GP urges government to 'heal the NHS' after being forced to drive patient to A&E himself

Screenshot 2024-01-24 at 13.13.02

A local GP has pleaded for the government to wake up and do something to heal the NHS now.

Wilmslow Health Centre have posted a shocking video on social media with the warning - "distressing content. GPs now taking patients to A&E as ambulances not turning up. The system is broken and these very brave staff will no doubt be punished for speaking up. "Call us when the patient stops breathing" is the message they get."

The disturbing video was recorded whilst staff at Wilmslow Health Centre were stabilising a gentleman who had collapsed at the surgery.

They called an ambulance but after waiting for three hours for an ambulance, which should have been here within 30 minutes, they took the decision to take the patient themselves as he was clinically deteriorating and needed urgent medical care at the hospital.

Wilmslow Health Centre's Dr Amar Ahmed said "Here we are outside the A&E, we've just dropped this gentleman off. This is a gentleman whose condition was rapidly deteriorating. He should have been seen much earlier. The ambulance didn't arrive, it is not the ambulance people's fault, the system is broken.

"He waited three hours, he was deteriorating and we had to make that difficult decision to bring him in, to save him.

"We're filming this with with the permission of the patient just to highlight where we've got up to. We've done this a few times before.

"We've been calling ambulances, they don't turn up or they say 'call us when the patient's stopped breathing'. I kid you not and this is happening year after year after year and it's only deteriorating.

"And all we ask is, look the system is totally broken. Politicians of both sides need to wake up and do something about it as people are dying."

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Comments

Here's what readers have had to say so far. Why not add your thoughts below.

Nigel Davies
Wednesday 24th January 2024 at 3:04 pm
My neighbour waited 14 hours for an ambulance last November.
The system is broken.
Vince Chadwick
Wednesday 24th January 2024 at 7:42 pm
Well done Dr Amar Ahmed.

'....This is a gentleman whose condition was rapidly deteriorating. He should have been seen much earlier.'

"Call us when the patient stops breathing"

This where 14 years of Tory cuts on public spending have brought what used to be a first world country.

Did you vote for this?

Will you next time?
Simon Worthington
Thursday 25th January 2024 at 12:32 pm
There were NO cuts in RNHS funding!
Pete Taylor
Thursday 25th January 2024 at 2:21 pm
40 new hospitals? Vote wisely.
Vince Chadwick
Friday 26th January 2024 at 9:39 am
Simon

Oh, so that's why everything's just fine in the NHS then?

The British Medical Association contradicts your claim. It says, and I quote from their website:

"UK Health Funding has seen a cumulative underspend of £322 billion since 2009/10, despite COVID-19 funding".

An cumulative UNDERSPEND of £322 BILLION! Since the Tories came into power!

You can see that webpage here:

https://www.bma.org.uk/advice-and-support/nhs-delivery-and-workforce/funding/health-funding-data-analysis#