Friggin cold phone callers

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).

That depends on the minor injuries unit and what staff they have.

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.)

Here you pay for ambulance services unless it's a motor traffic accident, though most people have insurance. Helicopter air ambulance $3,436.92 (£2,350) for the first hour, each additional minute $57.29 (£39). When I had a bike accident in 2009 I was mighty glad some friends were able to get me to hospital as ambulance transfer would have been serious money: I had insurance but was still in the two month waiting period.

They refused to attend to you.

MBQ

Paramedics don't always save the victim. Let's scrap them too.

MBQ

They would. Paramedics are not trained to deal with stupidity.

Is that service provided by St Johns?

Is that service provided by St Johns?

Is that service provided by St Johns?

Well that would be pretty stupid. there is a lot of evidence that a paramedic attending does save people. There isn't much evidence that sending a helicopter to ferry a patient that has been attended to by a paramedic has a better chance of surviving than if they are taken by ambulance.

Which is sensible.

It's a pity that police helicopters don't operate on the same guideline.

Although I haven't heard one for a month or so, I wonder if they've overspent this year's budget?

In message , Sam Plusnet writes

Just wait until they get the bill for causing about 15 inbounds at Heathrow to divert to Gatwick, Luton and Stansted last week:-)

Not the MET AIUI.

Right up your street then.

But as I don't "do" sea based water sports, sailing, swimming etc I feel my money is better donated to the GNAS. I may well need the services of the GNAS...

That depends how you set up the funding. I agree that letting civil servants in on the act wouldn't work but a grant system and answerable to the Audit Commision ought to. They get the money but aren't told how to spend it, only to spend it wisely.

surviving than if they are taken by ambulance.

Small point the patient won't have been attended by a paramedic until the Air Ambulance arrives...

Even a biker paramedic would still take 30 odd minutes to arrive, assuming they did the roads around here aren't very "biker friendly". On average one or two bikers a year kill themselves outright. ie. even if a paramedic with a complete set of toys all set up and ready to go was sat next to the wall they hit, they'd still be dead.

And a biker paramedic would still require a paramedic ambulance to transport the patient, always assuming the patient will last the hour long road journey having already had to wait 30 mins for the paramedic biker to arrive...

Around here the Air Ambulance is quite often dispatched because a road ambulance will simply take too long to arrive and the transfer time via road would also be too long.

Why only the LAS HEMS?(*) AFAIK none of the other Air Ambulance services get any assistance from HMG.

Dennis lives in a world where everything is no more than 10 minutes from everything else. Around here there is no paramedic in attendance until the Air Ambulance arrives, first responders maybe but no paramedic. Not unless you are preaperd to wait 40 odd minutes for an ambulance to drive in...

(*) Stuid question 'cause it's London, and the politicios spend a lot of time there.

However we all rely on sea transport, fishing, off-shore oil industry, etc. And they are all supported to a huge extent by RNLI activities. I really wouldn't be happy at people in, on and around the sea, at least partly for my benefit, being left to drown. That is partly why it is arguable that we should consider donating regardless of where we actually live and the likelihood of each of us as individuals directly requiring their assistance.

I've been rescued by the RNLI. Over 20 years later, I'm still a Shoreline member, although I gave up messing about in boats.