Ambulance Waiting Times

mr cowen

you possibly could, if you have the money? but if the emergency is life threatening enough no matter where you are in this country their are fail safes and questions that need to be ask/answered by a 999 operator in place to sieve your call out in order to priorities a response. so if you cant or dont get an immediate response for an ambulance its most likely that the condition doesn't warrant one.

so the question then needs to be asked can you or the patient in question get to the emergency dept with their "emergency" by another means, i.e car or taxi????

kala85

How much would it cost approximately

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118374247#Comment_118374247

It depends on where you are, where you’re going, what’s wrong, etc. i also think lifeline etc only do patient transfers?

edit: nvm they do emergency calls! Still the cost isn’t mentioned on their site so I would then imagine it depends on the location, what the calls about etc.

edit (again): the blackrock clinic has a section on their site about private ambulance (no price) but it states:

Please be aware the ambulance is not a 999 / 112 service and therefore may not be able to attend to you in the immediate few minutes of your call. If you require an immediate ambulance response then the appropriate number to dial is 999 /112. This ambulance will bring you direct to the nearest public hospital Emergency Department.

so I guess calling for a severe emergency is off the table and it would be only for non critical calls so chances are you’ll have to wait a bit anyway!

yermanthere

As said before, one of the main drivers of 999 calls is care of the elderly. our elderly population is growing. However their care by family is shrinking rapidly. Companies that charge money for care ( nursing homes and homecare), will always overreact to health issues due to fear of litigation. Because Irish people like to sue. However even within family units there is growing evidence of moving patient to hospital, when " care" could quite simply occur at home. Note I do not say easily occur. Looking after someone with a fever/ vomiting/ diahorrea is not easy. But it is simple. It just requires work.

Also Covid has shown a lot of people who regard their personal care as paramount even when they are young and fit. Since the start Covid illness has been clearly described as fever, shortness of breath, cough, tiredness. All of these symptoms can be treated at home, with easily found medications/ supplements. Many choose 999 instead.

NAS has not expanded in decades.

Call volume increasing by 3% a year, EVERY YEAR.

There is no blame here. Just simple auditing.

999 Ambulances are for patients who are too sick or injured to make their own way to hospital. Paramedics are there to initiate rapid treatment of unstable patients. They are not there to perform the role of " taking people to hospital".

NAS and DFB staff do not have the freedom to assess patients and say if they need hospital. They are not supported by either their employer or the state. Please do not call 999 for a check up.

If society started to take personal ownership of themselves and family, calls would be reduced by a third overnight.

mr cowen

well said