** London Ambulance in UK to screen EMS calls to ease strain of winter demand
** Baltimore paramedic pair under investigation after leaving patient in alley
UNITED KINGDOM NEWS
** Increased ambulance demand over the winter months means London Ambulance Service will no longer respond to all 999 calls. That is the word from 97.3 FM (November 28) which said call screeners will determine whether or not medics are actually required at a particular call scene. Referrals to a 111 line, doctor, or pharmacist might result for those deemed considerably less urgent in nature. Responses will remain the same, however, for tots under 2 and seniors over 70. Service spokesman Jason Killens said the seriously ill would receive prehospital care. Those with splinters and colds would not.
UNITED STATES NEWS
** A pair of female Baltimore paramedics is under internal investigation after allegedly leaving a homeless man with chest pain in an alley. WBAL TV (David Collins/November 29) said the practitioners let the man, who is also blind and a diabetic, out of the ambulance at his own request. Saying the patient was violent and verbally abusive, the medics told authorities he also refused treatment. In addition, he was drunk, well known as a frequent ambulance flyer, and allegedly groped one of the women. The September 27th incident came to light after a bystander complaint. Baltimore Fire Department spokesman Ian Brennan, meanwhile, said an administrative hearing on the matter has not yet been scheduled.
