Wiltshire paramedics sent out to treat hiccups under new calls system

11:53am Thursday 7th March 2013 in News

Paramedics are still being blighted by non-emergency calls Paramedics are still being blighted by non-emergency calls

Paramedics in Wiltshire are continuing to be sent to inappropriate calls by the private company Harmoni, which is running the 111 non-emergency telephone line. Health bosses are so concerned that they are now considering alternative arrangements.

It was revealed last week that ambulance crews were being sent to patients with minor ailments such as earache and sore throats by call handlers working at Harmoni.

Ambulances were being sent by Harmoni to up to 30 extra 999 calls a day in Wiltshire, and the same number in Avon and Gloucestershire.

A paramedic working in Wiltshire said the situation had not improved during the past week and said ambulances had been sent to patients with minor ailments including hiccups and back pain.

The paramedic said: “It’s still really chaotic. It’s still an absolute nightmare, particularly at weekends. I know the ambulance service have put on extra crews to help with the demand but we are still going out to a huge number of inappropriate jobs.”

Harmoni has been testing the 111 system during evenings and weekends before it comes into effect properly in April.

NHS Wiltshire awarded the contract for the 111 service to Harmoni. A spokesman said on Wednesday: “Following another hugely disappointing weekend for the 111 services’ test period in Wiltshire, NHS Wiltshire cannot apologise enough to those patients who experienced problems.

“We have previously said that we always knew that there would be teething problems during the test period but the problems have been more extensive than we had predicted. We continue to work very closely with the providers, Harmoni, to rectify the problems and have been once again assured that the service will be greatly improved for this weekend.

“NHS Wiltshire is exploring all options in regards to a contingency should the service fail to improve. The trial period in Wiltshire is under intense scrutiny not only by NHS Wiltshire but also the Department of Health at a national level.”

Ken Wenman, chief executive of South Western Ambulance Service, wrote to ambulance staff this week thanking them for their continued commitment and acknowledging the increased pressure frontline staff have been under as a result of the additional activity from inappropriate 111 calls.

Comments(20)

melkshamwizard says...
1:48pm Thu 7 Mar 13

doesnt anybody learn from this out sourcing,these companies only in it for profit,they dont give a **** about patients,we hear it in the news all the time,look at these care homes as an example,it seems money saving at any cost.

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daryl1957 says...
5:43pm Thu 7 Mar 13

Another NHS 'cash bleed'.....

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WR950 says...
6:28pm Thu 7 Mar 13

Here we go again. This government are constantly telling us 'private sector good, public sector bad'.

Good point from Melkshamwizard - they're only in it for profit.

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Mrs Donnyfly says...
8:29pm Thu 7 Mar 13

WR950 wrote:
Here we go again. This government are constantly telling us 'private sector good, public sector bad'.

Good point from Melkshamwizard - they're only in it for profit.
And of course making a profit is bad isn't it?

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beetawix says...
9:05pm Thu 7 Mar 13

If a company can make a profit running unnecessary ambulances they must be very good.
The proof of service will not be inappropriate calls but will be availability when truly needed.

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redrum says...
10:04am Fri 8 Mar 13

I have serious concerns with this new service. Having had to speak to someone on this number for a patient, giving them someone OBS on the phone. I was then informed their criteria on a piece of paper in front of them said she needed to be seen within 2 hours, yet they seemed to have no understanding of the clinical implication of these details i had given. I am in agreement they are possibly not sufficiently trained to decide the urgency of something and are sending ambulances to non urgent patients. On the more concerning side is the question, are they able to tell if someone needs urgent care and that they may be made to wait costing lives. It is 3 years for us Nursing staff and 6 + for Doctors. I used to be able to speak to qualified Nursing Practitioners and Doctors over the phone on the old number if i had patient concerns, this should continue to ensure safety of the public or the call operators need more extensive training.

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notscot says...
7:42am Sat 9 Mar 13

redrum wrote:
I have serious concerns with this new service. Having had to speak to someone on this number for a patient, giving them someone OBS on the phone. I was then informed their criteria on a piece of paper in front of them said she needed to be seen within 2 hours, yet they seemed to have no understanding of the clinical implication of these details i had given. I am in agreement they are possibly not sufficiently trained to decide the urgency of something and are sending ambulances to non urgent patients. On the more concerning side is the question, are they able to tell if someone needs urgent care and that they may be made to wait costing lives. It is 3 years for us Nursing staff and 6 + for Doctors. I used to be able to speak to qualified Nursing Practitioners and Doctors over the phone on the old number if i had patient concerns, this should continue to ensure safety of the public or the call operators need more extensive training.
So - when did you become a nurse? It wasn't that long ago that you stated you were a "senior" carer. Then you started to talk about your "patients" - now you've made a reference to "us nursing staff".
You worry me.

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Mrs Donnyfly says...
10:56am Sat 9 Mar 13

redrum aka Walter Mitty

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redrum says...
7:32pm Sat 9 Mar 13

Senior care staff are classed as Nursing staff when level 4 Diplomas in care are completed, my exact name is Palliative Care Lead as now my exams have been passed but yes i was a senior carer for years which was just as rewarding. We work alongside nurses and do many jobs such as medication, dressings, vital signs/obs etc. One day i will probably be coming out to you, your family to take care of I am interested you think my career path is a joke though because it says a lot about the sort of person you seem to be which saddens me. I love my job and get a lot of rewarding work out of my career, it is people like us that make a difference and many could not do without us. I find the comments certain people make on here highly amusing to read after work, it helps me unwind with my horlicks. What is your career name?

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Mrs Donnyfly says...
9:06pm Sat 9 Mar 13

redrum wrote:
Senior care staff are classed as Nursing staff when level 4 Diplomas in care are completed, my exact name is Palliative Care Lead as now my exams have been passed but yes i was a senior carer for years which was just as rewarding. We work alongside nurses and do many jobs such as medication, dressings, vital signs/obs etc. One day i will probably be coming out to you, your family to take care of I am interested you think my career path is a joke though because it says a lot about the sort of person you seem to be which saddens me. I love my job and get a lot of rewarding work out of my career, it is people like us that make a difference and many could not do without us. I find the comments certain people make on here highly amusing to read after work, it helps me unwind with my horlicks. What is your career name?
If you don't mind me saying so Paliative Care Lead is a most unusual name - what part of the world it from?

As to the comment in your post - when you say you will "probably" be coming out to whom the comment is directed - don't you mean "possibly"? And just who was it, and when, thought your career path was a joke?

All in all Paliative (you don't mind if I call you Paliative, do you?)- a remarkable piece of self-aggrandizement and own trumpet blowing. Well done.

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redrum says...
7:53am Sun 10 Mar 13

Probably i feel is the word still as not everyone is looked after out in the community and many end of life patients have to go into homes and hospices. Palliative care i take it you realise is end of life care and lead means someone who is the lead on that area of care, in medical terms for the job that is. Basically i have extra training in that area so teach others where as other people are things like Dementia leads so they will teach others about it and are in charge of those areas. Yes i am proud of the qualifications i have achieved as well , years of expensive training with lots os studying has been hard at times. By the way it is palliative not paliative, what career path are you in and do you find it as rewarding as i find mine, blow your trumpet.

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notscot says...
8:30am Sun 10 Mar 13

redrum wrote:
Probably i feel is the word still as not everyone is looked after out in the community and many end of life patients have to go into homes and hospices. Palliative care i take it you realise is end of life care and lead means someone who is the lead on that area of care, in medical terms for the job that is. Basically i have extra training in that area so teach others where as other people are things like Dementia leads so they will teach others about it and are in charge of those areas. Yes i am proud of the qualifications i have achieved as well , years of expensive training with lots os studying has been hard at times. By the way it is palliative not paliative, what career path are you in and do you find it as rewarding as i find mine, blow your trumpet.
"One day i will probably be coming out to you, your family to take care of I am interested you think my career path is a joke though because it says a lot about the sort of person you seem to be which saddens me. I love my job"
So - WHO thought your career was a joke?
What I said was: You worry me.
You still do.
To continue, you say you are the "lead" in palliative care, after "years of expensive training"
You mean donkeys years as a senior carer then an NVQ?
I would be even more worried if you turned up to look after one of my own.
I'd be able to tell it was you. No-one writes quite like you.
Hair stood up on back of neck......

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Mrs Donnyfly says...
9:41am Sun 10 Mar 13

Thank you for enlightening me on the job specifications of a palliative care thingy - senior one taboot. I feel suitably admonished for spelling your chosen role in life incorrectly; I can see from your posts that your own spelling prowess and grammatical excellence are second to none.

As for my own career path, I am a professional jazz musician, so I am constantly blowing my own trumpet

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redrum says...
11:53am Sun 10 Mar 13

Professional jazz musician, i love it. True my grammer is not always spot on which i agree with. Notscot my career path is 17 years which i call donkeys years. Also NVQ4 as well as my palliative care Diploma you can add to my list of qualifications. Diploma training is very expensive but well worth the expense to do the job you love. Notscot you have not answered my question on your career role/name. With a level 4 Notscot you can be a manager of your subject if you wanted to be. I like to be actually be looking after patients though rather than being sat in an office.

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notscot says...
2:35pm Sun 10 Mar 13

redrum wrote:
Professional jazz musician, i love it. True my grammer is not always spot on which i agree with. Notscot my career path is 17 years which i call donkeys years. Also NVQ4 as well as my palliative care Diploma you can add to my list of qualifications. Diploma training is very expensive but well worth the expense to do the job you love. Notscot you have not answered my question on your career role/name. With a level 4 Notscot you can be a manager of your subject if you wanted to be. I like to be actually be looking after patients though rather than being sat in an office.
I was right to be scared.......

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beetawix says...
12:25am Mon 11 Mar 13

Terrible jargon floating around the health service.
I prefer 'one foot in the grave' to 'End of life patient'

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1984 says...
12:18pm Mon 11 Mar 13

Does any really care................
....................
really

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notscot says...
5:49pm Mon 11 Mar 13

1984 wrote:
Does any really care................

....................

really
Eh?

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old 'arry says...
6:44am Wed 13 Mar 13

There's nothing wrong with planting your runner beans in a sheltered bed now.

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redrum says...
12:24pm Wed 13 Mar 13

Keep them out of the frost though Bert.

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