the year 1993: my husband was a smoker - not heavy, but possibly a lot more in his last year of life, because of an extremely busy work schedule. He got sick at home after attending a wedding, I called the ambulance, they came (quite delayed) he went into hospital alive - only two nurses, but no doctor present (4 o'clock Monday morning at QEII) wrong treatment, when doctor arrived he was dying, second heart attack. Left this world at 7a.m. Monday - little cost to the health system, huge cost in tax losses from a still productive male. He'd only ever been in hospital once in Australia - overnight, because he'd rolled his car on gravel up North.
The ambulance arrived very late and then it was a man and a short women they made him walk to the ambulance, just supporting him - my husband was quite tall. No defibrillator in the ambulance and I wasn't allowed to sit with him - I had to tell them to give him oxygen. I was bitter and twisted for a long time. Wrote a letter to the ambulance people they wrote back proving they had done the right thing - all lies! He was 54 going on 55.
It's been a long time - but this wouldn't happen nowadays - I would hope!
Taurisk
