"Medical referral, 111, ambulance, hospital expectation"

The local medical practice in Taunton seems to me to be made up of part-timers. Doctors and nurses, both. One of the doctors, in my own's absence somewhere, thought my caree needed a semi-emergency admission to the acute Medical Unit at Musgrove Park Hospital, but would consult with his colleagues and phone back 'within 30 minutes'.

After 2 hours I wanted to phone him back to find out what the doctor thought. But they were fly - they had withheld their phone number, so there! After about 3 hours, a person phoned back saying an ambulance would arrive in about 2  hours. After three hours, I thought I'd get an update. Dialed 1471 again, dialed the number given, and was told it did not take incoming calls. Stymied again!

I thought maybe 111 might help, so had a go. person kept on asking, 'Is he breathing?'. Finally, I had to ask him until he grunted by way of confirmation. If he hadn't been, why should I be wasting their time on a corpse?

This phone operator would not let me get a word in edgeways for the first few minutes and wanted to 'Do an Assessment' before they would listen to my query. I said that was a waste of time, all I wanted to know was roughly when the ambulance might be, so I could plan my severely diabetic caree's meal(s) and timetable with as little disruption as possible. They seemed totally uncomprehending.

Then I thought I'd check if my caree was really expected at AMU, and if he was, I could arrange a taxi. AMU were helpful. They said that there were 8 patients booked in and some Acute Medical Cases already backed-up in a queue and  propped up at night in chairs, as they had no beds. If he came by taxi he would join the queue, but they had no stretchers or beds to lie on at night so perhaps he had better wait at home for the ambulance which would then give him at least a stretcher rather than just a chair. And, they didn't know how to un-book an ambulance. I agreed, in the circumstances, no taxi.

As they had no contact with ambulance control, they could not advise how long it would take, but gave me two phone numbers.

I got through on the first number, and, after nonsense questions again, but fewer of them, found out that my caree was booked for an ambulance, but so were 200 other people before him. By this time it was well past midnight and I told her we'd go to bed but please ask the ambulance to phone about 15 minutes before arrival. This was grudgingly accepted, I think, after I told them it was to save the ambulance's time as otherwise they would have to wait at the doorstep while we got ready.

I put my caree and myself to bed.

30 minutes after I was asleep, there was an anonymous phone call from a woman asking questions out of the blue. I refused to answer until she identified herself. Guess what! It was the 111 service! I asked her what the heck she wanted at that time in the morning.

She said, "I want to do an assessment." "Why?" "Because you refused to do one earlier."

You can guess my reply.  I told her, politely, never to ring that number phone again. And I would never phone 111 again. Ever.

We're still waiting for the ambulance.

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What a way to run a health service - everybody wasting everybody's time - no coordination - no planning - no feedback.

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The doorbell's just rung. Said they don't phone before we arrive. They don't do that!

So they have to wait 15 minutes for me to get my caree ready. No wonder it's a mess.

P. S. I tried to enter the ambulance with my caree whose first language is not English, whose medicinal needs are very complicated, and who tends to get bad tempered and confused when he doesn't understand. But I'm barred - for Covid - even though we live in the same household and are both double-vaccinated.

Haha! They won't give him a mask before entering the vehicle.

Oh, and they are not going to part with the stretcher when they arrive at the hospital. No matter what.