O.K. all my E.R. brethren, I have what I believe is the absolute, hands down, no competition, circumstance of EMS Abuse, I have ever seen in 20++ years experience in E.R. Recently I was working a medium sized E.R. in rural Georgia. 7p-7a shift, atapproximately 11:30p an ambulance arrived with a male patient
who while walking the streets at night, fell into an open "manhole" apparently unmarked. He didn't fall to the bottom due to quick thinking on his part, he held his arms out away from his body, thereby catching himself before this disaster
was possibly compounded by a twelve foot vertical fall. He was not the abuser of EMS system, the twenty something male patient in the next ambulance was.
This guy had witnessed, the fall and also witnessed EMS picking
up the aforementioned patient. He was hitch-hicking/walking to his girlfriends house. Well a lightbulb must have switched "On"
because he then proceeded to call EMS to come and take him to E.R., Complaint; he was walking and got "Short of breath"
apparently this E.R. was closer to his girlfriends house. He didn't even bother to Register, he went immediately to the telephone,
(Provided Free in E.R. waiting room) and called her to come for him. Now I ask you can you top this? :eek: :eek: :(
As a medic, there was one lady with a history of Mental illness, yet was competent who would call 911 4 or 5 times a week for us to pick her up. We would drive up and she would be sitting on her doorset smoking and then get in. In one year she had over 166 ambulance rides to the downtown core. Since in ontario, welfare recipents get free ambulance service, she was not charged for any of the rides.
Last I heard the Ambulance Service was taking her to court to deny her the right to 911 services.
FYI, in Ontario its $45 for an ambulance and $245 if the admitting nurse, Medic or Doctor feel its was not medically necessary.
It happens everywhere - note News report from the UK:-
Anthony Browne, health editor
Sunday November 4, 2001
The Observer
People will no longer have an automatic right to an ambulance when they dial 999, as part of government plans to deal with time-wasters and the explosion in demand for the service.
People who phone up are to be assessed quickly by operators, and ambulances will be sent only to those considered to be in genuine medical need. Others will either be passed on to the NHS Direct helpline, told to see their GP or a chemist, or put in touch with social services.
Ministers and health authorities have become alarmed as demand for ambulances has almost doubled in the past decade - calls rose by 6 per cent last year to 4.4 million. Yet a growing number of calls are from people abusing the service, which means that it takes longer to respond to genuine emergencies.
Yes resurrecting this thread that I found accidently - I'd just like to know how this policy worked out, now it's a few years later.
I did have the opportunity to work at a place that had a dedicated stretcher triage. That was so nice. The assigned triage nurse triaged and categorized them. I actually enjoyed when it was my turn especially when I could tell them to get up and go to the front and sign in and wait to be triaged. Some would get very upset because they came by ambulance and were not taken directly to the treatment area.
Every place should do this instead of putting them directly into a spot. The other good thing about this was even if EMS had started an IV there was ample room to put them on a ER cart or have them sit in a chair and let them wait their proper turn based on acuity.
It really does cut down on ER cart shuffle and if you have a patient that needs to go straight back, then it is not that much of a problem. It also cuts down on the nursing staff frustration in the treatment area and improves the flow in the long run.
Yeah, I can't top any of them, either. WOW. My husband is a paramedic, I'll have to ask him if he has any stories that top those ones.
I like the idea of squad triage....our hospital is in the process of expanding our ER and the nurse manager and administrators are constantly asking for suggestions and feedback....I'll have to suggest that one!
One of our frequent 2-3 times a week chest painers came in the other day. This lady truly does have pathology so we cannot totally dismiss her complaints, but anyways: She was in the ED for three hours we gave her a cab voucher and sent her on her way. The cab took her to Eat & Park. After her meal was over she then proceeded to call 911 from their pay phone and had the ambulance pick her up and bring her to us again. It appears that she developed chest pain again after eating her double burger and fries.:angryfire
O.K. all my E.R. brethren, I have what I believe is the absolute, hands down, no competition, circumstance of EMS Abuse, I have ever seen in 20++ years experience in E.R. Recently I was working a medium sized E.R. in rural Georgia. 7p-7a shift, atapproximately 11:30p an ambulance arrived with a male patient
who while walking the streets at night, fell into an open "manhole" apparently unmarked. He didn't fall to the bottom due to quick thinking on his part, he held his arms out away from his body, thereby catching himself before this disaster
was possibly compounded by a twelve foot vertical fall. He was not the abuser of EMS system, the twenty something male patient in the next ambulance was.
This guy had witnessed, the fall and also witnessed EMS picking
up the aforementioned patient. He was hitch-hicking/walking to his girlfriends house. Well a lightbulb must have switched "On"
because he then proceeded to call EMS to come and take him to E.R., Complaint; he was walking and got "Short of breath"
apparently this E.R. was closer to his girlfriends house. He didn't even bother to Register, he went immediately to the telephone,
(Provided Free in E.R. waiting room) and called her to come for him. Now I ask you can you top this? :eek: :eek: :(
How dare you question his behavior...you don't know what's going on in his life:lol2:
:eek: 
:(
Zhakrin
85 Posts
As a medic, there was one lady with a history of Mental illness, yet was competent who would call 911 4 or 5 times a week for us to pick her up. We would drive up and she would be sitting on her doorset smoking and then get in. In one year she had over 166 ambulance rides to the downtown core. Since in ontario, welfare recipents get free ambulance service, she was not charged for any of the rides.
Last I heard the Ambulance Service was taking her to court to deny her the right to 911 services.
FYI, in Ontario its $45 for an ambulance and $245 if the admitting nurse, Medic or Doctor feel its was not medically necessary.