Hospital staff call ambulance for man outside ER

[thundley4]

Witnesses were outraged after staff at Saskatoon City Hospital insisted upon phoning an ambulance for an unresponsive patient discovered outside the hospital's emergency room doors.

Ken Olson, a Saskatoon contractor, was on his way to a meeting Monday morning when he noticed a man in a hospital gown lying on his back "less than 10 feet" from the entrance to the ER.

"I parked and ran in through the emergency doors and said, 'You've got someone in hospital clothing outside your doors unconscious,' " he said.

Olson said he was stunned when staff responded by phoning 911 for an ambulance. He says they told him policy prevents hospital staff from attending to patients found on the grounds.

"When something happens to an individual on our grounds, it is our policy that we do call 911," said Patti Simonar, director of emergency and critical-care services for the Saskatoon Health Region. "And in this instance, it would seem that policy was followed."

Canaduh !

Is this what we have to look forward to under socialized/unionized medicine?

[jinxmchue]

Hooray for red tape!

[SSG Snuggle Bunny]

You can thank the lawyers.

If the man was unconscious due to negligience/malpractice by the hospital than any effort by the hospital could be viewed as a cover-up. That exposes them to both civil and criminal liabilities.

[MrsSmith]

I really hate to say this...but it is this way here, too.  My hospital does not allow doctors or nurses to respond to someone outside the building...even a patient.  They must call a "First Responder" team during the day, or an ambulance at night.  We have a couple outlying buildings with various Outpatient treatments...if someone crashes in one of those buildings, our Code Blue team can respond, but they can't transport the patient into the hospital proper, they must call an ambulance to transport.


Snuggle is right...you can thank the lawyers.   

[Gratiot]

Snuggle is right...you can thank the lawyers.   

I heard it's not so much the lawyers, as their malpractice insurers.  Many policies forbid Doctors from practicing medicine outside of medical facilities, with the consequence of immediate revocation even in life saving circumstances.

[MrsSmith]

I heard it's not so much the lawyers, as their malpractice insurers.  Many policies forbid Doctors from practicing medicine outside of medical facilities, with the consequence of immediate revocation even in life saving circumstances.

And why do you suppose the insurers made this decision? 

I work in healthcare...half, if not more, of the decisions made are based on fear of a lawsuit.  In fact, you hear that said constantly, "Yeah, I know we don't have the finances right now, but it'd cost a lot more to lose a lawsuit."  In some cases, it puts Management over the edge in making a decision we all know is for everyone's benefit, especially the patient.  In a lot of other cases, the "risk" being eliminated is minuscule, at best. 

[thundley4]

And why do you suppose the insurers made this decision? 

I work in healthcare...half, if not more, of the decisions made are based on fear of a lawsuit.  In fact, you hear that said constantly, "Yeah, I know we don't have the finances right now, but it'd cost a lot more to lose a lawsuit."  In some cases, it puts Management over the edge in making a decision we all know is for everyone's benefit, especially the patient.  In a lot of other cases, the "risk" being eliminated is minuscule, at best. 

Does this have anything to with why hospitals use a wheel chair when someone is discharged?

[MrsSmith]

Does this have anything to with why hospitals use a wheel chair when someone is discharged?

I would assume so...though they've done that for longer than I've worked in one.   

[Hawkgirl]

I never heard of this rule...but one of our trauma doctors was waiting for a patient whose legs were stuck under a car on a highway accident and Fire Rescue was unable to get the patient out without severing his legs.  Our doctor went to the scene and performed a surgical amputation and saved the man's life.
This was many years ago.  And yes, this was Florida.

[MrsSmith]

I never heard of this rule...but one of our trauma doctors was waiting for a patient whose legs were stuck under a car on a highway accident and Fire Rescue was unable to get the patient out without severing his legs.  Our doctor went to the scene and performed a surgical amputation and saved the man's life.
This was many years ago.  And yes, this was Florida.

It may be different when on the scene of an accident.  We had a DUmpster discussion about the laws requiring first-on-the-scene and medical personnel to assist...and some states mandate this.   :clueless:  It's all "lawyer-crap."

[rich_t]

Lawyers have done a lot to damage the health care industry in this country.

[MrsSmith]

Lawyers have done a lot to damage the health care industry in this country.

They've probably doubled the cost of the average hospital visit...without increasing safety.

[Chris_]

They've probably doubled the cost of the average everything...without increasing safety.

Fixt.