"I found an ambulance quite moving" blog discussion

tanith

arthur those private ambulance companies could tender much lower bids for the contracts than the LAS . The staff of the LAS were so much better trained and for much longer than those of private companies , some of whom only had very basic first aid . The LAS was just too expensive for a lot of trusts but as you have seen the service and quality of staff was so much better for the people who had to use it. Hospital Trusts just wanted patients moved and really didn't bother how that was done as long as it was cheap.

rtho782

I'll get flamed for this response, I know but....

Having previously damaged my bumper pulling up onto a verge, and having had a friend given 3 points and an £50 fine by a magistrates court for crossing a red light line by approx 2ft to let an ambulance through, as apparantly the presence of any emergency viehicle other than the police doesn't allow you to skip a red light.....

I now completely ignore their presence and carry on driving normally, the ambulance can overtake me when there is space if it likes.

ElkyElky

tenmah wrote: »

Nobody mentioned dropping to the ground blubbering like a hysterical idiot.

It was just being noted that it is indeed a moving sight when people work together as a team for the good of a stranger.

No need to be rude or judgemental.

I'm not being rude, I'm just saying.. it's one of those things we will all have to face. If it's Martin's first time then congratulations to him, I'm glad he experienced an emergency situation which required him to give way.

Maybe it is just me who is used to moving out of the way for the police and other emergency services (it happens quite a lot in my area) but I just think nothing of it and resume my journey after the vehicle has passed me. Last week, me and several other cars drove on to grass in the middle of a round about so an ambulance can pass, we each got out of our cars and praised ourselves for quick thinking and how we deserve a medal.

Even as pedestrians we must give way to vehicles in most situations but we don't write a blog entry to celebrate the fact. :cool:

ElkyElky

AshleyJane wrote: »

...Just for the record the day you drop to the ground like a blubbering hysterical idiot.. will be the day the ambulance service is there to pick you up... as it does for everyone in their time of need...

... it is this sought of attitude that makes the world the terrible inhumane place it is to live today...

I was so proud to read your blog martin - I am the project coordinator for london ambulance and i am very proud of the work i do, the people i work with and the people we help...

Our staff work so hard to keep it running and go over and above our duty most of the time.. and yet we still have to wear things like stab vests, we get spat at and sometimes assaulted verbally and physically.. obviously this is not a reflection of all of our work and patients but it is sad to think that in times of need when we're the only ones who will go to help we put ourselves at risk from the very people we are trying to help...

Also please remember if you lived in America or other countries where you have to pay for health care there is a flat rate of $650 for the use of an ambulance and the overall cost averaging at $800 for that one trip depending on medical needs and intervention... if you need certain medical attention specifically from a paramedic in america they wont administer it until you can prove your health insurance covers it or you make a payment... on the ambulance...

sometimes in england we really dont appreciate what we have...

Oh please... there is no attitude about it. An ambulance approaches me so I move to the side (mounting pavements if need be), they pass and well... that's it. I continue on with my journey knowing someone hasn't died because I haven't delayed them unnecessarily.

Should I start crying? Should I feel proud? Maybe I should celebrate the fact that I moved my car out of the way. I'm not entirely sure what the etiquette is when giving way to an ambulance other than... giving way.

"... it is this sought of attitude that makes the world the terrible inhumane place it is to live today... " - lol.

I move my car, they pass by, job done. There really is nothing more to it than that.

ElkyElky

rtho782 wrote: »

I'll get flamed for this response, I know but....

Having previously damaged my bumper pulling up onto a verge, and having had a friend given 3 points and an £50 fine by a magistrates court for crossing a red light line by approx 2ft to let an ambulance through, as apparantly the presence of any emergency viehicle other than the police doesn't allow you to skip a red light.....

I now completely ignore their presence and carry on driving normally, the ambulance can overtake me when there is space if it likes.

I categorically disagree about driving normally and not moving for them. Though if the police want to be stupid tw*ts by fining people who have given way then I think a lot of people will adopt a similar attitude.

We should be excused for breaking the law (within a certain extent) if our law breaking results in an emergency vehicle successfully passing where they might have otherwise not passed had we not broke the law. Most police officers I think would be quite understanding in these kind of situations.

WhiteHorse

Unfortunately, not everyone is civilised. There are places where ambulances will be attacked, usually by crazed junkies or dealers after the drugs carried on board. Some attacks are by thugs just for the hell of it.

Fire crews are often attacked too.

rtho782

ElkyElky wrote: »

I categorically disagree about driving normally and not moving for them. Though if the police want to be stupid tw*ts by fining people who have given way then I think a lot of people will adopt a similar attitude.

We should be excused for breaking the law (within a certain extent) if our law breaking results in an emergency vehicle successfully passing where they might have otherwise not passed had we not broke the law. Most police officers I think would be quite understanding in these kind of situations.

It was a camera, these things don't have common sense

He took it to court, the magistrate was sympathetic but said there was nothing he could do but impose the minimum fine/points, as it was the law.

Police can ask you to go through a red light, ambulances and the fire service cannot, however a fire engine *can* barge you out the way.

ElkyElky

rtho782 wrote: »

It was a camera, these things don't have common sense

He took it to court, the magistrate was sympathetic but said there was nothing he could do but impose the minimum fine/points, as it was the law.

Police can ask you to go through a red light, ambulances and the fire service cannot, however a fire engine *can* barge you out the way.

I'm sure the magistrates will have said something different should someone have died because he didn't break the law. Their attitude would have definitely been "you should have moved and because you didn't, you have blood on your hands". You really can't win with these people.