NAS response

easygoing1982

I was just wondering with the ambulance shortages etc and the the length of time some patients have to wait on an ambulance would the NAS not adopt the same policy of DFB and travel to all calls including to location of call aswell as to hospital regardless of complaint on lights and sirens. Surely the sooner the ambulance off loads the patient to hospital the sooner they are free to answer the next call potentially shorting any queues developing.

flazio

easygoing1982 wrote: »

I was just wondering with the ambulance shortages etc and the the length of time some patients have to wait on an ambulance would the NAS not adopt the same policy of DFB and travel to all calls including to location of call aswell as to hospital regardless of complaint on lights and sirens. Surely the sooner the ambulance off loads the patient to hospital the sooner they are free to answer the next call potentially shorting any queues developing.

What will then start to happen is general public will be less likely to get out of the way of blue light vehicles as they'll start to assume it's just something minor.
Best course of action is to properly triage the patients at scene and not transport those who don't even need hospital attention.

easygoing1982

flazio wrote: »

What will then start to happen is general public will be less likely to get out of the way of blue light vehicles as they'll start to assume it's just something minor.
Best course of action is to properly triage the patients at scene and not transport those who don't even need hospital attention.

Fair point. It's something that doesn't have to be public knowledge. Have DFB reported such incidents happening to them.

You also have the fire services outside of dublin who could only be gong to assist the ispca for a trapped pigeon but yet could be going to a person's reported.

At the end of the day I think the public perception of a blue light vehicle is emergency get out of the way. I think anything different would be in the absolute minority.

gem112

My licence.... im not putting it at risk for someone that could easly go by car.....if a member of the fire brigade is happy to go on light when not needed thsts their own business

easygoing1982

gem112 wrote: »

My licence.... im not putting it at risk for someone that could easly go by car.....if a member of the fire brigade is happy to go on light when not needed thsts their own business

Fair enough. Just a query.

On a side note I'm sure just because your travelling on blues that you dont need to be putting any licence at risk. They would just get you through stationary traffic etc.

Also my point wasn't to get the patient to hospital quicker but more so that it would free the ambulance up quicker to get to the next genuine call.

gem112

Every time you sit in the drivers set you are putting you licence at risk even if not on lights.....
What needs to be done is proper phone triage and integrated health systems

Schindlers Pissed

To be fair EasyGoing asked a reasonable question.....but the answer is far more complex. We need to be able to See and Treat, Treat and Refer etc. We need calls to 999 to properly screened and an adequate response sent, or no response at all. Omega calls in the UK will not get an ambulance. We need far more time for call takers to properly interview callers. A new protocol has recently started in the UK, the call takers first question is "Is the patient breathing?", If the answer is "Yes" then the call taker has 3 minutes to question the caller to find out if an ambulance is needed. We need all this and more if the OP question is to be answered.

The question I'd love to know is this....why do DFB always leave blue lights on when parked up outside the ED???

gem112

You didnt just ask that question..........

NASlad

I'll follow the ampds guidelines. Bravo and above ill use lights but it depends on what the call is. If it's an alpha and I think it needs checking out, I'll use my own discretion. 
But I'm not going to burst myself and take a risk with lights if it's not urgent. It's too dangerous. 
You can only do one call at a time. Nobody is in a big rush unless it's serious. 
It would be far better if they had somebody over A&E triage that worked on free'ing up crews in under 30 minutes. Rather than the triage nurse and CNM trying to juggle the waiting room and a whole load of ambulances queueing with largely minor injuries. The ED's are overcrowded and packed to capacity as it is, even the newly built ones.

searescue

As above, I'll only use for bravo and up. Solution isn't to go everywhere on lights. I did a stent in Dublin before and I think it looks terrible for DFB to arrive in on lights, for the patient to then walk out of the back of the ambulance.

AMPDS need looking at. Good UK systems now. Control need to be given the power to say no to sending ambulances to minor calls, or at least delaying then until sufficient cover is in the area.

My licence at the end of the day.

RiderOnTheStorm

Not sure if its true for DFB, but recently I left ambu (NAS) running (as I wanted air con running) while I collected a patient, so I had to hit the arrive-scene button (so I could take keys with me...) and the blues came on. Am told it only happens on newer model ambu.

supermedic

Hit the arrive scene button twice quickly, it cancels the blues...

sjb25

RiderOnTheStorm wrote: »

Not sure if its true for DFB, but recently I left ambu (NAS) running (as I wanted air con running) while I collected a patient, so I had to hit the arrive-scene button (so I could take keys with me...) and the blues came on. Am told it only happens on newer model ambu.

Hit twice and remove your key no blues and run lock engages she even tells you

NASlad

She wrecks my head thats what. Almost as much as your man who blares eco mode so loud it hurts your ears.

Schindlers Pissed

I never knew you could hit Arrive Scene twice to cancel blues and use Run Lock.....thank you.

sjb25

Schindlers Pissed wrote: »

I never knew you could hit Arrive Scene twice to cancel blues and use Run Lock.....thank you.

No bother I didn’t till the man from patron was serving the ambulances told me I was giving out about haveing to leave the blues flashing to keep it running and he showed me just press it twice quickly and remove the key straight away and it cancels the blues but keeps the run lock on very handy especially now with EPCR and MDT

sjb25

NASlad wrote: »

She wrecks my head thats what. Almost as much as your man who blares eco mode so loud it hurts your ears.

“999 mode activated” goddamit I know I just pressed the button