Would you have helped?

[Salu]

http://www.neenaw.co.uk/index.php/am...ts-not-my-job/

This blog belongs to an LAS (London Ambulance Service) dispatcher. This particular story leaves me with great concern about how apathetic or fearful of litigation we have become as a society.

Read it and then comment on what you would have done. Perhaps you can restore my faith??

Maybe you could mention if you have had Frist Aid training or whether you feel you ought to...

[Graham M]

Id have shut up the shop for half an hour to go and see how the person was and started CPR if needed. I have very minimal first aid training so would have a good idea of what to do and what not to do I guess. Seems dispicable to me

[Stuart]

I have first aid training (re-qualified in september). We were told (and I hope I misunderstood this) that as first aiders, we are counted as having a medical qualification (although minimal), and, as such, should not treat people unless we have insurance to do so, or are happy to risk legal action if our actions (however good) leave the casualty injured in some way. I am allowed to treat casualties at work, as I am covered by the Uni's insurance.

[Derek]

Shocking.

Personally I'd have gone to help. Lets see someone try to fire me for helping someone who could well have been seriously injured.

That said a few years back I was in America and someone dropped dead on the other side of the road. Someone checked for a pulse and called an ambulance but people were stopping others from helping in case they were sued by him or his family

wow, that is a sad indictment of our society, I am not sure if it is a fear of becoming involved, or just people have become a lot more insular, over the years & no longer feel part of the wider community.

I don't have first aid training, but Mrs Gaz does & had to put it into practice last year, when a neighbour has a heart attack. She said it was a lot different trying to do CPR on a real person, rather than a dummy. Unfortunately he did eventually die, despite our efforts & those of the paramedics, but she didn't hesitate for one second to try & help & I was really proud of her.

I'd like to think I would try to help to the best of my ability if placed in a similar situation

[ikthius]

well if I would have helped if I could have.

My first aid is not up to date, but I remember it was 1 to 5 if it was cpr and so on, the old recovery position and so on.

but I can understand why people these days dont help, as this nation is becoming like america, in that you can get sued for helping, because a lot of people see there is a quick buck in this, like in america.

but when it comes to my work, I am not allowed to help, although I help in other ways, like getting info from the database to help the ambulance crew when they arrive after I have called for assistance from the duty first aiders. and get the rest of the customers out of the gym, so they don't see what is going on, and can't get in the way.

ik

[Halcyon]

That is appaling.
I value life over any posessions and goods so I would have gone to help.
I'm not trained in first aid but know a few of the basics. I'd have probably gone to see what I could do and then kept the ambulance people updated.

[Rob]

I've done a number of first aid courses although I'm slightly out of date at the moment (to be rectified very soon). I always carry gloves and a face mask in my wallet, ever since finding some bloke collapsed in the street and at the time not having any protective barriers yet needing to get hands on as he was having severe breathing difficulties.

Put it this way, provided that it is safe for me to get involved i.e. I am not being put at stupid risk of becoming another casualty, I would always get stuck in.

For those concerned about the liabilites of providing first aid, I have frequently been told there are simple good samaritan laws in this country that would protect anyone making an honest mistake during first aid, provided they were acting reasonably and not trying something heroic beyond their training.

[Halcyon]

I found these first aid podcasts that someone posted a while ago quite useful for learning the basics.

http://www.sja.org.uk/firstaid/info/

[Stuart]

Originally Posted by Rob C

For those concerned about the liabilites of providing first aid, I have frequently been told there are simple good samaritan laws in this country that would protect anyone making an honest mistake during first aid, provided they were acting reasonably and not trying something heroic beyond their training.

Well, I have to admit, I don't think the liability problem would stop me anyway. I can't seriously see any judge allowing any action taken by someone (who would have died otherwise) to be taken against the person who saved them, no matter how bad their injuries afterward.

Obviously, what I can do is limited by a lack of both medical training and equipment, but I am at least able to do limited patching up and CPR.

[Paul M]

Sorry but I cannot restore all your faith, I would not have tried CPR or indeed have touched the person in any way. I would, however, answer the questions about location etc.

This statement by the blogger is incredible ;

I hope that tomorrow those three people all get hit by a big red bus and that everyone steps around their bleeding bodies as they lay dying in the street.

What a fantastic attitude from someone whose job it is.

[Chimaera]

Originally Posted by Paul M

This statement by the blogger is incredible ;

What a fantastic attitude from someone whose job it is.

I'm sure that was just an 'after the event' reaction - and who hasn't felt like that at some point in their job?
I'd have shut the shop and gone and done whatever I could. I used to be first aid trained (the full 4 day course) but then the possibility of being sued by parents if something went wrong was raised. So now I have done the basic 1 day 'emergency' first aiders course, which is all my employer requires me to have.

Originally Posted by Salu

Read it and then comment on what you would have done. Perhaps you can restore my faith??

Personally, I would already be at the scene trying to do what I can, but I can understand that for a shopkeeper that is not necessarily that easy.

However, the mouthy young man ought to have his **** kicked.

Originally Posted by Salu

Maybe you could mention if you have had Frist Aid training or whether you feel you ought to...

Yes, I am First Aid qualified.

The last time I was required to act was when a cyclist in Nottingham had been tripped up by the tram rails. She'd gone over the handle bars and smashed her head and was bleeding profusely from head & nose.

I stayed until the ambulance arrived and did the best I could (which wasn't much, under the circumstances.) I did however stop someone from trying to stop her nose bleed - I'm sure she'd have choked on her own blood had they tried. The only other thing I could do was to make her as comfortable as possible and keep her still until the ambulance crew could assess her.

A driver helped by parking across the traffic to protect me & patient and someone left me a blanket. I believe the patient survived, and I hope from then on she chose to wear a cycle helmet (which she hadn't been wearing.)

---------- Post added at 17:58 ---------- Previous post was at 17:56 ----------

Originally Posted by homealone

I don't have first aid training, but Mrs Gaz does & had to put it into practice last year, when a neighbour has a heart attack. She said it was a lot different trying to do CPR on a real person, rather than a dummy.

Well done Mrs Gaz!! I know from personal experience how hard it is to do even the First Aid you know.

[Pia]

Why didn't some of the people outside ring from a mobile?

[Xaccers]

To hell with the shop!
I'd have given the dispatcher my mobile number so he could call me back while I was seing to the person outside