“I’m sorry to say nobody is coming your number 38 in the queue for an ambulance, help isn’t on its way” 

What do you mean I’ve phoned 20 minutes ago you said help was arranged and on its way? She’s still having a seizure in front of me, I have nothing I can give her at home, her heart is racing at 180. 

“I can’t discharge you from the service, stay at your address help is on its way but not now, currently all our crews are busy” 

But she’s a known epileptic that’s been critical in resus before I need help, I’m going to have to risk just driving there if she drops her airway I can give CPR, will you come find me on the roadside? 

“I can’t guarantee that, help will be arranged but it may not come” 

So we left home, drove as quick as we could with a fitting child in the car, time we checked in through the main A&E reception and got to resus she had been seizing for 2 hours before the right rescue remedy and oxygen was able to be given. Please to say she’s stable and sleeping it off on our local children’s ward.

Imagine as a parent how helpless I felt. Imagine how awful the medical staff felt when I told them that I came in as no one was coming and I made my own way in with a life threatening emergency? 

Maybe her life didn’t matter. Maybe the other 37 all had life threatening emergencies in the area too, I don’t know but what I do know is we need to shout loud as a society and protect our nhs and emergency services because innocent lives are being put at risk through this intense pressure. 

I won’t have been the first person in this compromising position, but if we don’t speak up and make others realise what a state the NHS is in the whole system will crumble and it won’t be there when they really need it.