September 2014 - case study 1
Date: 31 July 2014
- Details:
The ambulance attending a neighbor was blocking the complainant’s driveway. The crew refused to move to let the complainant get out, even though they only needed to move about 10cms and there were parking bays nearby that they could have parked in without blocking anyone’s drive. They were rude and inflexible.
- Findings:
The investigating manager spoke with both crew members and reviewed the records of the call out. It would seem that the patient in need of emergency care was in critical condition and moving the ambulance would have delayed the care and extraction of the patient who they were attending to. On occasion ambulances have to park in unusual places in order to be closer to the house so they can retrieve kit and extricate the patient as quickly as possible.
- Lesson learnt / action taken:
A reminder went out to all stations reminding staff when parking to make sure they are not blocking access and, where possible, to park in any spaces available. The crew apologised if they appeared rude as this was not their intention. They were concerned for the patient whose condition could have deteriorated at any moment. The crews were focused on making sure the patient was stable for them to move and transport to the nearest hospital in a timely manner.
- Date:30 July 2014