Cutbacks ?

[M80]

I've put this in the political category as I see the cause can only be down to that.

Wednesday evening is traditionally a sailing evening, for those that wish, at the local sailing club.
Errwood reservoir is 3 miles outside Buxton and popular with walkers, bikers, fishermen and more I'm sure.

So at 5ish I went down to carry out some works, be available to give / share safety boat cover and if lucky get a sail.

The only others to turn up were a 93 year old, the clubs 1st commodore of 50 years ago and his companion, also a founder member. Dave declared his age as 76 I think.

Chatting in the club house I answered the phone, bumph dead. Over the next 1/2 hour it rang again, then again. 3rd time I thought I'd give 'em another chance.
A lot of background noise, it was like a radio with interference. Asking the caller to say again I heard there is a man and his dog hanging on to a bouy in the middle of the lake, is the safety boat out?
"No but we'll have to get it going."

So myself and a 76 year old get cracking, I'm familiar with the kit so I'm supervising.
Keys needed for 3 lockups. RIB from gargage, fuel pod from it's store, outboard from secure lockup (and our life jackets).
While I'm preparing the RIB Dave fetches my phone from the van and being sure the man would be hypothermic called for an ambulance. By now he's been in the water for upwards of 40 minutes with us at least 5 minutes away.

So patched through from the operator, I'm on hold. Messages of encouragement to hold regularly.
Doing things with one hand we've descended the long slipway and still on hold. Now I need 2 hands to board, lower the outboard, start it and get under way. Dave's been using both hands to handle the trolley and the RIB when we arrived at waters edge.
"We'll try again when we get there".

We motored down the lake to find only a black retriever with its teeth gripping the mooring line.
It turns out the guy was on the shore calling his dog. So ok wind noise and I picked up the wrong details, we only saved a dog, and it didn't even bark thank you.

What is concerning is 4 minutes and 53 seconds and I was still on hold for an ambulance. Not a problem on this occasion but if a guy had swam out to rescue his mut I'd be feeling sorry for him.

Likely that once the ambulance had been tasked it would have met the performance target, add 4 minutes + to it and likely not.

 

[turbopete]

when I did my first aid course for work, we were given some insight into this. its to do with the way the calls are prioritised. lets say, for example, you fall off a ladder and break your leg. the ambulance can get to your street but not at your address, a shout can come for someone 5 miles away having a heart attack and that ambulance will actually turn around, leave you laid wherever you are, and go to the heart attack patient as its deemed more urgent. you could wait another hour for the next available ambulance and potentially the same could happen again! a guy at work dislocated his knee. an hour and a half later, and 4 phone calls to the emergency services, the ambulance arrived but the guy was about to be dragged into a car and taken to hospital that way.

possibly cutbacks yes. provisions of such services should IMO be beyond any costs (and if govt reduced fuel duty, costs would drop anyhow! but that's another debate)

 

[LostKiwi]

Where is your nearest Ambulance station and you nearest A&E?

 

[Frontstep]

Ambulances and their patients litter the A & E departments as they wait to handover their patients.
There is a work to rule in so many hospitals worthy of "red robbo" many staff are run ragged, others in many areas hold them up.

 

[M80]

n/a I hadn't spoken to the ambulance 'emergency' service. I was on hold.
True enough it would have been faster to ring Larisa, at home, to dash to the ambulance station, at the back of our cul de sac, and tell 'em I perceived an emergency.
The nearest A&E is 12 miles over t'hill in Macclesfield.

My issue with needing this service, when some one might really be in need, is that 5 minutes to even speak to someone that may be able to offer life preserving advice isn't available.

The consistent fraud that we have these social protections is no more than political bull.