Today at work has not been the most pleasant of ones, which is putting it mildly. Yesterday, there was a major road accident. I heard about it as I was leaving work. The managers at the hospital were asking us to be ready to take admissions from other wards so that they in turn would be able ... Read review
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Today at work has not been the most pleasant of ones, which is putting it mildly. Yesterday, there was a major road accident. I heard about it as I was leaving work. The managers at the hospital were asking us to be ready to take admissions from other wards so that they in turn would be able to take immediate Trauma admissions should the need arise.
When I arrived at work this morning I was half expecting a deluge of paperwork to greet ... ...overnight. I was pleasantly surprised that there was nothing really too much out of the ordinary, with us just taking one extra patient. I thought to myself that the accident must not have been as was first feared.
I soon discovered differently.
No, there hadn’t been the number of casualties as first thought, but the true extent of the seriousness of those that were injured soon became evident as each doctor came ... more
Today at work has not been the most pleasant of ones, which is putting it mildly. Yesterday, there was a major road accident. I heard about it as I was leaving work. The managers at the hospital were asking us to be ready to take admissions from other wards so that they in turn would be able to take immediate Trauma admissions should the need arise.
When I arrived at work this morning I was half expecting a deluge of paperwork to greet me as a result of anything like the above happening overnight. I was pleasantly surprised that there was nothing really too much out of the ordinary, with us just taking one extra patient. I thought to myself that the accident must not have been as was first feared.
I soon discovered differently.
No, there hadn’t been the number of casualties as first thought, but the true extent of the seriousness of those that were injured soon became evident as each doctor came onto the ward throughout the morning, especially from the one who had been up through the night dealing with the brunt of it.
Obviously full details of the accident are not clear, that will be for the relevant authorities to determine, but the information that has been revealed has left a very busy hospital very low in mood. From the medical and surgical staff in the Accident and Emergency department who were among the first to deal with it, through to the housekeepers and portering services who have had the cleaning up and ferrying around to do afterwards.
A car crashed into another one at high speed, estimates of around 100mph, five people in one car, and one person in the other. One man and a four year old were ‘today in intensive care following a horrific road crash that left six people injured’ (quote from my local evening paper). One woman was flown to the hospital by the air ambulance and three men and the boy were taken there by ambulance.
Two men and the child were in our intensive care unit today, one man was so seriously injured that it was thought that he might be transferred to a specialist hospital for further treatment. I cannot begin to tell you what the doctors who were dealing with it told us. I cannot because for one, I am unable to reveal too much information (not that I could tell you anything that would not be reported on in our local paper) because of confidentiality, and two, because I just can’t, it is too horrific.
It’s bad enough to read about this kind of tragedy in a newspaper, it is made all the worse when you have almost first hand information about it when you work in a hospital, it is a hundred times worse when you discover that you know one of the injured….
He is the same age as one of my sons, he went to school with this son, I looked after him when he was at playgroup, and I know his mother. Not closely admittedly but that doesn’t stop me feeling for her, having a son of the same age. The lad in question has serious head injuries; he lies at this moment in an Intensive care unit being totally dependent on the nursing staff. What must his mother be going through, and the rest of his family? We can only wonder? Some of us sadly will know.
What about the child in ITU also, will he/she pull through? How the hell are the parents coping with that? And the rest of the casualties, will they make a full recovery? Of their physical injuries it is possible, but what about any psychological trauma suffered?
But spare a small thought for the hospital staffs will you, just a small one? The paramedics, who were first on the scene along with the police officers. The A &E staff, the cleaners, the porters, the clerical staff, the doctors and surgeons who battled through the night to stabilise the injured, and then the doctor who had to continue through some of the following day with his routine admissions.
This tragic accident has affected each and every one of us in some way. Yes you might argue that hospital staff are used to coping with this kind of disaster. Yes we do get used to it, but not to the extent that it fails to affect us in some way. We just learn to deal with it. What we do find hard to deal with is the possible factors that lead to the accident.
To explain I will end this op with the final quote on the front page of my local evening paper, if I may.
A man has been arrested on suspicion of driving with excess alcohol following the incident. He was later released on bail.
Advantages: None. Disadvantages: Injuring, killing or maiming innocent people.
...his retirement. Your one extra drink has put paid to the days of leisure he'd been dreaming of all his life.
They could be anybody, but you drinking and driving puts every car passenger at risk. People who could have lived and loved, who leave behind families who will grieve for the rest of their lives. Just one more swig of alcohol, and it will be all your fault.
That one extra drink could turn you into a murderer. Being drunk does not mean that ... ...If you want to drink and drive, ask yourself: can you deal with the consequences of an accident? Can you deal with ending a life or causing permanent disability? Are you happy having that on your conscience every day of your life?
If you are, then you need help. Because drunk drivers aren't victims of "accidents". They're murderers who go onto the road with the knowledge of what might happen. Don't let that be you. ...
Lara_King 11.02.2001
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Drink Driving Debate
Advantages: why is this box here? Disadvantages: death and destruction
My gran was a wonderful lady and even at eighty two years old she was very independant and led a full and happy life. She had started to show signs of senile dementia but nothing advanced and she still lived by herself in her flat. Why am I telling you about her? Well five years ago she was crossing the road and was knocked down by a drunk driver on the way home from an all weekend drinking session. She was on her way to church on the morning it ... ...of his vehicle and hit my gran. She died the next day as a result of her head and other injuries she picked up as a result of the accident. The driver was only 19 years old and had been at a mates house all weekend drinking and foolishly thought he was ok to drive the short distance home. He was six times over the leagal limit and didn't even know what day it was. When we went to court my heart went out to him even though he had killed my wonderful ...
jenny029 25.07.2001
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Drink Driving Debate
Sure, go ahead and drink a few, then go for a drive. No, really, go to the pub now (if it is open) or go downstairs and open a few cans/bottles, swig them down quick then find the car keys.
Do this if you want to be a danger to yourself, other drivers and society in general. I know it was not right of me to tell people that at the beginning, but knowing that this is such a big issue, especially at the moment, I am sure everyone is reading this after ... ...the pub with do not drink if they are driving. In fact, it is all of them. I believe that one pint is fine to drink at nine o’clock if consumed slowly with the driver jumping in the car four hours later. Do you disagree? One pint consumed, a drive four hours later. This is acceptable for me. What I do find distressing is hearing that some people believe that they are nowhere near the definition of a ‘lightweight’ and can handle ...
danradders 07.02.2001
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...We all like a drink or two but what do you do if you are driving, you know the scene you pop to the pub in the car with a friend just for one drink, more friends appear, and you get another drink, then of course you feel like more, they automatically presume you want a drink and you feel embarrassed to be a party pooper and say no I’m driving.
So one drink ends up as 3 or 4. Well you feel all right so you drive home…………
... ...of times and some even drink 5 or 6 pints before they drive off home.
Two pints is supposedly the amount you can drink before you are over the limit for a man, well all I can say is if I had 2 pints I would be in no fit state to drive.
Yes you may feel fine but anyone like me who doesn’t drive knows that feeling of being relaxed and having dulled senses.
How many times have you banged into something whilst under the influence and not felt ...
broksababe 04.02.2001
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Drink driving is a crime and offenders should be locked up and the key thrown away. If they are lucky, they will get caught and receive a ban, worst case scenario is they will seriously injure, maim or kill someone and still receive a ban. If that affects anyone reading this (and judging by the strength of feeling on Ciao I doubt it) how can you live with yourself.
From where I am sitting, if someone can afford to go out and get absolutely hammered, ... ...a prude, I enjoy a drink as much as the next person, but my partner and I made a pact, when we go out with the car, one drinks the other drives and we swap each time. If we want a heavy night then we use a taxi or the last bus.
THE MORNING AFTER the NIGH BEFORE
This is the scary part - how many people sensibly have a good night out and leave their car behind, then get up early the next morning to drive home or go to work. Alcohol is excreted from ...
sue.51 01.06.2001
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Drink Driving Debate
