Can you ask an ambulance to take you to a certain hospital or A&E?
It depends [“thankyou” .. MyHSN Ed]. If you ring 999 you will normally be taken to the nearest A&E.
You may not be in a fit state to communicate your medical history and needs. So, to an extent, you have to trust the protocols of the paramedics, which we will now describe.
For most emergency and urgent problems you will be taken to the nearest hospital, which will usually be your local hospital. They can then deal with the emergency problem; and, if needed, talk to, and arrange transfer on to a distant hospital that normally manages your condition.
For some emergency or life-threatening problems – like heart attack or stroke – you will be taken to the nearest hospital that can give you the right treatment. This may be a more distant regional hospital (larger than your local one).
But (the big BUT!). Always tell the paramedic if you have any long term specialist problems – e.g. dialysis/transplant or radio/chemotherapy) or have had a recent operation or hospital admission.
It might affect the treatment you receive on the way to hospital, the advice they give you, or the hospital they take you to. It may be better to go there as they will have specialist doctors and all your information on their computer.
Also. Your GP can arrange a 999 call in special cases – and arrange admission to a specific hospital if needed. GPs sometime arrange a 999 call because they cannot tell how sick you are over the phone. This does not mean you will automatically be taken to hospital. The paramedic acts as the GP’s eyes and can then advise you about what to do next.
Remember, just because you have rung 999 does not mean you will be taken to hospital.
For every person taken to hospital by an ambulance another person is signposted to another service or makes their own way to hospital once the paramedic has seen them.
Please listen to the paramedics. You don’t always need treatment at a hospital. They have the right not to take you to hospital if they don’t think its necessary. Your local pharmacist, walk-in centre and GP can often sort your problem instead.
Summary
So, to sum up. Can you ask an ambulance to take you to a certain hospital or A&E? Yes and no. But always tell the paramedics all about yourself, especially your long-term health conditions.
