firestorm if such things were seen to be happening overtly - that, however doesn't stop them from happening covertly.

As to benefits users being the abusers of the ambulance service.......it may be the case that those who over indulge on recreational drugs, and alcohol could be seen as the abusers of the service......and while some benfit claimants may use drugs and alcohol, I feel sure that they are not the ones falling around in the streets of our towns and cities at the weekends.

[Accyexplorer]

Originally Posted by Margaret Pilkington

I am quite cynical about news stories from the BBC...at one time the BBC was a politically unbiased reporter of news, but in recent times I haven't found this to be so.(or perhaps I should say I have doubted the motives of the news that is reported by the BBC)
It isn't that these incident didn't happen ,but it is the tone that is used to report the news.

Gotta point

[accyman]

almost 10 years ago when i was in hospital the amulance service was been abused by drunks and smackheads saying they had chest pains and demanding an ambulance who then upon ariving at the hospital legged it home which i assume was near to the hospital

fast forward to 3 or 4 weeks ago when i was with a paramedic this vile abuse of the ambulance service is still been allowed to continue and unlike nurses and doctors if a patient beats the crap out of a paramedic they still have to treat them and continue to do so if called out by the same attacker and can not refuse and face discilpinary action if they do.

i was shown a picture of a collegue whos face was severly battered and she was expected to attend teh persons house who did it if called out again.This person was a regular hyperchondriac and frequent caller.

your ambulance may have been delayed because of the moron that beat the crap out of the paramedic and put them in hospital prior to your call and unfortunatly thes eincidents are quite common

[Margaret Pilkington]

The abuse of ambulance personnel has been going on for as long as I can remember.....but it used to be mainly drunks.
In fact if I remember rightly, the ambulance service changed its uniform to one which looked less like a policemans uniform, in the vain hope that these attacks would reduce.

[Accyexplorer]

Approximate starting salary of £22,000 per year for a paramedic.I bet the average staff member at Asda, Tesco are on a similar wage, but they don't have the stress or daily abuse.
Which do you think sounds more appealing to today's youth?
Hope I'm wrong but I cant see a career as a paramedic ( bad hours and rubbish pay) appealing to future youth (law of averages says there will be a shortage).

Do you think paramedics should have the right to refuse help to abusive patients? Surely their duty of care is firstly to themselves?

Paramedics/NHS staff are at the front end of a barrage of physical and abusive threats.
They're professionals who when someone needs medical attention, put themselves out in the line of duty.
They should be respected not put in danger,They can do without being some reprobates/drug addicts target for the Night.

[Margaret Pilkington]

I'm sure that ambulances carry notices that action will be taken against those who abuse their staff....but to be honest lots of ambulance personnel know that his comes with the territory.....and they still choose to do the job because they get job satisfaction.There is a vast difference between stacking beans or working on a till to knowing that you have saved the life of a baby....or seen a baby safely into the world, or played a part in rescuing a badly injured person and restored them to their place in their family.
Ask those in Adsa why they do the job.
I don't think many of them will cite job satisfaction...mostly it will be because it pays the mortgage.....ask them too if they would give up doing their job tomorrow....I bet most of them would.
When I worked in the NHS, the career structure was rubbish, the pay was rubbish......but every single day was different. It wasn't boring. It gave me job satisfaction. I looked forward to the challenges each day would send me and relished the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of my patients.....I was being paid to do something I loved!

[accyman]

governments will always rely on the good nature of those who choose to help others to continue doing so even under the most stress and poor pay

[Accyexplorer]

How much notice do you think a drunk,drug addict,thug will take of said notices tho? Like a lot of places today notices hardly seem to get noticed.
Alothogh job satisfaction might be high on the list of reasons for doing the job,sadly I don't think its number one anymore.They feel abused from up the chain as well as scum off the street.
I think it's more to pay the bills nowadays (I hope I'm wrong on this).

Glad you feel the way you do about your chosen career tho Margaret,it's getting harder an harder to find that satisfaction,good on you

[Margaret Pilkington]

The thing about the notice is, while the drunks and the abusers may not read it......it is a warning that action could be taken against those who fail to treat the people who are looking after them decently.
Security and police are always ready to step in when trouble erupts....and while I know this should not be necessary, it is a fact of life that some members of society have respect for no-one.

It saddens me to think that job satisfaction would be low on the list of priorities when seeking a career(not a job-jobs are what you do out of necessity).
I have been in the position of needing a job purely in order to pay the bills and keep the wolf from the door, and it bears no resemblance whatsoever.
And before anyone tells me that young folk,often do not have the luxury of choice, I would say to them that for many years I didn't have the luxury of choice either. I was 26 years old before I got my chance to improve myself....the difference is you have to have the desire and the focus to make the changes. Things do not just 'happen' you have to make them happen. Sometimes you have to make sacrifices to get where you want to be....to be honest I think that that is what is lacking. People want to start at the top...it isn't sensible or for that matter possible.

[Accyexplorer]

Originally Posted by Margaret Pilkington

The thing about the notice is, while the drunks and the abusers may not read it......it is a warning that action could be taken against those who fail to treat the people who are looking after them decently.
Security and police are always ready to step in when trouble erupts....and while I know this should not be necessary, it is a fact of life that some members of society have respect for no-one.

It saddens me to think that job satisfaction would be low on the list of priorities when seeking a career(not a job-jobs are what you do out of necessity).
I have been in the position of needing a job purely in order to pay the bills and keep the wolf from the door, and it bears no resemblance whatsoever.
And before anyone tells me that young folk,often do not have the luxury of choice, I would say to them that for many years I didn't have the luxury of choice either. I was 26 years old before I got my chance to improve myself....the difference is you have to have the desire and the focus to make the changes. Things do not just 'happen' you have to make them happen. Sometimes you have to make sacrifices to get where you want to be....to be honest I think that that is what is lacking. People want to start at the top...it isn't sensible or for that matter possible.

What proportion of assaults actually get reported to the police?
I think we mentioned stiffer punishment for those found guilty.
Can a negative spiral exist where staff won’t report incidents due to no action being taken in the past?
Although on the rise in a lot of places the main problem with assaults on staff is not caused by folk under the influence of drugs/alcohol in A&E or on the street at the weekend but in Mental Health/Learning Disability settings.

[Margaret Pilkington]

No, I don't think so. Health and safety will require incidents to be reported.
This is essential because should an employee later suffer from ill health as a result of an incident at work, there has to be documentary evidence of what happened, and when.
Punishments, well, that is in the hands of the judiciary.
My Sister works in a mental health setting(OK, not in this country now, but she did work at Learning disability establishments before she emigrated) there are policies and procedures in place to protect those who work in the environment.

[Accyexplorer]

Would you say we need to improve the investigation of criminal offences involving suspects who are mentally ill?
Seems a high number get dismissed as “not in the public interest”

[cashman]

I think they need to take a step back n ask why they closed many of the places that homed the mentally ill, n pushed many who should never have been back into society. Which means unless they commit a very serious offence, theres no-where to put em.

[Margaret Pilkington]

In what context?
Do you mean in the context of this thread or in general?
And where do you get the information that a high number are being dismissed as not in the public interest?

[Margaret Pilkington]

Originally Posted by cashman

I think they need to take a step back n ask why they closed many of the places that homed the mentally ill, n pushed many who should never have been back into society. Which means unless they commit a very serious offence, theres no-where to put em.

I think that you have hit the spot with that one Cashy.
I know the mental institutions were pretty dismal, but they were more secure than the current situation ever could be.