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Child Item

Garda drives ambulance/injured child to hospital

paddy147

A garda had to drive an ambulance with a sick boy in it to hospital.

Reason being was a shortage of paramedic staff

..."A garda had to drive an ambulance with an injured child to hospital last week because of a shortage of paramedic staff on duty.
The Meath garda was forced to take the wheel as the only paramedic on board tended to the patient.
The shocking incident occurred near Dunsany, Co Meath, when a car containing three children and a woman veered off the road and plummeted down a 10m drop before hitting a tree"...

http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/garda-drove-ambulance-as-medic-tended-to-injured-child-229971.html

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JustAThought

Before March of 2013 the allowanable number of extra days uncertified that you could " take" -uncertified -for " illness" was 9 - for many people that's almost half their annual leave. 40% extra -for free, no questions asked. So I would imagine that the absent ism recorded is BEYOND that figure.

UCC - figures " allowable" for paid sick leave run into HUNDREDS of days per annum; all fully paid for -by the taxpayer.

Cedrus

SB2013 wrote: »

Are people actually complaining about the number of sick days taken by people whose job it is to work with sick people? Do they not see the connection?

Are you being serious???

That's a shop stewards strawman if ever I saw one, the HSE and the Dept of Health have identified absenteeism as a serious problem over a number of years, it is far in excess of any industry norms and while of course there will be a proportion of occupational illnesses, the excessive figures cannot be directly attributed to the sick people. As I recall, the highest absenteeism rates are not even in the direct healthcare professions but the support roles such as e.g. drivers and porters.

SB2013

Are people actually complaining about the number of sick days taken by people whose job it is to work with sick people? Do they not see the connection?

endacl

ted1 wrote: »

I know if a chef who works with 6 other chefs in a hospital each chef has there own manager who signs of the menu , literally that's all they do . She says they facebook and play games all day and that the managers are not trained to sign off menus as Chefs would be . So no need for them, these are the people who need to go

I know exactly what you mean! I have a friend who's granny's next door neighbour is a HSC manager who's job is to go around Tallaght hospital checking all the chairs for wobbly legs. If he finds any he makes a note in a paid-for-by-taxpayers notebook, but is not required to follow up and make sure the feckin' chairs are de-wobbled! As if that's not bad enough, they've another fella who only does tables!

Sure its no wonder the country's in a state!

endacl

blindside88 wrote: »

As far as I know you require a c licence to drive an ambulance because of the extra weight (I could be wrong), if that's correct then the Garda mightn't have the relevant licence and could leave the state in line for a whopper of a lawsuit if there was an accident. I have never driven one and would imagine it is completely different to driving a squad car. Fair play to him though

I drove a decommissioned ambulance once. It was a bit like driving a van. Which is a bit like driving a car. Which is a bit like driving a squad car. I'm sure most guards would manage just fine. Its not like he was asked to step up and land a space shuttle.

awec

Madam_X wrote: »

You don't see the unjustified vitriol from a lot of people towards the public sector? I don't work in the public sector btw and I agree it's justified towards some clerical staff, but there are people who jump at every opportunity to have a go at the whole lot of them and it looks like pure resentfulness, nothing else.

A lot of it is justified, that's the problem. I despise the fact that my salary is getting looted by Revenue every month to prop that mess up.

I would love to see the entire thing made more efficient, and that should not mean cuts to front line emergency services. But that takes balls, such as having the guts to stand up to those fcuking unions. More balls than any of our current crop of politicians have.

ted1

kraggy wrote: »

Perhaps the real issue is that there weren't enough staff on if the safety of the public is put at risk because ONE member of staff had to home sick. Perhaps this is because of lack of staff in that region.

Anyway, my original anger was directed at the poster who suggested the Garda would claim a litany of expenses/compensatory sums for driving the ambulance when that clearly isn't the issue at hand.

What would have happened had there been a bigger incident involving more injuried parties?

You can't have a crew of a thousand ambulances readyvjustvin case the **** hits the fan, no matter how many you accidents you cater for there is the possibility if needing more

kraggy

ted1 wrote: »

Well if a staff member went home sick it's not due to lack of funding just poor planning. Perhaps the real issue is the number if sick days taking by public servants.

Perhaps the real issue is that there weren't enough staff on if the safety of the public is put at risk because ONE member of staff had to home sick. Perhaps this is because of lack of staff in that region.

Anyway, my original anger was directed at the poster who suggested the Garda would claim a litany of expenses/compensatory sums for driving the ambulance when that clearly isn't the issue at hand.

What would have happened had there been a bigger incident involving more injuried parties?

Madam_X

awec wrote: »

Really wish people would knock this "anti public sector" overly emotive crap on the head.

You don't see the unjustified vitriol from a lot of people towards the public sector? I don't work in the public sector btw and I agree it's justified towards some clerical staff, but there are people who jump at every opportunity to have a go at the whole lot of them and it looks like pure resentfulness, nothing else.

awec

Madam_X wrote: »

Of course no questioning as to why absenteeism levels are high among paramedics though - more fun to pretend it's all down to just pulling sickies.
The anti public sector folks could be glad of paramedics when their bitterness eats them up so much that their physical health is ruined.

Really wish people would knock this "anti public sector" overly emotive crap on the head.

Catkins407

Madam_X wrote: »

Of course no questioning as to why absenteeism levels are high among paramedics though - more fun for the to pretend it's all down to just pulling sickies.
The anti public sector folks could be glad of paramedics when their bitterness eats them up so much that their physical health is ruined.

Excellent point. I know some paramedics. They are geniuses at emergency medicine . Especially the advanced paramedics. They are all lunatics though. I mean that in a nice way. They honestly see some of the most appalling and harrowing things on roads and in the course of their duty. I don't even want to begin to think about it. They burn out and they have huge stress levels a lot of the time.

ted1

awec wrote: »

They are making the wrong cuts in the public sector.

They need to get rid of the suits, not paramedics or guards or emergency services front line staff in general.

The pointless upper and middle managers, administrators etc should be the ones seeing the cuts first.

I know if a chef who works with 6 other chefs in a hospital each chef has there own manager who signs of the menu , literally that's all they do . She says they facebook and play games all day and that the managers are not trained to sign off menus as Chefs would be . So no need for them, these are the people who need to go

Madam_X

Of course no questioning as to why absenteeism levels are high among paramedics though - more fun to pretend it's all down to just pulling sickies.
The anti public sector folks could be glad of paramedics when their bitterness eats them up so much that their physical health is ruined.

awec

They are making the wrong cuts in the public sector.

They need to get rid of the suits, not paramedics or guards or emergency services front line staff in general.

The pointless upper and middle managers, administrators etc should be the ones seeing the cuts first.

blindside88

Senna wrote: »

It not like they are forced to drive something they cant, I'm sure the Garda involved in this story felt he was more than comfortable/competent to drive the ambulance. There was plenty of other Guards there to drive he didn't. Road traffic rules can be ignored by a Garda if its deemed necessary.

I appreciate that he felt comfortable driving it and fair play to him for doing it. But did he have any experience in driving something like that before. An ambulance is not like a car. Also if a Garda felt confident and felt it was necessary could he/she drive an articulated truck with no experience. It just seems like an absolutely ridiculous system. By the way I don't dispute that he did the right thing but I do think it leaves the state open to serious law suits.

Catkins407

Senna wrote: »

It not like they are forced to drive something they cant, I'm sure the Garda involved in this story felt he was more than comfortable/competent to drive the ambulance. There was plenty of other Guards there to drive he didn't. Road traffic rules can be ignored by a Garda if its deemed necessary.[/

Gardai have their own pretty large vans and such they have to drive anyway. It's not like all they drive are squad cars.

RustyNut

blindside88 wrote: »

I wasn't aware of that. So can a Garda hop in and drive an articulated truck or a 1000cc motorbike having never driven one before? Doesn't sound very clever

That's the way it is, and a good job in this case.

ted1 wrote: »

I'm sure general health and safety would come in here.

I hope so.

Senna

blindside88 wrote: »

I wasn't aware of that. So can a Garda hop in and drive an articulated truck or a 1000cc motorbike having never driven one before? Doesn't sound very clever

It not like they are forced to drive something they cant, I'm sure the Garda involved in this story felt he was more than comfortable/competent to drive the ambulance. There was plenty of other Guards there to drive he didn't. Road traffic rules can be ignored by a Garda if its deemed necessary.

Catkins407

In general u do need a c licence to drive an ambulance but don't think it applies to Gardai . He stepped in and did it and credit is due to him and the paramedic who was out on his own. Innocent question here. If someone called in sick would they try to get cover and call someone else in? The Garda should never have had to do this. There should have been proper staffing on the ambulance . Whether that is down to cutbacks or absenteeism we don't really know do we?
Scary stuff for the rest of us who may need an ambulance someday. Frontline services do need support and proper resources in order to get on with their jobs.

confuseddotcom

Jaysus talk about bitter

ted1

RustyNut wrote: »

Gardai don't need a licence of any class.

I'm sure general health and safety would come in here.

blindside88

RustyNut wrote: »

Gardai don't need a licence of any class.

I wasn't aware of that. So can a Garda hop in and drive an articulated truck or a 1000cc motorbike having never driven one before? Doesn't sound very clever

Celly Smunt

RustyNut wrote: »

Gardai don't need a licence of any class.

Yeah but i guarentee they don't have a licence to kill like me.

ted1

kraggy wrote: »

Oh fúck right off.

The story here is the devastating cuts taking place across government services all around the country.

But you go right ahead and have a go at public sector workers if that gives you a little thrill.

Well if a staff member went home sick it's not due to lack of funding just poor planning. Perhaps the real issue is the number if sick days taking by public servants.

RustyNut

blindside88 wrote: »

As far as I know you require a c licence to drive an ambulance because of the extra weight (I could be wrong), if that's correct then the Garda mightn't have the relevant licence and could leave the state in line for a whopper of a lawsuit if there was an accident. I have never driven one and would imagine it is completely different to driving a squad car. Fair play to him though

Gardai don't need a licence of any class.

Micky Dolenz

gctest50 wrote: »

Yep, keeping up with those iPhone updates is rough :

http://goo.gl/shK6R

You'll have to explain that one to me. have no idea why you think it is relevant.

Senna

mathepac wrote: »

the absenteeism rate among administration staff hit a spectacular high of 17.91pc, according to the figures supplied by HSE."

That is a fúcking disgrace.

gctest50

Arcsin wrote: »

That really is a brain dead comment from someone with no idea of the pressures the health service is under these days.

Yep, keeping up with those iPhone updates is rough :

http://goo.gl/shK6R

orestes

4 ambulances were at the scene of the incident, it's not like there was only one ambulance with one paramedic for the entire area or something. It's the emergency services for crying out loud, they can't exactly plan for being unexpectedly busy. It's part of the nature of what they do that things like this will happen occasionally, no matter how many staff happen to be available at any given time.

Arcsin

mathepac wrote: »

I can imagine some low-life HSE "manager" type rubbing his hands with glee now the precedent has been established. "All ambulances to be single crewed from now on lads; let's go to lunch."

Low life HSE manager? You're a charming fellow aren't you?

That really is a brain dead comment from someone with no idea of the pressures the health service is under these days.