Thank you taxpayers

[Julia]

Agree that it will never happen in Australia. The hard left would yell discrimination. It's not the fault of the poor people who are violent, they are just victims of something or other. It's out of the question to expect them to take responsibility for their drunkenness and/or drug taking.
Sigh.

 

[Sprinter79]

Hmmm, I think it would be fair to say that most people who present to the emergency public health system, and are violent towards staff, are not in their right mind. If the mental health system was up to scratch, the ED staff would be able to remove the client from that situation to an area that can give them the care they need.

 

[dalek]

Hmmm, I think it would be fair to say that most people who present to the emergency public health system, and are violent towards staff, are not in their right mind. If the mental health system was up to scratch, the ED staff would be able to remove the client from that situation to an area that can give them the care they need.

I have 2 close relatives who are paramedics in Melbourne and their experience is that almost all the violent people, and I believe there are many, that they are called to treat have ingested drugs of some sort.

Not sure it's a mental health problem.

 

[Julia]

I have 2 close relatives who are paramedics in Melbourne and their experience is that almost all the violent people, and I believe there are many, that they are called to treat have ingested drugs of some sort.

Not sure it's a mental health problem.

Agree. Of course there will be some people having a psychotic episode which is not drug induced but it's my understanding from people in A. & E. that the real problem is alcohol, particularly when it's mixed with drugs, Ice especially.

Seems to me pretty unfair that other people who are sick/injured through no fault of their own, have to wait to be treated while staff attempt to deal with these irritants.

 

[2020hindsight]

I think maybe even pensioners would have to pay the ambo bill unless they were insured for it. My mum is on the aged pension but still has ambulance cover.

You could be right in Sth Aus

but here's the Victorian situation :-
http://www.health.vic.gov.au/ambulance/ambcharge.htm
and also the NSW :-
http://www.ambulance.nsw.gov.au/docs/070703feesfaq.pdf
South Aus not so easy to ascertain :-
http://www.saambulance.com.au/publicweb/products-amb.html

 

[2020hindsight]

I think Sth Aus gets a discount for ambulance insurance ( big deal )
http://www.saambulance.com.au/publicweb/ac_faq.html
- contrast that to the qld situation ...

http://www.ambulance.qld.gov.au

/pdfs/Payment_of_QAS_invoices_to_non_QLD_residents.pdf

 

[dalek]

Agree. Of course there will be some people having a psychotic episode which is not drug induced but it's my understanding from people in A. & E. that the real problem is alcohol, particularly when it's mixed with drugs, Ice especially.

Seems to me pretty unfair that other people who are sick/injured through no fault of their own, have to wait to be treated while staff attempt to deal with these irritants.

They are a bit more than irritating Julia, kicking, biting, scratching,
(hello hep C or worse !!) 4 or more people to subdue them. All this for $60k P.A..... I'd sooner dig ditches.

 

[2020hindsight]

used to be Cowboys and Injuns (read baddies)
now it's Ourboys and Bingins it seems

 

[Prospector]

Is it just in SA that you need to types of Ambulance Insurances? Even if you have Ambulance cover through your Health Fund, that only covers you for emergencies. If you need to be moved from 1 Hospital to another (not necessarily your choice - eg you need specialised xrays etc from another Hospital) then you need separate Ambulance cover for that, and the Health Funds dont provide it.


In SA, we had the ridiculous situation a few weeks ago where someone who had Ambulance cover through his Health Fund for emergency purposes, called an ambulance for what most people considered to be an emergency - he had broken his leg. (Health Funds in SA will only cover you if it is an emergency). He does not receive any pensions from the Government. He also had Insurance through the Ambulance (this is additional to Health Insurance cover) for non-emergency treatments.

He needed to be transferred to another Hospital after initial treatment, for surgery I think.

Well, the Health Fund refused to pay for his transport from the first Hospital to the second Hospital - because it was no longer an emergency from their definition; and the Ambulance Insurance would not cover him for the transport from the first Hospital to the second Hospital because they did consider it to be an emergency because the first Hospital couldnt provide the treatment he needed, and they considered it to be all part of the first 'emergency service', so they said the Health Fund should pay both trips. He got stuck with the Bill, and this could happen to anyone regardkess of their Insurance cover.

Maybe he should have OD'd and not had to deal with all this!

 

[Julia]

They are a bit more than irritating Julia, kicking, biting, scratching,
(hello hep C or worse !!) 4 or more people to subdue them. All this for $60k P.A..... I'd sooner dig ditches.

Dalek, I am very aware of their behaviour. When I described the offenders as "irritants" that didn't mean I regarded their behaviour as merely irritating.
You are correct: I could have chosen a better word.