Posted on 1/7/2007, 3:05:58 AM by Nachum
When a 73-year-old Londoner collapsed at a betting shop on New Year's Eve afternoon, his luck had run out – thanks to European Union rules that required two nearby ambulance crews to be kept on their 30-minute breaks.
A paramedic arrived by rapid-response car in a matter of minutes to the shopping center where the unnamed senior was stricken and began caring for the man. Witnesses say he made desperate calls on his cell phone in an attempt to have an ambulance dispatched.
The London Ambulance Service, which has launched an investigation of the incident, confirmed that two crews were on a mandated break at a station five minutes away from the shopping center, but they could not be disturbed, the London Daily Mail reported.
Under rules mandated by the European Working Time Directive, adopted in December, ambulance crews working shifts between six and 10 hours long are allocated a rest break of 30 minutes and cannot be sent out on 999 calls – the UK equivalent to 911 emergencies in the U.S.
LAS dispatched an ambulance from a neighboring community, but it did not arrive for over 20 minutes after the original emergency phone call.
"We dispatched a rapid-response car, which arrived at the shopping center within eight minutes at 1:30 pm, the member of staff being able to start treatment immediately," a spokesman for LAS said. "An ambulance was sent at 1:32 pm after it became available from attending another incident and, according to our records, arrived at the shopping center at 1:41 pm and at the patient a few minutes later.
"The man stopped breathing shortly afterwards and efforts were made to resuscitate him both at the scene and on the way to North Middlesex Hospital, where he arrived at approximately 2:10 pm."
"It is disgusting," said eyewitness Sheldon Trevatt of Edmonton. "The man worked all his life paying his national insurance. If that ambulance had been there earlier I think his life would have been saved.”
In another London ambulance mishap last year, a crew transporting a mental health patient 10 miles between two hospitals, drove 200 miles, using the vehicle's faulty satellite navigation system, before realizing their error. The patient was unharmed.
WooHoo - HillaryCare sneak peek. Gives me a warm, fuzzy . . . . .
/sarc
Yup, hilary care on the way!
The wonder of central planning.
A genuine cynic would say that the system worked just as the French envisioned that it should.... A wretched Anglo is dead, but that's what they were hoping for anyway.
-ccm
Screw that. When the call is dispatched you gotta go, breaks be damned!
Let's not forget the unions!
And that is also where I arrived in the world decades ago! Thank heavens my old man had the good sense to emigrate.
I wonder how many more such stories we have to hear before the good people of England tell the frogs and krauts to shove the whole thing up their arses, and tar and feather any politician who supports remaining in the EU? One can dream, I suppose.
-ccm
Long time ago when I was working fast food this police officer comes through the drive through. He places his order. Before he gets to the window he gets a call and blasts out of the drive through lights and siren going.
Bout an hour later he comes through again and orders the same thing. Places his order, gets to the window. We take his money, but while waiting for his food he gets a call. Blasts out of the drive through lights and siren going.
Hour later the poor chap comes in again and finally gets his food that he has ordered twice already and paid for.
so much for the hypocratic oath
Just wait until the Moslem taxi drivers who refuse to accept working dogs as passengers get promoted to ambulance drivers.
If this guy was sent the same crew as mentioned above, he wouldn't have made it anyway.
lol- the stinking EU- Yep- let';s emulate their terror coddling, citizen suppresion system Can't weait for the eurodollar to make it's way here- that'll be a sure sign of our impending doom
DC Firefighters work a 24 hour shift and the only breaks they get is when there is no responses or no training drills.
I cant remember the times I got up from a good meal and responded.
ping ...
Good tagline.
As for England ... they're already frenchified IMO. The English can look to the burning bus fires in France to see how bright their future is.
My concern is whether or not we'll learn from Europe and remain the last beach, or are we destined for 30-minute breaks for emergency personnel while the muslims riot in the streets.
They will have to placate a very radicalized hispanic minority who believe in Liberation theology catholicism and view Fidel Castro and Che Guevara as iconic heroes. If you think the democratic party is radical now, just wait and see.
10mi=200mi WTF? Bloody Nomad drivers. Note, hire a local!
You mean they could not respond because they were on mealbreak? I would love to know how many meals I have missed when I recieved a call to respond.
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