I got a call to help break into a neighbour’s home this week. George was elderly, not in the best of health, and his daughter couldn’t get in to check on him. Something was horribly wrong.
One of the nice things about the village is that people materialise from nowhere in a crisis. Someone brought a ladder to get into an upstairs window. A young lad sprinted into the village to get a defibrillator. A mum waited to flag down the emergency services and keep a parking space clear. In rural communities, people come together to help each other.
Whenever I have called 999 it has always been answered immediately – but this time I had to wait to be answered. I was told there would be a wait for a crew because the service was so busy. However, that’s the state of the NHS and ambulance service today.
Then I had to phone back because George deteriorated, and thankfully the call was upgraded. It still took a further 30 minutes – an hour in total – for an ambulance to respond to a category A call (which is supposed to be seven minutes). Naturally, it always feels longer when someone needs help urgently.
The paramedics were calm, proficient and brilliant … and clearly rushing from call to call with barely a break. It’s not their fault. The entire system needs a massive upgrade and investment: and being in a rural area doesn’t help.
And that got me thinking. How can we in rural communities help the situation?
Once the defibrillator was back on charge I reflected on the experience. What would make life easier and safer for the older and more vulnerable people living in our communities, and help them stay independent?
First aid first
Starting with the obvious, would you know what do if there was a medical emergency? Do you know where your local defibrillator is located, and also how to use it? If not, find out! And look out for first aid training courses. Just moved into a new area? Now’s the time to locate your nearest defibrillator before you get caught short. Most parishes have days when people can familiarise themselves with emergency equipment.
If your parish hasn’t got a defibrillator, it’s time to get one. They save lives. And get it registered so that the emergency services can direct people to it.
Waiting for an ambulance can take significantly longer these days so you may need to think about keeping an injured person comfortable for several hours, or getting help from others to relieve you. Learn some first aid – you never know when it might come in handy.
While we don’t want a neighbourhood watch-like system on steroids, or to be seen as nosey neighbours, how often do we check on those older people around us, particularly those living alone? We struggled to think when we had last seen George – possibly a day ago?
Then we noticed his bin hadn’t been taken out. A subtle clue signalling something was wrong, but seen a bit too late. In a heatwave or really cold weather, checking on elderly neighbours is important. And if a neighbour struggles to get their bin out, offering to help would probably be appreciated. It’s a small way of supporting someone, but can make a big difference. Some local authorities have trackers in the bins of vulnerable people to help detect if they are struggling to use them – which can indicate they are unwell and in need of help.
Where are you?
If there’s an emergency in your home would the paramedics be able to find it? Or do they have to guess at the numbering, the nebulous street signage, or hack their way through an overgrown hedge? Making sure your house has a clear number or name and can be accessed without causing another accident saves valuable time in an emergency, – especially when ambulance crews are trying their best to get to you as fast as possible. This is particularly important in rural areas during winter where there is no street lighting. What3Words is an excellent app for locating an accident, such as in a field, but it’s just as useful for tricky nebulous rural addresses to help the emergency services find you.
No taxi service
Then there’s the living space. Watching the paramedics get George down a steep flight of stairs with piles of monitoring equipment was a sober lesson in why we should be building more adaptable and accessible accommodation, and supporting those in inappropriate homes to relocate to something more suitable. And for every building developer saying no, they should be made to lower a stretcher with a 16 stone person down a narrow stairway. What a nightmare these places are in an emergency.
And that’s before we reflect on what a struggle it must have been for George to get up and down those stairs in the first place.
Finally, only call 999 for an ambulance when you really need it. There are alternatives, such as NHS 111 and a local pharmacy for minor problems. Paramedics are highly trained professionals: they are the salt of the earth and will bend over backwards to help in an emergency. However, they do not run a taxi service.
The Dorset Insider is a no-holds-barred column pulling back the curtain on local affairs with sharp insight, unfiltered honesty and the occasional raised eyebrow. Written by a seasoned parish councillor who prefers to remain anonymous (for obvious reasons), it cuts through the noise to expose the frustrations of grassroots politics, and say what others won’t. Rest assured, their identity is known – and trusted – by the editorial team. Expect opinion, candour and a healthy dose of exasperation …
