Paramedic UK » wales

Paramedics ‘left him to sleep it off’ after drinking game

Editor — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 21:12:31 +0000

A man who died after a drinking game should have been taken to hospital by paramedics, an inquest has heard.

Daniel Cripps, 22, became “completely out of it” after drinking 14 shots of vodka at a house party in Newport.

Paramedics were called but left him to sleep if off. He became ill and died.

“With the benefit of hindsight he should have been transferred to hospital,” said the Gwent coroner, recording a narrative verdict. His family plan legal action.

After the inquest, Mr Cripps’ father Michael said he was planning legal action against the Wales Ambulance Service.

via BBC News.

Paramedic is suspended over slap

Editor — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 16:21:45 +0000

A paramedic who slapped a female patient across the face has been suspended for 12 months at a disciplinary hearing.

Philip Hillier, 53, was found guilty of misconduct by a Health Professions Council panel (HPC).

They ruled he had shown no remorse over the treatment of a woman he believed was faking injury in Cardiff in May 2010. His actions were said to pose a potential risk to patients as well a undermining the reputation of the Welsh Ambulance Service.

The panel heard Mr Hillier had been accused of an “unprovoked assault” on the 20-year-old woman during a call-out in Cardiff city centre.

He had found the woman apparently unconscious with back injuries at her home, but believed she was faking it. The tribunal reportedly heard he asked her why she was “being a silly b****”.

via The Press Association

Health chief’s assurance on A&E selection

Editor — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 14:36:17 +0000

Paramedics decide which accident and emergency department they will take patients to, a health chief has assured a watchdog.

Hywel Dda Health Board chairman Chris Martin gave that message to Carmarthenshire Community Health Council when they quizzed him over claims hospitals were bypassing Prince Philip Hospital in Llanelli.

They feared that could be creating “massaged” figures to justify the health board’s proposal to close the hospital’s accident and emergency unit.

But Mr Martin said: “It’s about the clinical need of the patient.

“It’s a decision making process made by the paramedic on the ambulance.”

Information uncovered by Llanelli AM Keith Davies had prompted fears ambulances were instructed not to deliver patients to Prince Philip.

The figures show 3,709 people were taken to Prince Philip Hospital in the 12 months to November, while 2,684 people from the SA14, SA15 and SA16 postcodes were taken to Glangwili hospital in Carmarthen and 1,180 were taken to Morriston Hospital in Swansea.

via This is South Wales.

MP meets ambulance bosses over 999 delays

Editor — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 21:17:27 +0000

Monmouth MP David Davies met ambulance service bosses to discuss concerns over slow 999 response times.

Mr Davies called the meeting following two cases in the county involving the Welsh Ambulance Service Trust.

An inquest into the death of Jacqueline Davies, 49, from Monmouth, heard she died in hospital froma hypoxic brain injury and probable pneumonia on January 20 last year after collapsing at her home nine days earlier. But the coroner also heard bad weather, problems handing patients over at hospitals and a high call volume meant there were no ambulances free to attend Ms Davies, and emergency services took more than 41 minutes to reach her.

via Free Press Series.

Heart attack mother waits 45 minutes for paramedics

Editor — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 15:00:10 +0000

A mother suffering a heart attack was kept waiting for 45 minutes by paramedics even though she lives just two doors away from an ambulance station.

Health chiefs were today investigating after Louise Lewis, 36, called 999 when she was struck down with stabbing chest pains.

An operator told the mother-of-two, from Llanelli, South Wales, that an ambulance was on its way but couldn’t say how long it would take.

via Mail Online.

999 ambulance calls rise by 4% in a year

Editor — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 14:53:55 +0000

Latest figures show the Welsh Ambulance service received just more than 31,000 emergency calls in October – up 6.9% on September and up by 4% compared with October 2010.

via WalesOnline.

No morphine and a six-hour wait for ambulance

Editor — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 20:28:47 +0000

Sally Evans endured a night of excruciating pain after shattering her leg in a fall – because an ambulance did not come for six-and-a-half hours.

The 46 year-old, from Portskewett suffered compound fractures to her tibia and fibula bones in her lower left leg after slipping from decking in the family garden.

Her husband Dave, who branded the service “pathetic and ridiculous”, called for an ambulance at around 1.15am on Sunday, July 5. But his wife was destined to spend the small hours in agony, broken bone pushing against her skin, because despite three more calls, no-one arrived until around 7.30am.

Even then, Mrs Evans was denied much-needed morphine because the ambulance crew did not have the correct key to unlock the container it was kept in.

via Free Press Series.

Ambulance flaws ‘costing lives’

Editor — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 20:37:42 +0000

A former head of the Welsh Ambulance Service says he is shocked at the way it is run, three years after he resigned claiming lives were at risk.

When Roger Thayne quit in 2006, he said “an earthquake” was needed to change the way the service was working.

He has now reviewed progress for BBC Wales’ Week In, Week Out programme and said it was “definitely costing lives”.

Health Minister Edwina Hart said there were “problems” but said they were working to improve the service.

via BBC NEWS

Six North Wales ambulance stations at risk

Editor — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 08:36:22 +0000

Six crumbling ambulance stations are at risk of being shut down because they’re in such bad repair.

A whopping £13m is needed to repair stations at Wrexham, Chirk, Flint, Holywell, Mold and Queensferry.

All six are at “serious risk of imminent breakdown”, a new report reveals.

Ambulance trust bosses say they may be forced to close one or more of the stations.

Read full article: Daily Post North Wales

300 addresses in Wales where ambulance crews face danger

Editor — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 07:12:06 +0000

Almost 300 addresses in Wales have been “flagged” as potential problems by the Welsh Ambulance Service, Plaid Cymru AM Janet Ryder has been told.

The risk of violent assaults has led to the police being required to attend many times, according to information given to the AM for North Wales.

Fifty four of the homes are in North Wales and mean ambulance crews may be advised to attend only with police present.

Read full article: Evening Leader.