Duty to Act? BLS Private Company

[mikepud]

This has been really bothering me!
I work for a private transport company. While on our way to pick up a Pt. From dialysis, we drove past a gym. As we went past, several people pointed at us and as we turned the corner we saw a girl running towards us waving her arms. It dawned on us there was a possible emergency going on inside. We stopped and I told the girl we were a private company and asked if she called 911. She said yes and we pulled away. As we pulled away we saw the 911 truck about 200 yards behind us. We are kind of freaking out about this because we thought we made the wrong decision. I am concerned that this could be a possible case of negligence. Thoughts? Advice for next time?

 

[Veneficus]

This has been really bothering me!
I work for a private transport company. While on our way to pick up a Pt. From dialysis, we drove past a gym. As we went past, several people pointed at us and as we turned the corner we saw a girl running towards us waving her arms. It dawned on us there was a possible emergency going on inside. We stopped and I told the girl we were a private company and asked if she called 911. She said yes and we pulled away. As we pulled away we saw the 911 truck about 200 yards behind us. We are kind of freaking out about this because we thought we made the wrong decision. I am concerned that this could be a possible case of negligence. Thoughts? Advice for next time?

It is neither abandonment nor negligence.

Definately not going to be good PR though.

 

[Shishkabob]

If you have no duty to respond, you can't be negligent.

4 things must exist to prove negligence... Duty to respond, breach of that duty, injury of the patient, and damages.


If any one of those is missing, you can't prove negligence. And since you most likely had no duty to respond, you can't breach that duty.

 

[novemberuniformtango]

I don't think it negligence its more of a moral obligation. What you could have done and should have done is this. Once you where flagged down notify your dispatch. One EMT stays with the PT (permitting your patient is non emergency) in the back. The other can go to assist while their is ambulance that can transport is enroute. I have done on'y of tes while transporting "non emergency" discharge patients. As long as everyone is safe and your not putting anyone in harms way ie middle lane Mva and you stop your truck in the middle of the highway and jump out with patient in the back or both EMTs leave the patient. You should be ok

 

[DesertMedic66]

I don't think it negligence its more of a moral obligation. What you could have done and should have done is this. Once you where flagged down notify your dispatch. One EMT stays with the PT (permitting your patient is non emergency) in the back. The other can go to assist while their is ambulance that can transport is enroute. I have done on'y of tes while transporting "non emergency" discharge patients. As long as everyone is safe and your not putting anyone in harms way ie middle lane Mva and you stop your truck in the middle of the highway and jump out with patient in the back or both EMTs leave the patient. You should be ok

They didn't have a patient at the time.

And a lot can depend on company policy (yes some companies have policies about this). As for me if we get flagged down we have to stop call 911 or dispatch and then treat the patient. If we see a car accident we have to call 911 and render aid (we can transport only if the patient is critical or an MCI if the accident/getting flagged down is not in our response area).

If we have a patient on board then we are to call 911 or our dispatch and keep transporting our patient (ie don't stop).

 

[Veneficus]

I tried to refrain from giving advice on what to do because there are many factors.

Some areas do not permit private ambulance to render care to emergent patients.

Some companies don't have insurance or medical control orders to cover it.

Some companies don't have equipment of sufficent maintence to render proper care.

Transporting is a whole seperate issue.

Definately get clarification from your company. But like I said, they will probably suffer in the PR from this incident.

Nothing the guy on the truck could change without putting his job at risk.

 

[NomadicMedic]

Seems like a non issue. You weren't dispatched to it. You were committed to another call. You are not a 911 responder. The 911 truck was right behind you.

No issue as far as I can see. Stopping and getting in the mix might have opened a bigger can of worms.

 

[novemberuniformtango]

Nd also you So

They didn't have a patient at the time.

And a lot can depend on company policy (yes some companies have policies about this). As for me if we get flagged down we have to stop call 911 or dispatch and then treat the patient. If we see a car accident we have to call 911 and render aid (we can transport only if the patient is critical or an MCI if the accident/getting flagged down is not in our response area).

If we have a patient on board then we are to call 911 or our dispatch and keep transporting our patient (ie don't stop).

Aaaahhhh I miss read that lol. Yea if they did not have a pt then yes they should have started treatment. Call 911 when your in an ambulance is a lawsuit waiting happen. Also places that I have worked for have stated unless you are transporting a "emergency" you must stop. Even if you where on the ay to call lights and sirens stop and notify dispatch of the assignment changes. As long as you do not place your crew and the patient onboard in unnecessary risk. For transport companys, I speak from experience that most of them forget about anything besides the bottom line. They may not care about that flag down and more about being ontime for the transport. Most places differ in policy.

You may also have to account for jurisdiction.

 

[novemberuniformtango]

P.s it was a good thing the ambulance was pulling up behind you.

 

[phideux]

Where I work IFT it varies.
If we have no patient in the back, we inform dispatch, stop assess and treat/stabilize if necessary. It is my decision as the medic if we transport or transfer to a county unit. If we have no calls pending, I will usually make the decision to transport so the county units can stay in service.
If we have a BLS patient in the back, we stop, I assess, treat/stabilize until county gets there to hand off to. My BLS partner stays in the back with his patient.
If we have a stable non-emergent ALS patient in the back, we stop, my partner can get out, assess, treat/stabilize, to BLS standards, and wait for county for transport, while I stay in back with my patient. Depending on the patient condition, I can have my partner stay with the patient if ALS is necessary while waiting.
If we have a Non-stable ALS patient, we cannot stop, we will report to dispatch, they will notify the appropriate agencies.
My ambulance is fully stocked to local ALS standards, we carry everything the county ambulances do.