Pensioner Ellen Summers was left unaided by paramedics because of health and safety rules
Posted on 10/23/2006 9:49:11 PM PDT by Stoat
Pensioner Ellen Summers was left unaided by paramedics because of health and safety rules
A frail 82-year-old woman was forced to shuffle up a set of steps on her bum after paramedics refused to help because of health and safety regulations.
Ambulance bosses are to carry out an investigation after Ellen Summers claimed she was forced to pull herself backwards up steps and along a corridor to get into her house.
The angry pensioner from Bradford, West Yorks., said the crew made no attempt to help her get into her home after they dropped her off from Bradford Royal Infirmary where she had been treated for a leg injury after a fall.
It was only when Mrs Summers reached her sofa that they helped her into a sitting position, saying health and safety guidelines prevented them from lifting people - despite the fact Mrs Summers is 5ft and weighs just nine stone.
Mrs Summers' daughter Patricia Wells, of Leeds, West Yorks., is demanding to know why her mother was "treated in such an inhumane and degrading way".
She said: "The trauma of the fall was bad enough for her to cope with but after having to drag herself into the house she was left exhausted and for a person in a heart condition this could have proved fatal."
Mrs Summers, who has had three knee replacements, fell at about 3.15pm on October 2, while getting off the sofa.
Her daughter Denise Summers, 56, called 999 and paramedics used a wheelchair to transport Mrs Summers to the ambulance.
After an x-ray and treatment at the local hospital - which included putting a full splint on her leg, preventing her from bending it - an ambulance took Mrs Summers home.
The paramedics used a trolley to get Mrs Summers out of the ambulance but when they reached the steps up to the front door they told her she would have to get off and go it alone.
Mrs Summer's said: "They said they could not put me in the chair because I could not bend my leg and it might hit them in the face so they put me down on the second step and I inched up on my bottom while they stood watching.
"They even said they were amazed I had done it. I was out of breath because I have a bad heart and my hands were full of pebbles."
Mrs Summers is now so nervous of travelling by ambulance that when she has to attend hospital she calls a taxi with wheelchair access.
"I will only use an ambulance again if I am unconscious," she said.
John Darley, Yorkshire Ambulance Service operations director said: "We are sorry that the patient and their family do not feel they received an appropriate level of care from Yorkshire Ambulance Service as we endeavour to provide the best possible care to all of our patients.
"We are taking the family's concerns very seriously and have been in contact with them directly.
"We are currently carrying out a full investigation and will keep the family fully informed of our findings.
"We would like to reassure patients across Yorkshire that their safety and welfare is our up most priority."
socialized medicine bump
"We are currently carrying out a full investigation and will keep the family fully informed of our findings."
That's the kind of attitude that caused the problem to begin with.
I guess the catapult was in the shop.
In fact, why didn't the hospital just call a patient transport service? Why was an ambulance dispatched for this when anyone with an EMT-basic certification and a handicapped-accessable van could have done it?
Leni
Whoever 'they' are, they're certainly winning. Where must we go as a culture to surrender? How much longeer must we endure the absurdities endlessly foisted upon us? Must the world be upside-down to their liking, and, whose idea was it in the first place?
Throwing in the proverbial towel is looking more and more attractive. Ironically, it may be the only way to end it. Jesus H.
Sick bastards. Sick Socialist bastards.
Man, we sure get a lot of horror stories from the UK!
Getting almost as bad here---my wife suffered a stroke June 9 (only lost some peripheral vision)--next to nothing done for her 'extreme nausea/lack of appetite' for almost two months until a Stroke Rehabilitation Doctor spoke to our PCP who finally woke up and had her in to his office the next day when he ordered CT scan--no gastro problem but showed up a mass on l/kidney which was removed on Sept.14--still sick every day (nausea/lack of appetite/weakness) and has not been able to get a doctors appointment until this coming Thursday 10/26--been in EM for hypertension where they did nothing but wait couple of hours for her bp to drop below 100 and then discharge her(with 1 kidney left)and all the medical profession can do is prescribe drugs(3 for stomach,2 for b/p plus aspirin)-she walks around like an actress in "The Night of the Living Dead"--this is our vaunted 'medical system' and Hillary wants to go Government Medicine so it will get worse--something to look forward to as you folks get old (we are 84 and 77)---I know we should both 'drop dead'since we have served our purpose (she raised 8 good kids and I served my 5 years in WW2 to keep America safe)so we can save tax dollars for the 'illegal fencejumpers' to receive free medical care---be sure and vote DEMONRAT on Election Day so life will be better when you folks come of age. Hurray for the Medicare HMO's(we pay all of our membership fees and drugs costs as well) and just "follow the money" so our Congresscritters can have the 'special health plan' they so richly deserve.
It would be a lot more reassuring if it were also their utmost priority, but that's another subject.
"Man, we sure get a lot of horror stories from the UK!"
oh come now, we get horror stories from the US regarding litigation and unmeritorious lawsuits. Some of these are absolutely ridiculous
I know you weren't asking, but a prayer was sent.
Never said we didn't, did I?
It was deeply apptreciated-
Your service to our country is most appreciated also, sir. Thank you.
THREE knee replacements? Tells anyone all they'd ever need to know about the vaunted National Plan, and its assorted clones.
Yes, some of the lawsuits are terrible and way out of line---however, right at the moment the medical profession would not want me sitting on a malpracice suit jury---(which came first, the chicken or the egg?)-(the bad doctors or the greedy lawyer/clients)
"?)-(the bad doctors or the greedy lawyer/clients)"
Would have thought doctors over there would have been as good as any other in the world. The litigation thing is about 20 years old right?
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