Northerner
Admin (Retired)
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1
The NHS has had a pretty horrible Christmas, with A&Es swamped, more than a dozen hospitals declaring major incidents and a bleak midwinter bed shortage worthy of first-century Bethlehem. Various causes have been cited: not enough money, too many ill people, the government, the previous government and GPs. But a major contributory factor appears to be the NHS 111 helpline.
That’s the number you’re now supposed to ring if you don’t need an ambulance. Not any time you don’t need an ambulance, obviously. Not, for example, when you need a fire engine or the police instead – stick with 999 for those. It’s for when you don’t need an ambulance, a fire engine or the police but, if you were pressed, you’d have to admit it’s an ambulance that you don’t need least. If you were to pick one of those things you don’t need and try to make some sort of use of it, you’d go for the ambulance. On balance. Because, come to think of it, you might actually need an ambulance. I absolutely can’t think of a simpler way of describing it.
http://www.theguardian.com/commenti...ne-youve-nothing-to-lose-but-the-will-to-live
That’s the number you’re now supposed to ring if you don’t need an ambulance. Not any time you don’t need an ambulance, obviously. Not, for example, when you need a fire engine or the police instead – stick with 999 for those. It’s for when you don’t need an ambulance, a fire engine or the police but, if you were pressed, you’d have to admit it’s an ambulance that you don’t need least. If you were to pick one of those things you don’t need and try to make some sort of use of it, you’d go for the ambulance. On balance. Because, come to think of it, you might actually need an ambulance. I absolutely can’t think of a simpler way of describing it.
http://www.theguardian.com/commenti...ne-youve-nothing-to-lose-but-the-will-to-live
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