Why Not?

[Trelea]

Hi I'm looking for some answers to a question that I have, My granny is in hospital. She is 78 and has had a heart attack. She has been told that she needs to be transfered to London where she will have an angiogram which will determine if she needs a bypass or angioplasty.
The question that I have is, as she will be transfered by ambulance, why can I not travel with her? If I were to take public transport (which I have no problems doing) it will take me 2 hours to just get to London. Then I'll have to find the hospital, locate the ward she is on and find her. By then she may already be having the procdure. Why can't I travel with her so that she doesn't get anxious?
Is there a policy or something?
Just wondering...
Kepp up the great work with the site Craig!

[craigwalsh]

Hi, Trelea ---

Welcome to the NHS Sucks forum. Thanks for taking the time to register, and thanks for your kind comment.

I've (fortunately) had limited experience with the ambulance service --- and that experience was wonderful. Three or four years ago my wife was taken to the hospital with quite serious pneumonia. The silly GP treated her for a week at home and watched as she steadily deteriorated. I offered to take her anywhere for x-rays, blood tests, etc., but the GP thought if they just tinkered with her antibiotics all would be well.

I finally called an ambulance when she really couldn't breathe, and I could hear the siren while still on the 'phone to 999. How great is that? (Marjorie then spent almost two weeks in the hospital. The A&E doctor poured scorn over how Marjorie had been treated by our former GP. But that's another story . . . )

The ambulance attendants let me ride to the hospital with my wife without any problems.

When I fractured my back last May, the ambulance attendants said Marjorie could ride with me. (She oped to follow in the car so she wouldn't be stranded at the hospital.) But we were only going about five or six miles, and I don't know if the short distance made a difference.

Have you asked the ambulance service why they won't let you ride with your grandmother?

I should think she'd be reassured to have you in the ambulance with her, and I would think that the ambulance service would encourage that. Please ask them why the "no" decision, and if they don't come up with a logical explanation, I recommend politely asking to speak with a manager or supervisor.

I hope all goes well for your granny. Please let us know if you get any joy from the ambulance service.

[zippyRN]

Hi I'm looking for some answers to a question that I have, My granny is in hospital. She is 78 and has had a heart attack. She has been told that she needs to be transfered to London where she will have an angiogram which will determine if she needs a bypass or angioplasty.
The question that I have is, as she will be transfered by ambulance, why can I not travel with her? If I were to take public transport (which I have no problems doing) it will take me 2 hours to just get to London. Then I'll have to find the hospital, locate the ward she is on and find her. By then she may already be having the procdure. Why can't I travel with her so that she doesn't get anxious?
Is there a policy or something?
Just wondering...
Kepp up the great work with the site Craig!

a number of factors

1. space either

a. if a patient is clinically relatively stable and has no clinical need for an escort they may travel in a vehicle transporting several patients

b. if the patient is particualrly unstable and/or unwell additional monitoring equipment and qualified staff may have to travel with the patient

2. cost - in the case of 1a above the hospital organising transport will see a 100% increase in jurney cost per per patient they allow an escort for ( as the charge is 'per seat per journey' on patient transport

3. risk - as an additional passenger there are further potnetial costs should the vehicle be involved in an RTC

4. clinical reasons - 1b above , but also if there is a risk the patient may detoriate and require resuscitative care during the journey

[zippyRN]

Hi, Trelea ---

<snip>
The ambulance attendants let me ride to the hospital with my wife without any problems.



in an A+E ambulance following a 999 call

A+e vehicles transport 1 or perhps 2 patients at a time , not the 6-8 that PTS vehicles do



Have you asked the ambulance service why they won't let you ride with your grandmother?


I should think she'd be reassured to have you in the ambulance with her, and I would think that the ambulance service would encourage that. Please ask them why the "no" decision, and if they don't come up with a logical explanation, I recommend politely asking to speak with a manager or supervisor.

I hope all goes well for your granny. Please let us know if you get any joy from the ambulance service.

as the journey is a planned journey it will be under the planned journey rules and unless the patient is particualrly unstable ( in which case an A+e vehicle will be used with additional clinicla staff as escorts) as a planned journey several patients may travel on the vehicle in question each escort uses one of these places ...