Hi, Ii'm new here, and don't know if this question is appropriate!
I have been suffering from increasing pain in thoracic area of back following a worsening cough that started last year. I feel sure that my spine and ribs are broken from the hacking cough. I barely feel my feet or legs, and have neuropathy in legs, feet and all round chest and back. Also chest pain, especially at night.
I now cannot stand up straight, and have to hold onto things, confined to bedroom, and legs give way.
The problem is I have appointment at x ray dept tomorrow, but there is no way I could attend as I can't drive car, walk or stand up.
So my question is would it be worth calling an ambulance ? I feel I need hospital care, but I fear I will not be believed, so need to choose words carefully. Thanks.
Written by
jahel
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You won’t get an emergency ambulance just to take you to an appt, you could try and get hospital transport which is usually volunteer drivers but takes time to arrange, otherwise call 111 and see if they have any suggestions.
999 is only to be used if life threatening situation. Suggest you contact 111 for any advice or suggestions. However unfortunately I think you have left things too long to arrange anything from hospital services for tomorrow. Any hospital transport usually requires more notice than on the day itself. I agree with your idea of contacting X-ray department tomorrow. They may be able to organise a different date for X-ray and give you time to arrange hospice transport. However most hospital transport has strict criteria and you may well not meet the criteria. Criteria is often linked to disabilities benefits and/ or definitive proof that unable to walk. I am not doubtful your post, am just stating that without some form of proof hospital transport may not be a viable proposition.
Is there anyone who could take you to hospital? Someone who is fit and could push you in hospital wheelchair to your appointment.
Hi bevvy, . I am disabled, but not diagnosed, drs put me on blood pressure drug last year. I am not helped by GP, other than X ray appt, and he waited months before giving me that. Not on benefits and running out of cash. GP's very expensive in my island. Me very poor. Ran out of food ages ago. Two packs of crisps and 6 bars of chocolate left.
I found a non urgent number at foot of this 999 page. I hope I understand it correctly, will find out in morning though.
Emergency response
When we receive a 999 call from a member of the public, our call handlers use a series of questions to determine what response would be most appropriate for each situation. A system of categories is used to do this which range from an immediate threat to life to less urgent calls.
These categories allow our Ambulance Control staff to prioritise calls based on clinical need.
The 4 call categories are as follows:
Category 1 (C1), potentially life threatening injuries and illnesses
Category 2 (C2), serious but non life threatening emergency calls
Category 3 (C3), urgent calls
Category 4 (C4), less urgent calls
The most serious prioritisation group (Category 1) must be responded to as quickly as possible to ensure life threatened patients get the fastest response.
999 calls are responded to by the nearest available ambulance or appropriate resource. Calls are received at the Combined Control Room (CCR) at Police HQ.
Community First Responders Scheme (CFR)
CFR is a voluntary scheme for people who provide life-saving first aid at the scene before an ambulance arrives. Volunteers undertake regular training sessions to maintain standards of practice. The training covers:
first aid
oxygen therapy
cardiopulmonary resuscitation
how to use a defibrillator
How to apply
You can email our Training Officer Paramedic or call on for more information.
Ambulance Support Unit
The Ambulance Support Unit is a group of volunteers who:
support the Ambulance Service at major incidents
support St. John Ambulance
Volunteers undertake regular training sessions to maintain standards of practice.
You can email our Operations Manager or call on ............. for more information.
Voluntary car service
A volunteer group who transport non-emergency mobile patients who are not able to use public transport. Email our Operations Manager or call/////////// for more information.
Contact us
For non-urgent calls, call us on ############# from 9am to 4.30pm, Monday to Friday.
Sorry for your situation. I am slightly confused. Where do you live? Here in UK NHS treatment is free at point of contact. These days 999 is really an urgent emergency contact. 111 could be more helpful to you. When in need they can provide an ambulance but as others have said ambulance will not take you to hospital for a routine appointment. Sadly ambulances these days are in short supply even when people are in life threatening situations! It would be hospital transport that may take you, but it is extremely unlikely they will be able to take you tomorrow. They need to be booked in advance of appointments. Again arranging a hospital volunteer etc needs to be arranged prior to appointment and not on day.
I think the best course of action is to either organise a friend to take you or to speak to X-ray department and rearrange you appointment. However with no “proof” of your difficulties it may be hard to organise any form of patient transport.
Sorry Bevvy I should have said that I live in the channel Islands!
Thanks again to you and to all who replied. It really has helped to see a clearer perspective from more seasoned and sensible patients. I am eternally grateful. I have a horror of hospitals which doesn't help! I will call a friend to see what she may say.
Oh dear Jahel, your life is so much more valuable than a taxi fare , get yourself to the hospital and worry about spending a smallish amount to save your life. Good Luck and please be safe.
My plan was to ask a friend who has a disabled disc to drop me off close to hospital. However, I would not be able to walk even a few feet now. A taxi would be of no use as just going to back door the other day to buy a packet of codeine from a courier meant I had to crawl on hand and knees back through back rooms and up stairs back to bed.
I just made it in time, as the nausea was overwhelming. If only I could email the ambulance service though, as talking sets off the coughing, then I'm in too much pain to continue, also coughing sets off the nerve pain and makes the weakness worse. Then I can't feel or use my legs or feet. The stairs are steep, and the front door stuck.
I think the X rays are not important, I'll just lose the money for the referral letter.
I'll phone X ray to let them know what's happening too.
Hi again , you do seem to be in a very poor state , if you can't walk and have trouble feeling your legs, then make a fuss, call the ambulance, exaggerate if you have to ( I don't think you will need to by the sound of your condition), tell them you have lost the use of your legs and you are in so much pain you cannot move, for goodness sake they will have to respond , go and make sure they listen and good luck. June.
Thanks, I tell truth, and will tell it how it is in morning to all local medical personnel. Someone may believe me. I found ambulance crew very helpful many years ago when I had a dangerous reaction to a very nasty prescription drug. They stayed with me between 2 and 4am on my birthday til BP went down to 180!
You need to go to the Official Jersey Government Medical Services which is online. You will find loads of info to help you understand the requirements of getting access to the medical service's in Jersey which is totally different to UK but is available to you. One address is to try is patientfinance@health.gov.je.
Content on HealthUnlocked does not replace the relationship between you and doctors or other healthcare professionals nor the advice you receive from them.
Never delay seeking advice or dialling emergency services because of something that you have read on HealthUnlocked.
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