Ambulance Service apologise for denying biker help
Seriously injured biker refused ambulance at private motorcross event
EDINBURGH AMBULANCE service has been forced to apologise to the family of a teenage motorcrosser after they refused to send a vehicle to help the seriously injured rider.
The female shift manager at the Scottish Ambulance Service embarked in a 15-minute argument with the private medics tending the 15-year-old before flatly refusing to help.
It's reported in The Edinburgh Evening News she told medics that because the event was a private one with paid-for medical cover, "NHS resources" could not be used. and that there should have been a private ambulance on stand-by. The injured rider was eventually taken to hospital in a people carrier and treated for head and neck injuries. He underwent plastic surgery at the hospital.
A spokesman for the Scottish Ambulance Service said: "We have accepted the ruling and have apologised to the man and his family."
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That is the most appaling thing I have heard for some time. makes me wonder what all my national insurance payments actually mean!
Posted: 22/08/2008 at 11:54
I would be interested to know what organisation was running the event. Under ACU rules you do have to have a minimum level of cover which is two Ambulances (and medics etc)so it probably not an SACU event as they use the ACU rules.
Posted: 22/08/2008 at 12:00
I would be interested to know what organisation was running the event. Under ACU rules you do have to have a minimum level of cover which is two Ambulances (and medics etc)so it probably not an SACU event as they use the ACU rules.
Whether the organisers had sufficient cover, is surely irrellevent in this case. The point is that they refused to send an ambulance when it was needed! what if the injured guy had died of his injuries!
if they want to argue about insurance,liability and other such bollocks, surely they should have done so in a legal capacity AFTER saving the biker. Not whilst he is lying on the floor with head and neck injuries! For god sake, you hear about this sort of thing happening in third world countries - I never would have expected to have it happen in a supposedly civilised country with a pre-paid national health service!!!
Posted: 22/08/2008 at 12:47
Whether the organisers had sufficient cover, is surely irrellevent in this case. The point is that they refused to send an ambulance when it was needed! what if the injured guy had died of his injuries!if they want to argue about insurance,liability and other such bollocks, surely they should have done so in a legal capacity AFTER saving the biker. Not whilst he is lying on the floor with head and neck injuries! ^^^^^^^^ Ditto that what he said.
Posted: 22/08/2008 at 14:03
I agree it is disgusting that they refused to send an ambulance but if an ambulance had been their it could probably have been at the hospital before the argument was over. If you read the transcript it says they do not have an ambulance and cannot leave the event, it also mentions a committe member and clerk of course so it was obviously an organised race meeting and I do not know of any organisation that does not insist on at least one ambulance (just checked AMCA is 1 ACU 2). Nobody comes out of this well, the SAS should have sent a vehicle, the private ambulance company should have had an ambulance on site, and the club should not have started the event until there was a vehicle their.
Posted: 22/08/2008 at 21:02
Shouldn't the priority be to sort the injured person out first??? I hope someone has had a serious word in her ear!!
Posted: 24/08/2008 at 07:03
String her up ...................... whip her until she screams for help then ................ leave her without medical help! That is my opinion
Posted: 24/08/2008 at 07:09
That is the most appaling thing I have heard for some time. makes me wonder what all my national insurance payments actually mean!
To be honest I partly agree with her, I would have sent the ambulance and then persuade the local council to get the event closed down permanently and for the company owning it to be charged for the service and sued for negligence for not providing a private ambulance, I believe the real bastards of this story are the event organisers, the women should be sacked, but she should have sent ambulance first and then kicked arse later.
The NHS shouldnt be there to provide cover at a private event, which should provide private cover in as part of the deal. No matter how much people dress up motor sport as safe, its still capable of killing or maiming someone seriously, so you being responsible would tell you to have medics and an ambulance on standby.
Posted: 24/08/2008 at 07:40
As disgusting as it is, that event should have had adequate facilities provided by the organisers. Just like any motorsport event, sailing, horseriding etc. The NHS isn't there to provide ambulances for these type of private events, they provide facilities at A&E to deal with the injured, but initial first aid and transport to A&E need to be paid for by the organisers. I'm not saying it's right, and it should have been sorted out after an ambulance had been dispatched. However, the real people at fault are the organisers.
Posted: 24/08/2008 at 08:44
Regardless of onsite medical crews, the NHS Ambulance could see that the lad was in a state and required medical attention so they have a responsibility to deal with it straight away and make claims later. Life or death! The female shift manager who denied giving the lad treatment sounds like shes stuck up her own back side.
Posted: 24/08/2008 at 09:29
Regardless of onsite medical crews, the NHS Ambulance could see that the lad was in a state and required medical attention so they have a responsibility to deal with it straight away and make claims later. Life or death! The female shift manager who denied giving the lad treatment sounds like shes stuck up her own back side.
no one is saying that they NHS shouldnt have responded, but read above two posts.
Posted: 24/08/2008 at 09:35
I'm not very on-the-ball this morning, T509Speedy. I have read your previous post and strongly agree with what you have said and your suggested actions that should be taken. I hope that the family of the young lad will follow this through.
Posted: 24/08/2008 at 09:42
As disgusting as it is, that event should have had adequate facilities provided by the organisers. Just like any motorsport event, sailing, horseriding etc. The NHS isn't there to provide ambulances for these type of private events, they provide facilities at A&E to deal with the injured, but initial first aid and transport to A&E need to be paid for by the organisers. I'm not saying it's right, and it should have been sorted out after an ambulance had been dispatched. However, the real people at fault are the organisers.
you're couldn't be further from the truth if you tried harry,at sanctioned events for motocross whether it be acu ,amca,ysma ,orpa,bsma or any other organisation the medical crew cannot transport injured partys to hospital this must be done by the local area ambulance.the medical staff at mx meetings are there for first aid only.then they hand over to nhs paramedics and ambulance crews.
Posted: 24/08/2008 at 09:49
I'm not very on-the-ball this morning, T509Speedy. I have read your previous post and strongly agree with what you have said and your suggested actions that should be taken. I hope that the family of the young lad will follow this through.
If I were that lads parents I would be suing the event organisers and be getting the council involved to get the event closed down, big style.
I really hate the way this country has gone in terms of becoming an American style claiming nation but in this case the event organisers deserve it.
Posted: 24/08/2008 at 09:51
you're couldn't be further from the truth if you tried harry,at sanctioned events for motocross whether it be acu ,amca,ysma ,orpa,bsma or any other organisation the medical crew cannot transport injured partys to hospital this must be done by the local area ambulance.the medical staff at mx meetings are there for first aid only.then they hand over to nhs paramedics and ambulance crews. At enduros I've ridden/watched and marshalled there have always had St.Johns or private ambulances in attendance and I've seen casualties leaving in them.
only to meet nhs ambulance or non serious injures,broken wrist,ankle etc. any serious injury ,which the original post suggests would have to be dealt with by the proper authorities
Posted: 24/08/2008 at 10:48
Odd. I've not availed myself of the service yet but plenty of my racing friends have had a trip to hospital in the circuit ambulance. One meeting we had to suspend racing for an hour because we'd run out of ambulances (ferrying people to Lincoln).
As for meeting an NHS bus in a layby and transferring someone in the pissing rain- can't see it myself.
Posted: 24/08/2008 at 10:56
Odd. I've not availed myself of the service yet but plenty of my racing friends have had a trip to hospital in the circuit ambulance. One meeting we had to suspend racing for an hour because we'd run out of ambulances (ferrying people to Lincoln).
As for meeting an NHS bus in a layby and transferring someone in the pissing rain- can't see it myself.
i bet they were not serious injuries. and you're wrong about meeting a nhs ambulance,it's happened to me.
Posted: 24/08/2008 at 10:59
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