I also come from a country where ambulance usage is free but I can tell you from experience that getting one of these ambulances isn't as simple as one might think.
I imagine, maybe, there are keywords or phrases that result in instant dispatch but the default behaviour seems to be to frustrate you as much as possible to the point where you just hang up and drive yourself to the nearest hospital accident and emergency department.
This is, I suppose, a result of the service being costed and allocated to different departments who are all under pressure to manage their own budgets?
Accident and emergency departments obviously get the brunt of all this because they don't have anyone to pass the buck to.
So, yeah, maybe utilising a service such as Uber is actually going to be a way around this problem?
Free ambulances are always going to come with the problem of abuse, followed by a reluctance to send an ambulance.
Resulting in news stories of how some people call of help and don't get any. But these stories are rare, it's seem better than letting poor people die.
This said, we probably should add a tiny ambulance fee ($50), and apply a fine for inappropriate use.
'This said, we probably should add a tiny ambulance fee ($50), and apply a fine for inappropriate use.'
I agree although reclaiming this fee from those who abuse the system is likely to prove difficult?
I can remember a time in the UK when ambulance and, IIRC, fire service would bill you after the event for attendance.
Not sure if this was every case or just where they deemed it appropriate? But, I do remember, it was common knowledge there was no penalty or follow-up if you didn't pay.
> I agree although reclaiming this fee from those who abuse the system is likely to prove difficult?
You assume everybody that abuses free services are broke. We need data to tell whether that's the case. I would assume that a significant portion of the abusers mostly just lack manners.
Anyways, the point isn't to kick the ones who are down (poor). It's only to limit abuse... But first maybe it should be assessed of abuse is a problem.
And maybe, having a deal with taxi company is a better solution...
Also UK, and the problem is basically that there aren't enough ambulances, so they're triaged. It's the same as when you go to A&E and you have to wait hours if they don't think you're an urgent case. Unless you're going to die if they don't get you to the hospital now, they'll put you down the queue (which is fair enough).
As you point out above, the decision to dispatch an ambulance is ultimately the emergency operator's. Typically you tell them what's wrong, and they send out what they think is necessary (which might also be police and fire).
Strange, my family has had need of 3 ambulances in the past 3 years. Never had any issues, other than them taking around 30 mins to arrive, and 2 of the 3 were on Saturday nights.
I imagine, maybe, there are keywords or phrases that result in instant dispatch but the default behaviour seems to be to frustrate you as much as possible to the point where you just hang up and drive yourself to the nearest hospital accident and emergency department.
This is, I suppose, a result of the service being costed and allocated to different departments who are all under pressure to manage their own budgets?
Accident and emergency departments obviously get the brunt of all this because they don't have anyone to pass the buck to.
So, yeah, maybe utilising a service such as Uber is actually going to be a way around this problem?