"A&E Reception"

I was returning to my car in the Perth Royal Infirmary one morning when I heard a man shouting for help.  

The man was helping an elderly gentleman who had collapsed in his car following a seizure and was struggling to breath and had a very poor pulse.  I stayed to help while another member of the public ran into the side reception area to get help.  She came back to tell us that staff weren't allowed to help and they had called an ambulance.

By this time the elderly gentleman had completely lost consciousness and his breathing and pulse had become poorer so I ran to A&E to ask them for help.  I explained all this however the receptionist told me they were not allowed to help, it was against policy, they were unable to leave their post and an ambulance was on it's way.  I expressed my surprise (politely - you are kidding?) and walked out.  When I returned to the car park I found the other members of the public were now performing CPR on the elderly gentleman as he had stopped breathing and had no pulse.  There was still no sign of an ambulance.

I ran back to A&E and clearly told the receptionist that the man in the car park had now stopped breathing, had no pulse and we were trying to carry out CPR.  I was then informed again that they were unable to help and staff were tending to other ill patients, before being pointed out to a colleague as the very distressed woman mentioned earlier.  At that point I walked through the waiting area and stood at the open doors into the A&E dept.  The receptionist came running up behind me shouting to their colleagues that they were to witness this and again told me that they couldn't help.  I called to a Doctor who was sitting looking at a screen in the corridor and explained that we had a man in the car park who had collapsed, had no pulse and wasn't breathing and asked him to help.  The doctor said they would go and speak to someone about it at which point I said "don't speak to someone get them to come out to the car park and help".  I walked back out through the waiting area where members of the public in the area were offering their help and asking if they could assist in any way - I explained that we needed medical help but thanked them.

When I got back to the car park the ambulance had just arrived and shortly after that a Doctor and Nurse arrived from the A&E dept.  At this point they took over the care of the elderly gentleman.  We tried to find his details from some paperwork in his car.  None of us that helped had any link with him.  I think it was unlikely from the way things went in the car park that he recovered.  And I also realise that even if professional help had arrived earlier it may not have changed the outcome for the elderly man.

However this whole incident has left a very sour taste in my mouth regarding the behaviour and attitude of the reception staff at Perth Royal Infirmary.  I understand that A&E reception staff will not have an easy job and will have to placate and diffuse situations frequently, however it is fair to say that I was very shocked and distressed that when faced with the news that a person had collapsed after a seizure with no pulse or breathing, and was in the hospital car park we would just have to sit and wait for the ambulance because A&E staff were treating other ill people.  Seriously?  I think you should give some "human touch" and "bend the rules" training for situations such as these to your reception staff.  Reassess under what circumstances A&E medical professionals are able to leave their post and help someone in the hospital grounds.

At no point was I rude or threatening (I didn't use abusive language and was not in any way physically threatening) however I was shocked and distressed because of the receptionist's completely inflexible and non listening outlook / attitude.