One of those nights…
You know it’s going to be one of those nights when you’ve only been in work for half an hour, and you’ve spent at least fifty percent of that time trying to explain to someone why a woman who has caught her finger in a child’s pushchair why she isn’t going to get an ambulance any time soon. The conversation went a little like this:
Woman: So you’re saying, unless you have a LIFE THREATENING EMERGENCY, you have to wait ages?
Me: Er… yes.
Woman: But she might have broken her finger!
Me: Yes, and that isn’t a life threatening emergency.
Woman: You’re telling me that if you broken your finger, you wouldn’t call an ambulance?
Me: I certainly would not. I would call a taxi, if anything. Can’t you call a taxi?
Woman: I can’t afford a taxi! I am not a money tree!
Me: How are you going to get back from the hospital?
Woman: Well, I’ll call a taxi!
Me: So why can’t you call one now?
Woman: Because… are you being sarcastic with me? You are so rude!
Me: I am not being rude. I am merely pointing out that if you can’t afford to get to the hospital, you can’t afford to get back either, and you will get stuck there. Which would be bad?
Woman: But… but… listen you… there’s a CHILD here!
Me: Er, I see. And is the child hurt or ill in any way?
Woman: * puts phone down in fury*
As you can imagine, that one went straight to the bottom of the pile!
on May 26th, 2007 at 9:50 pm
“I’ll write a phone prescription for one large Harden Up pill. Take it to your pharmacist and they can help you.”
If it felt good it was the wrong thing to say
on May 29th, 2007 at 11:46 am
Blimey! Some people…
Nick
http://nickhough.blogspot.com
on May 30th, 2007 at 11:02 am
Maybe they had access to an early screening of the new Michael Moore film, “Sicko”. He explains to the US audience all of the details of the NHS, which apparently includes a cashier in every hospital whose role is to hand out money for taxi rides home, apparently.
I guess I haven’t been paying enough attention in hospitals …
on June 2nd, 2007 at 9:45 pm
Can’t believe she played the child card on you. What does she think, just ‘cos we’re nationalised we’re idiots?
Gotta get my hands on a copy of Sicko sometime.
on June 3rd, 2007 at 11:05 am
I’ve been working in A&E for just one month and I’m already too familiar with the kind of behaviour exhibited by the woman above. It’s so demoralising and frustrating.
on June 4th, 2007 at 10:19 pm
I think this woman might have rung you after i spoke to her at nhsd. She threatened to ring the ambulance after i bluntly told her she shouldn’t. I did also explain that if she did ring, that it would be a non urgent ambulance that could take a few hours to visit, by which time she could have been triaged and probably treated down the hospital; which is diabolical, she doesn’t know why she pays taxes in this country, moan, f*king nhs, tony blair, blah, down the pan etc.
*Sigh*
on June 11th, 2007 at 8:31 pm
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