Ambulance crews 'upset' by rude notes
21 August 2018
People angered by ambulances blocking their driveways have been asked not to leave rude notes on the vehicles because it upsets the crews. East Midlands Ambulance Service (Emas) said their staff were responding to an emergency in Leicester when someone left a note asking the staff to "have some consideration". The note writer said the ambulance had been there for 45 minutes. Emas has asked people to speak to their crews instead. "It is so disappointing to see that a rude note has yet again been left on one of our ambulances," said Lee Brentnall, paramedic and ambulance operations manager for Leicestershire. "This upsets our dedicated ambulance crews when they are trying to help our patients and do their job. "Leaving a note will not resolve the situation as we are unlikely to see it until we are leaving in the ambulance to take the patient to hospital or to go to our next job." Emas said people should not be afraid to knock on doors and approach their crews. "If you genuinely need to leave your house urgently and we are blocking your access, please come and knock on the door where the emergency is taking place," said Mr Brentnall. "Sometimes we will be able to move the vehicle, for example if we are treating a patient but they do not need both of us there at the time. "However, there will be times that we are treating someone experiencing a life-threatening and time-critical emergency and moving our ambulance will not be our priority. "In these cases, you will need to be patient as we try to save someone's life." Earlier this year a woman who verbally abused paramedics and left a foul-mouthed note on their ambulance in Stoke-on-Trent was prosecuted for a public order offence. In May, a paramedic in London was verbally abused and had a note thrown at her for parking in a "private space" when her ambulance got a flat tyre. The note warned that if the vehicle parked there again it would "be smashed". Not all notes left on ambulances are aggressive though. Two paramedics in Uttoxeter, Staffordshire, found a note which read: "Big hugs to you all in the ambulance service. You do a fantastic job." Follow BBC East Midlands on Facebook, on Twitter, or on Instagram. Send your story ideas to eastmidsnews@bbc.co.uk.
Emas said people should not be afraid to knock on doors and approach their crews. "If you genuinely need to leave your house urgently and we are blocking your access, please come and knock on the door where the emergency is taking place," said Mr Brentnall. "Sometimes we will be able to move the vehicle, for example if we are treating a patient but they do not need both of us there at the time. "However, there will be times that we are treating someone experiencing a life-threatening and time-critical emergency and moving our ambulance will not be our priority. "In these cases, you will need to be patient as we try to save someone's life."
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