AMBO BACKLASH
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THE NSW Ambulance Service has been branded “disgraceful” after an elderly man was refused an ambulance when he collapsed at a Tamworth business last month.
Ron Barnes, who died 11 days after the incident, was with his wife at Buckpitt Accounting in Peel St on October 31 when his knees seized up and he fell backwards.
Office staff made a frantic call to triple-0, but were told an ambulance could not be sent because the caller, who was just metres away at the reception desk, was not standing directly beside the patient.
The employee called back from a mobile phone only to again be told an ambulance would not be
dispatched because Mr Barnes was conscious and in the company of a registered nurse – his elderly wife.
Mr Barnes had to instead be carried out to a waiting car and be loaded in “like garbage in an overloaded garbage bin”, according to Buckpitt Accounting owner Ron Buckpitt.
Mr Buckpitt slammed the NSW Ambulance Service, saying it was “abhorrent” a call centre in Dubbo could make judgement calls on a patient more than 300km away.
“Surely they knew this was not a prank call, that the man was in extreme difficulty and pain and that his wife was in no emotional condition to assist,” Mr Buckpitt said.
“Is this how we treat the aged and ailing of our folk? Ron Barnes had quality health insurance and was still turned away in his time of need. Next time, I’ll call the fire brigade; they get cats out of trees so maybe they will assist.”
Mr Barnes’ sister-in-law Rosalie Davis said he received “third world treatment”.
“I am just appalled the ambulance service didn’t see fit to come to Ron’s aid,” Mrs Davis said.
“I was astounded. I don’t know what would have happened had he been in the street.”
A NSW Ambulance spokesman said the call was not deemed serious enough to warrant an immediate response and was instead transferred for “secondary triage” by a nurse at Healthdirect Australia.
The transfer was part of a new system aimed at addressing the influx of non-urgent calls processed by the ambulance service.
A Healthdirect spokesperson defended the service’s handling of the call.
“On review of the call, Healthdirect Australia has confirmed the triage nurse handled the call appropriately, providing the caller with appropriate health information and advice based on their presenting symptoms,” the spokesperson said.
“Due to patient confidentiality reasons, Healthdirect Australia is unable to provide further details of the call transcript.”