OLD LADY not given first aid by GP because he was not trained.

Welshtel

Welshtel

Vital Football Hero
A 90-year-old pensioner who fell over and cut her head outside a surgery was allegedly refused help or even a blanket by a GP because he was not trained in first aid. The frail woman was found lying on the ground with blood pouring from her head after she tripped on a pavement in Stevenage, Hertfordshire.
Passing Good Samaritan Jane Batchelor rushed into the nearby Knebworth and Marymead Medical Practice and asked a receptionist for help.
An ambulance eventually arrived and took the pensioner to the Lister Hospital where she is still being treated, a week after the fall at around 4.30pm last Thursday.

Ms Batchelor, from Knebworth, today accused the surgery of lacking 'human decency'.
She said: 'The receptionist was incredibly rude to me but eventually went to ask one of the doctors if he could help.
'He refused and said he couldn’t because he wasn’t first aid trained.
'He’s a doctor who has spent years at university learning about medicine, how can he not be first aid trained?

'I then asked for blankets to keep her warm while the ambulance came but they said no.'
She added: 'I couldn’t believe it - it’s human decency to help an old lady.
'All this meant that I was late for my appointment, which they pointed out to me when I went inside, and I had to wait for an additional 20 minutes before I was seen.'
A spokesman for the surgery said: 'We are very sorry to hear about the incident.
'We are currently reviewing our procedures and will implement changes to ensure that this does not happen again in the future.'
The spokesman refused to comment when asked if the GP doctor in question was first aid trained.

The above article featured in the Daily Mail Today, Thursday 25th.

WHAT AN INDICTMENT ON OUR 'CARING SOCIETY'! This is sheer laziness as well as being uncaring and inhuman practice. This guy should have been struck off. WHERE is the Hypocratic oath these days? WHERE is normal human caring? Where is compassion for another human being let alone compassion for an old lady?

THESE PEOPLE, YES THE RECEPTIONIST AS WELL, should LOSE THEIR JOBS. HEALTH service? This was neither for our health or a service to us.

THE ADDITIONAL 'GALLING' thing about this is that they then told the 'Good Samaritan lady that she was late for her appointment! AGGGHHHHHHH! It makes you want to pewk! She should have gone to the front of the queue and got a medal.
 
This mad. An old boy fell out side a pub I was drinking in a few months back in a small village in Kent Four or five of us went to his aid. He was covered with blankets and comforted till the Ambulance arrived he was home two days later and back having his weekly half the following week.
 
Welshtel - 25/9/2014 18:58

A 90-year-old pensioner who fell over and cut her head outside a surgery was allegedly refused help or even a blanket by a GP because he was not trained in first aid. The frail woman was found lying on the ground with blood pouring from her head after she tripped on a pavement in Stevenage, Hertfordshire.
Passing Good Samaritan Jane Batchelor rushed into the nearby Knebworth and Marymead Medical Practice and asked a receptionist for help.
An ambulance eventually arrived and took the pensioner to the Lister Hospital where she is still being treated, a week after the fall at around 4.30pm last Thursday.

Ms Batchelor, from Knebworth, today accused the surgery of lacking 'human decency'.
She said: 'The receptionist was incredibly rude to me but eventually went to ask one of the doctors if he could help.
'He refused and said he couldn’t because he wasn’t first aid trained.
'He’s a doctor who has spent years at university learning about medicine, how can he not be first aid trained?

'I then asked for blankets to keep her warm while the ambulance came but they said no.'
She added: 'I couldn’t believe it - it’s human decency to help an old lady.
'All this meant that I was late for my appointment, which they pointed out to me when I went inside, and I had to wait for an additional 20 minutes before I was seen.'
A spokesman for the surgery said: 'We are very sorry to hear about the incident.
'We are currently reviewing our procedures and will implement changes to ensure that this does not happen again in the future.'
The spokesman refused to comment when asked if the GP doctor in question was first aid trained.

The above article featured in the Daily Mail Today, Thursday 25th.

WHAT AN INDICTMENT ON OUR 'CARING SOCIETY'! This is sheer laziness as well as being uncaring and inhuman practice. This guy should have been struck off. WHERE is the Hypocratic oath these days? WHERE is normal human caring? Where is compassion for another human being let alone compassion for an old lady?

THESE PEOPLE, YES THE RECEPTIONIST AS WELL, should LOSE THEIR JOBS. HEALTH service? This was neither for our health or a service to us.

THE ADDITIONAL 'GALLING' thing about this is that they then told the 'Good Samaritan lady that she was late for her appointment! AGGGHHHHHHH! It makes you want to pewk! She should have gone to the front of the queue and got a medal.
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Awful shocking tale, but not particularly surprising to me.

Although this won't be understood by most; I do understand it.

Practices all have to carry Surgery insurance - claims against GP's for malpractice are becoming more commonplace. Chances are they only had legal fee insurance for up to 75% of the fees that might be incurred in the event of a malpractice action.

I wouldn't be at all surprised to hear that the practice did not have specific cover for emergency medical intervention or it's Public liability insurance was at such a minimal level and that the Doctors themselves weren't individually insured either.

The practice partner may well have issued a specific policy to staff that they cannot perform 'outside' emergency or unsupervised medical intervention unless specifically covered by the engaging authority.

As I said, the advent of highly litigious health specialist lawyers (ambulance chasers) has made many Doctors absolutely paranoid, because whilst they may eventually be cleared, in many cases they're effectively 'suspended' from working whilst a claim/investigation is on-going...

So, under those circumstances, perhaps now you can understand what might have motivated their hesitancy - especially if they were informed that an ambulance had been called - who are targeted to attend an emergency incident within 8 mins....
 
It's just MAD 'EX', I don't stop and think before I render first aid to someone whose head is flowing with blood. The poor sod could be dead before the next certified Health and Safety advised, fully indexed, up-to-date, card holding, certified first aider tuns up. WHERE IS THIS STUPID SOCIETY GOING? OK I'm first aid trained and my card's up to date but we are giving the impression to the world that we are selfish and uncaring with our dull thinking. While I agree with the H & S act and what it tried to do to make people responsible for their safety and the safety of others, it's gone mad. Surely we can differentiate between what's right and what's wrong to do even on a pretty basic level? If an old lady's lying in the floor bleeding and needs help are we going to just sit there and not touch her or help her/him? Where's GREAT BRITAIN GONE?
 
What would have happened if the lad had adminstired first aid and she died? would he have been sued? My friend was a lifeguard (WAS) and saved someones life by doing CPR - had to break their ribs in the process in which the family tried to sue. were on his back for two years.

just playing devils advocate of course (the lifeguard story was true however).

perhaps if there weren't so much power to pursue doctors when the result isn't successful then maybe this healthcare system might be able to stand on it's own two feet again.
 
Spurfect11 - 28/9/2014 10:51

What would have happened if the lad had adminstired first aid and she died? would he have been sued? My friend was a lifeguard (WAS) and saved someones life by doing CPR - had to break their ribs in the process in which the family tried to sue. were on his back for two years.

just playing devils advocate of course (the lifeguard story was true however).

perhaps if there weren't so much power to pursue doctors when the result isn't successful then maybe this healthcare system might be able to stand on it's own two feet again.
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There was a time that all public employees had the 'comfort' of any action being picked up by the local NHS authority - the trouble with that was that for years it allowed for an almost total disregard for health and safety laws as well as poor standards of care.

The catch 22 is of course that as standards of care have dropped in the NHS as the standards of employees had dropped, legal cases have soared.

Like your story, I know of one doctor that rendered assistance at an accident, the victim died and my friend was pursued through the courts for 7 years - only to be eventually absolved of everything that the victims dependants had tried to bring along with a compensation claim in the millions - it virtually ruined his life and pretty much bankrupt him - the experience as you can imagine was so harrowing that he now vows he'd never ever attempt to help another accident victim outside of the hospital ever again...

So, as I said, I can completely understand the surgery's lack of response.
 
Spursex - 30/9/2014 08:15

80deg16minW - 28/9/2014 12:49

Lawyers.
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Poor laws are made and passed by politicians first, lawyers just feast on their stupidity.
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Are lawyers in the UK allowed to work on contingency fees?
 
Spursex - 28/9/2014 12:17

Spurfect11 - 28/9/2014 10:51

What would have happened if the lad had adminstired first aid and she died? would he have been sued? My friend was a lifeguard (WAS) and saved someones life by doing CPR - had to break their ribs in the process in which the family tried to sue. were on his back for two years.

just playing devils advocate of course (the lifeguard story was true however).

perhaps if there weren't so much power to pursue doctors when the result isn't successful then maybe this healthcare system might be able to stand on it's own two feet again.
Click to expand...

There was a time that all public employees had the 'comfort' of any action being picked up by the local NHS authority - the trouble with that was that for years it allowed for an almost total disregard for health and safety laws as well as poor standards of care.

The catch 22 is of course that as standards of care have dropped in the NHS as the standards of employees had dropped, legal cases have soared.

Like your story, I know of one doctor that rendered assistance at an accident, the victim died and my friend was pursued through the courts for 7 years - only to be eventually absolved of everything that the victims dependants had tried to bring along with a compensation claim in the millions - it virtually ruined his life and pretty much bankrupt him - the experience as you can imagine was so harrowing that he now vows he'd never ever attempt to help another accident victim outside of the hospital ever again...

So, as I said, I can completely understand the surgery's lack of response.
Click to expand...

I know a doctor who had to break someone's ribs to administer CPR after a heart attack and saved their life only to be subject to a long law suit. They were eventually cleared but this blame culture is dangerous in these instances.

Not saying this excuses not even giving a blanket or trying to stop the bleeding but can totally understand doctors being reluctant in the current climate.
 
Daily Mail headline tomorrow; 90 year pensioner has to wait 16hours because medical staff don't attend full working hours
 
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