Busy Night Expected
21.30 I'm hoping to keep updating this post as the night goes on.
It's supposed to be one of the busiest nights of the year for the LAS, with it being the last Friday before Christmas. We've had coverage on all the local news encouraging people to have a good time but think about how to get home and think carefully before calling an ambulance for a friend who is simply drunk.
At the time of writing, the number of calls has already topped 3,600, and I expect it will have risen to well over 4,000 by midnight. We have a way of seeing what ambulance is doing what call on station, which is how I know roughly how many calls have been taken by the call numbers next to the callsigns. I've just spoken to the FRU desk in control, and they sound knackered already.
Hope everyone (road and control staff) stays safe and has a relatively stress-free night.
00.40 Well as expected, control took at least 4,167 calls in the 24 hour period that was the 16th December. Already since midnight over 165 calls have been taken.
I've just been to an old man with a water infection which has caused him to become acutely confused (this is a common reaction to an infection in the waterworks), a call to a bloke who was in cardiac arrest after an assault. He must have recovered bloody quickly because he'd gone by the time I got there, and it only took me 6 minutes from the time of the call, and I've just spent an hour and twenty minutes on scene waiting for an ambulance with a lady who'd slipped down some steps, banged her head and possibly broken her foot.
I'm guessing the wait will only get longer now as late shift crews finish and go home for the night.
Just checked the call page again on the computer - we've now taken 201 calls in 47 minutes. Crazy.
02.00 Control has now taken 500 calls in 2 hours. It's going to be another busy day. I've just been to a young man who is nearly 2 years old, and was discharged from hospital yesterday with a respiratory infection. His mum called us because his temperature is still high, and she didn't want to take him to hospital in the car.
That'll be another free taxi ride then........
04.30 Just done my 6th job of the shift. This is a relatively quiet shift for me - I usually attract more than this, but I'm not complaining. I'm quite happy to have a quiet shift. My last patient was a chap with chest pains - he normally gets chest pains that are what's known as "referred" back pain. This means that the pain originates in the back, but manifests itself as pain in the chest. I think this is what's happened to him tonight, but the pain has taken a lot longer to go than it normally does. I left the crew on scene doing the ECG etc as they arrived just a few seconds after me, which makes a nice change for tonight.
In four and a half hours, we're up to 953 calls. At this rate, I'm guessing that will have risen to around 1,200 by the time I finish my shift at 06.30.
This is far busier than normal. I have full sympathy with the call-takers who must be getting some real ear-ache from people waiting for ambulances. The thing is, the people who complain about waiting the most are often the ones who need the ambulance the least.
07.00 Home after my night shift. Over 1,100 calls in six and a half hours - not quite my estimate but not far off. Right, time for bed, then back to do it all again tonight.
It's supposed to be one of the busiest nights of the year for the LAS, with it being the last Friday before Christmas. We've had coverage on all the local news encouraging people to have a good time but think about how to get home and think carefully before calling an ambulance for a friend who is simply drunk.
At the time of writing, the number of calls has already topped 3,600, and I expect it will have risen to well over 4,000 by midnight. We have a way of seeing what ambulance is doing what call on station, which is how I know roughly how many calls have been taken by the call numbers next to the callsigns. I've just spoken to the FRU desk in control, and they sound knackered already.
Hope everyone (road and control staff) stays safe and has a relatively stress-free night.
00.40 Well as expected, control took at least 4,167 calls in the 24 hour period that was the 16th December. Already since midnight over 165 calls have been taken.
I've just been to an old man with a water infection which has caused him to become acutely confused (this is a common reaction to an infection in the waterworks), a call to a bloke who was in cardiac arrest after an assault. He must have recovered bloody quickly because he'd gone by the time I got there, and it only took me 6 minutes from the time of the call, and I've just spent an hour and twenty minutes on scene waiting for an ambulance with a lady who'd slipped down some steps, banged her head and possibly broken her foot.
I'm guessing the wait will only get longer now as late shift crews finish and go home for the night.
Just checked the call page again on the computer - we've now taken 201 calls in 47 minutes. Crazy.
02.00 Control has now taken 500 calls in 2 hours. It's going to be another busy day. I've just been to a young man who is nearly 2 years old, and was discharged from hospital yesterday with a respiratory infection. His mum called us because his temperature is still high, and she didn't want to take him to hospital in the car.
That'll be another free taxi ride then........
04.30 Just done my 6th job of the shift. This is a relatively quiet shift for me - I usually attract more than this, but I'm not complaining. I'm quite happy to have a quiet shift. My last patient was a chap with chest pains - he normally gets chest pains that are what's known as "referred" back pain. This means that the pain originates in the back, but manifests itself as pain in the chest. I think this is what's happened to him tonight, but the pain has taken a lot longer to go than it normally does. I left the crew on scene doing the ECG etc as they arrived just a few seconds after me, which makes a nice change for tonight.
In four and a half hours, we're up to 953 calls. At this rate, I'm guessing that will have risen to around 1,200 by the time I finish my shift at 06.30.
This is far busier than normal. I have full sympathy with the call-takers who must be getting some real ear-ache from people waiting for ambulances. The thing is, the people who complain about waiting the most are often the ones who need the ambulance the least.
07.00 Home after my night shift. Over 1,100 calls in six and a half hours - not quite my estimate but not far off. Right, time for bed, then back to do it all again tonight.
written on the PRF by Steve at 9:36 pm
5 Comments:
What a horrendous night. I think you'll find, however, that the last Friday before Christmas this year is December 23rd. Good luck if you're on a night shift - I know I am.
yeah I know, but as far as the LAS are concerned, it was last night :)
Why's that then? I'd have thought that New Year's Eve would be the busiest or at least Christmas Eve. Or even Dec 23rd. Mind you, I could do with a quiet one, it's been crazy lately. Madness out there. (:D
I never said it was the busiest night, but one of the busiest nights.
New Year's Eve will be the most busy
I've just finished another batch of observation, and it was so much busier than the last time I went. I can only presume that this is due to christmas. Is it more common to get O/Ds at christmas, or is that just round here??
Merys
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