Care Opinion

Decline of Ambulance for patient advised by NHS 24

Posted By wilgus

"Decline of Ambulance for patient advised by NHS 24"

About: University Hospital Wishaw / Emergency Department

(as a service user),

My wife was in severe pain (kidney stones). Advised by NHS24 to take pain killers and if pain for worse, phone 999 for an ambulance. Pain got much worse so I phoned 999. Ambulance was declined, despite being advised by NHS24. I took my wife to A&E at Wishaw where we waited 18 hours before an emergency operation took place to insert a stent in one kidney. Sadly she contacted sepsis which spread through her body. She was on a ventilator and put into an induced coma for one week. She was in ACCU in Wishaw. After one week, she was moved to ICU at Monklands, still very ill.

Why do Ambulance service seemingly not work with NHS24. Sepsis is like a strike and needs to be treated quickly! If someone phones 999 for an ambulance with pain at 10 out of 10 on the scale, surely they should be taken by ambulance straight into A&E without a long wait in reception!

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Responses

Response from Faith McCrea, Service Manager, Emergency & Medical Services, University Hospital Wishaw, NHS Lanarkshire 3 months ago
Faith McCrea
Service Manager, Emergency & Medical Services, University Hospital Wishaw,
NHS Lanarkshire

Submitted on 20/11/2024 at 12:00
Published on Care Opinion at 12:00

Dear wilgus

Thank you for posting on this care opinion platform at what I can only imagine was a very anxious and stressful time for your wife and your family. I am sorry to hear how unwell your wife was and hope that all the clinical interventions that were taken at University Hospital Wishaw have been of benefit to her health.

Unfortunately, I cannot comment on the Scottish Ambulance Service, however I will ask for this to be shared with them for their feedback.

I indeed hope your wife’s health is improving and wish her a speedy and full recovery.

Best wishes to you

Faith

  • {{helpful}} {{helpful == 1 ? "person thinks" : "people think"}} this response is helpful

Update posted by wilgus (a service user)

The care at both Wishaw ACCU and Monklands ICU have been exceptional and my only concern is that had my wife been taken by ambulance, she may not have been so gravely ill. I realise that times are difficult but sepsis should have the same pathway as a strike as every second counts. My wife may have confined infection to get kidney and not get while body, as was the case. Let 111 be On same page as Ambulance service! We are all advised to call 111 first, which was done!

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