Going in an ambulance

[Zoomie]

One of my parents is a medical technician (aka ambulance driver).

I asked about what their policy was in a scenario of me being a childminder with numerous children.

Now my own policy said I would not accompany a child in an ambulance (heartless me :blush: ) but he said that for anyone under 14y they have to be accompanied by an adult. Also there is normally only one extra seat in the ambulance (unless adult sits with child on lap on the stretcher)

So I have to change my policy and hope I never have to call an ambulance if we are out cos my emergency childminder will most likely not be able to take the extra children off me.

[glitzygal]

I think the other childminder, in an emergency would be able to take them, as she/he will have the emergency numbers to ring your other childrens numbers to come and collect them from you,.,.,.,or she will stay where you are and phone them to collect children as soon as possible.

this may be incorrect,, but im think it sounds right,... how else would you be able to comfort the injured child.,,,.

i do hope it dosent happen to anyone,,,,,

[nokidshere]

In a real emergency any adult you trust would be able to help you. You wont have time to think about it, you will just do what you need to do!

My own son cut his wrist to the bone on a piece of glass one afternoon a couple of years ago. A close friend arrived at the same time as my son came in the front door bleeding from a severed artery. She called the ambulance whilst I wrapped teatowels (who even knows if they were clean!!) round the cut (no time to even get the first aid box!!!) Whilst we were waiting for the ambulance a parent arrived. I gave the parent and my friend the list of numbers and left them too it.

They called the parents, calmed and fed the children, cleaned up all the blood and came to the hospital with sandwiches and a flask later.I owe my sons life to them! And I thnak god that it was my son and not a mindee!!!!

There was no time to call my emergency cover and no time for her to get to me even if she was in. Call the person you know can help immediately - wasted time could mean the difference between life and death!

[sweets]

i cannot understand it when childminders say that they would send children on their own in an ambulance, im sorry but i just couldnt do it, either we would all go or i would leave the others with ideally my emergency contact which is a minder who lives literaly 2 mins drive away or with my neighbour. the injured child would be my priority. it would be cruel to send them to hospital on their own.

[Carol M]

So what would we do if there was no one available immediately.
I say in my policy that I would follow in my car to hospital, hopefully get children picked up asap by parents or emergency contacts whilst waiting for injured childs parents.
I suppose if you are faced with this you do whatever you think is safest for all.I have only had this happen once and I was at another minders house so I took injured child and left others with her.
carol xx

[Happy Bunny]

I regularly face this problem as my daughter has recurrent febrile convultions.
I have had to once take mindees with me in ambulance (had 2 of them, the paramedics were lovely)
Once had my neighbour come round and stay with mindees till parents got to my house (she is crb checked)
Left them with my 17 year old daughter (bearing in mind parents were 5 minute drive away) i know in terms of Ofsted this was wrong but my child comes first, my 17 yr old daughter has done a first aid course and studying childcare so perfectly capable.
On the other occasions my husband has been here so no problems.

[sarah707]

There is no way I could go in an ambulance with a child... and that's not heartless, cruel or putting the injured child's needs last.

I have risk assessed it many times over the years, taken the best possible advice from professionals and repeatedly come to the same conclusion.

I am simply not able to go to the hospital with xx number of children when others need collecting from various schools during the day (midday and after school collections) and my own need me here to get in the house.

I could not be at a hospital, having arrived in an ambulance, with xx children wanting attention, feeding etc. I wouldn't have spare clothes for them, my double buggy, their milk, toys to keep them busy... how would that be meeting their needs?

I wouldn't be able to give the injured child quality attention because I would be too busy focussing on the needs of the other children in my care at the same time - or visa versa.

Paramedics who I have spoken to tell me that they wouldn't want me plus xx other children cluttering up their ambulance either. it would impede them from working on the injured child properly. They would far rather meet the injured child's parents at hospital.

There is no guarantee that either of my back up childminders would be available to come / take over at a moment's notice - they might be out shopping or at appointments I do not know their daily schedule.

It is best not to put yourself under any more pressure than absolutely necessary when having to make difficult decisions - this is on advice of mental health professionals. So it is much better to have a clear policy of what you can do rather than dash around trying to organise something that is not organisable in an emergency situation. In other words, focus on the injured or ill child and the other children in your care who are likely to be distressed, not on trying to ring emergency contacts or children's parents to get them to collect etc.

Children's parents are the ones who are legally allowed to make decisions about their child's health and anything that needs to be done to them. Paramedics have the right to do whatever necessary to keep children alive and will take over, in loco parentis, until parents get there. I am not needed for that as my opinion is not important to them. They would ignore me anyway whatever a piece of paper signed by parents said.

Plus I wouldn't be able to get home without my car. The hospital is 20 miles away. I don't automatically have enough money in the house to pay for a taxi ... and even if I did, I wouldn't have car seats to keep them safe.

It is not safe to drive when you have had a shock like dealing with an injured child so, having taking advice previously from paramedics, I have been told that it is not advisable to follow in the car. People tend to drive badly when they are rushing somewhere and worried - paramedics say they would rather not be coming back to scrape me and other children off the road...

Other children's parents would not be impressed at having to drive an extra 20 miles to collect their child from me on a hospital ward and I am sure they would ask how that was meeting their child's needs.

there is also a question mark over whether I would be allowed to stay with an injured child in a hospital scenario because I am not the parent. I would, according to hospital staff, be more likely put in a waiting room while they wait for parents to arrive ... so what use would I actually be??

I hope this helps clarify the position of those who say they would not travel in an ambulance with an injured child.

[snufflepuff]

You just do what you need to do at the time.

I have a back-up childminder a couple of minutes walk away, a friend who is also a nanny so CRB checked/ first aid trained who works a few minutes away, my Mum tends to visit a couple of times a week so might be there....if none of these are avaliable i'd leave children with my neighbour or her son- not CRB checked, not first aid trained but perfectly capable of watching the children and calling thier parents to collect them.

Whether i'd go with the child in the ambulance or not would depend- if it is my own son i'd be there with him no matter what. If the child was very young i'd go with them, if a little older I might not. Also depends on the injury.