It was a time when they were more like 'Ambulance Drivers' than para-medics. As I said it was in the office which was deserted because there was only two of us tasked with starting a new department. I reported my 'condition' to the designated First-Aid Officer (my fellow co-worker was at lunch). She arrived with a small box that contained a box of Elastoplast's and bandages! I told her she would need more than that! She didn't know what to do and went for help but I was getting worse so I called for an ambulance myself. The 999 operator took down the details and asked exactly where I was to which I said ABC House, XYZ Road, Croydon, 4th floor North Wing. The operator asked for the name on the office door. I said there is no name. He responded that he couldn't send an ambulance until I told him exactly where I was! This went on to-and-fro for a few minutes when I broke the deadlock by saying (verbatim) "Look, I'll do you a deal ... you promise you will send an ambulance immediately and I will promise I will call the building reception and tell them I have ordered for an ambulance". He agreed to this. Interestingly the 'regular' ambulance arrived some 15 minutes before the specialist cardiac arrest unit, talk of wasted resources!greenmark wrote: ↑Mon Mar 27, 2023 9:31 pmClassic firlandsfarm.
Made me chuckle but I would have to leap to the defence of the ambulance service. Man-handling a 15 stoner down 2 floors of spiral staircase is a challenge for 2 big blokes never mind 1 big bloke and an average build lassie.
And they do care about their job. We bumped into both over the next few months and they remembered him and asked how he was doing.
After the exchange with the doctor I mentioned in a previous comment the hospital staff asked if there was someone I would like them to contact I said "No, let me call my wife, it would be better if she heard my voice". This happened on a Wednesday and wife and I were due to go to a wedding on the Saturday that we were not looking forward to so they found a phone that was mobile (this was before mobile phones) and I called her and said I had the perfect excuse for us not to attend the wedding!


The whole thing was a farce and could have easily have been turned into an episode of Faulty Towers.
