MANY will be surprised to note the response from emergency services to Carol Puthucheary's accident scene call (Letters, January 10). Two police cars, two ambulances and a fire and rescue vehicle within minutes does seem above the normal call of duty expected. However, better safe than sorry.
Conversely, after a routine visit at my local medical centre I was diagnosed as requiring immediate hospital attention. An ambulance was called. A waiting period of an hour was mentioned. Some three hours 30 minutes later I was still waiting in reception – at the medical centre. Apparently the awaited ambulance had been diverted to an emergency call. Fair enough, but surely communication should have been better?
Finally I made my own travel arrangements and was admitted at 4pm to the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital. By 7.30pm I had been processed through four different medical teams and discharged. The expertise and empathy afforded me was first class.
Sadly our excellent NHS provision can be let down by poor communication between provider and client.
Allan C Steele,
22 Forres Avenue, Giffnock.
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