Man or Machine.

I have just seen an article it can be found in the "Mail online" I am certainly NOT putting a link to it as it is so one sided and ridiculous that I don't want it here! It says that a woman died somewhere up north because a crew were on their meal break and this half an hour was protected so they couldn't be used! The Coroner thought it was disgusting that this should happen, the crew should have been sent. Yes it is dreadful that a crew were sent from further and the woman died, But, the coroner goes on to say that she would have died anyway but Ambulance crews should be disturbed! I would welcome this person on my ambulance for a set of four twelve hour shifts! I would like (Her/Him, lets say her for now) Her to see that the minute we start we are out, that we are sent to a pile of rubbish in 9 out of 10 jobs and IF we get a meal break you are damned right we are going to be undisturbable we have to get some food and rest we are not machines. If we were not sent to non emergencies because the general public "PAY YOUR WAGES YOU KNOW" the jobs would not get stacked and the crews might be able to grab a bite here and there and then agree to be disturbed on their UNPAID meal break. I have been to several jobs where I have been told "I pay your wages you know" as if I don't pay any tax!! I have taken to telling them that they should give me a pay rise then! I have also been to more jobs than I care to mention where there are several cars sitting in the drive, but "if they go in by ambulance they get seen sooner" this is very misguided, every patient who is taken in to hospital is triaged, which means they are assessed and those in greater need are seen first, in fact I would go so far as to say, if the crew is told that they have been called for this reason they will tell the hospital staff who have their own way of dealing with it. What a waste of Tax Payers money and a misuse of an Emergency ambulance, its no wonder there are calls stacking and people dying! It is also no wonder that the crews are absolutely knackered and so are choosing to be undisturbable for their half an hour unpaid meal break... if they actually manage to get it in the first place, many crews every day do not get a meal break, so Mrs Coroner, who spends half her day at least in a nice cosy office with tea making facilities, a toilet and breaks when ever you wish, Oh and probably an hour for lunch next time you knock us for being undisturbable just try and remember we are NOT Machines we are Human.