I am the WYMAS Medical Director and an A&E Consultant in Leeds! I am
grateful for all your support and enlightened comments and will pass them on
to my colleagues in WYMAS.
The reporting of this tragedy has revealed a depressing level of ignorance
from the press and the usual cohort of local MPs climbing on the bandwagon
for their personal gain.
Ambulances like many other things in the NHS are a finite resource.
Similarly to many other health service resources at times demand exceeds
supply and dedicated members of staff have to make on the spot decisions to
do their best for patients.Those with knowledge of these things have no
doubt that sending a defib equipped fire engine was an entirely appropriate
response to a massively difficult situation.What these staff do not deserve
is the ill informed criticism of those only interested in selling newspapers
and persuing their personal agendas.
Needless to say these comments are my own opinion.
Thanks again
Graham Johnson
----- Original Message -----
From: "Rowley Cottingham" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Wednesday, July 31, 2002 6:12 AM
Subject: The Yorkshire fire brigade's defibrillator
> Was I the only person saddened and astonished at the reaction to West
Yorkshire Metropolitan Ambulance service
> mobilising a fire appliance to a collapsed man? We have spent years and
years trying to extend the training on and
> availability of defibrillators, and when someone thinks very fast and
mobilises a fire appliance with defibrillator and
> people trained to use to a patient in cardiac arrest they have to issue an
apology?
>
> How many of the Service's ambulances at that moment were on genuine calls
that really needed an ambulance? How
> many were dealing with drunks littering streets, hoax calls, people who
needed to be put back to bed and so on?
>
> If anyone here has contacts at the WYMS please can they pass on my thanks
for some fast thinking and completely
> appropriate salvage action.
>
> Best wishes,
>
>
> Rowley Cottingham
>
> [log in to unmask]
> http://www.emergencyunit.com
>
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