This morning’s blog post entitled “Should We Have To Do This?” coincided with a real life example. Ella SHAW, author of the utterly excellent and widely read ambulance blog Trying My Patients, was busy living that exact reality as I was writing and drinking coffee. Her post “No Seriously, Leave It With Us!” showed how paramedics were left in the middle of a mental health-related nightmare, whilst struggling to access their police service. It is well worth a read.
Having discussed this, she invited me to reciprocate with a real example of my own: a story of how I spent a New Year’s Day nightshift handling a 23yr year old woman who had self-harmed and was violent and resistant, but obviously in need of proper care that no-one seemed willing or able to provide. My post “Policing Violent Healthcare” is a Guest Post on Trying My Patients which I was properly chuffed to be asked to do.
You should read Ella’s blog – you’ll laugh and cry your way through a range of posts and she demonstrates how frequently our friends in green find themselves grappling with mental health stories just like the police do. Often the difference is just a matter of who got called or who got there first.
I was disappointed to read the tale from her morning at work … I think if our fellow 999 services are asking for the police, they should get them – full stop. We can sort anything else out afterwards.
Awesome! It does indeed tie it all together! 3 relavent posts with stories from both sides and your factual piece to add balance. I’ve said it once and i’ll say it again, ‘we should do this again sometime’! Good work Inspector!
Posted by Ella Shaw | June 16, 2012, 10:14 pm