Double Standards by an Ambulance Crew!

Last Thursday 28th October my night staff rang me and left a message on my answerphone to say that she was ringing 999 to call an ambulance as one of my residents had asked for an ambulance to be called as she was in so much pain, and had used the words, ‘I’m dying’. The call to my phone was at 5.51am, before 6am I rang her back and after a very brief discussion I was handed over to the attending ambulance crew.

I gave this crew member full information including what I knew to be wrong with this resident, (Chronic constipation), the fact that we had called the GP the day before and requested a home visit, which was refused! And that I was taking her to a hospital appointment later that morning.

I thought that that would be the end of it, but boy was I wrong!!!

This ambulance crew member despite talking to me, the manager, decided to call Social Services and place an adult protection alert. When I found out I was furious, a few simple questions and everything could have been made clear, but this spineless individual decided to let others do his work for him, and when the investigation took place I found out what the complaint involved and I was even more angry and made it known to the investigating officer.

It appears that they thought that my night staff didn’t have good enough spoken English for them!! Yet she communicates with the staff including accurate handovers, and the residents and they can all understand her. I also found out that it was stated that the residents toilet door was broken and there was no toilet roll in the toilet and they had concerns about this residents living conditions.

As I said earlier whilst he had me on the phone a few well placed questions would have sorted all this out. My night staff can make decisions and acted appropriately, she made the correct legible entry in the day notes and contacted the on call phone. Whereas the ambulance crew did nothing, here was a lady with chronic constipation who had only recently been released from hospital, and they walked away.

This resident has mental capacity although some short term memory loss, but knows when she is in pain. She also has mental health problems and cleaning here room to the homes satisfaction has to be organised with military precision, getting her agreement in writing with day and date, even then she is resistant, this is all well recorded. Also whenever she is admitted to hospital her room is cleaned as quickly and as thoroughly as possible including washing all her clothes.

Her toilet door wasn’t broken as reported and there was toilet paper in the toilet, but the toilet roll holder was broken (now replaced) as most people know that the elderly will use anything to help themselves get up, even if there is a grab rail in place, and by its very nature of where it is placed, a toilet roll holder is a handy aid to get up!

I was able to show the investigating officer, daily notes, GP proforma, Care Plans, Risk Assessments, Night staff file, New Emergency file if ambulance has to be called, Training matrix, letters to residents solicitor, hospital transfer letters. Copies of many of these were taken and it was obvious that our audit trail was very complete, I was asked to complete a risk assessment for this residents health and this was done within the next 24 hours and the emergency file was completely updated and improved.

Why am I complaining so bitterly?

I saw this as a moral-less, spineless attack on my night staff, almost racial discrimination, also an attack on the home, in particular as the crew member who I believe made the complaint actually spoke to the manager of the home (me) and raised no concerns at the time, but had to do it in such a way that resources have been squandered, in particular as the home has just had three emergency admissions and I have been deflected away from writing the care plans for these people.

It seems to me that certain ambulance crew members see themselves as judge and jury without full knowledge, are not prepared to ask questions before acting like a bull in a china shop, but they can walk away from an elderly vulnerable resident in pain, without taking any action and get away scot free.

There are real double standards here, but bet if I made a complaint to the ambulance service now, it would be seen as getting revenge rather than trying to ensure that my residents get fair treatment and the home is dealt with in a fair and unbiased manner including its staff.