Some private taxi companies are offering free trips to the emergency room for those trying to call an ambulance during the Wednesday strikes.
While ministers have previously said that taxis will be banned from transporting patients to emergency rooms, there appears to be no official agreement with companies in some parts of the country, leaving many patients in a non-life-threatening condition, waiting for hours or making an appointment. own way to the hospital.
But some companies have taken it upon themselves to offer a free service to customers who need to book their ride themselves.
Globe Taxis Rochdale said it would provide “free” transportation for people who needed to be taken to hospital and contacted local hospitals to keep patients informed.
Here’s what Mohammed Asif of Globe Taxis told us I: “We are a family owned business operating in Rochdale for over 45 years, we are part of the community and transport our loyal customers daily. and of course we didn’t want anyone to get hurt.
“We spoke to (hospitals) and said that if they are struggling with patients who need to go to bed, feel free to call us and we will be happy to pick them up and transport them to the hospital for free. blame. If we don’t stand up and help as a community in these times, who will?
“We have had several calls and even requests from other counties to come to Rochdale. A lot of people call and really appreciate it, which is nice.”
He said that so far, most of the calls have been from ambulances and not people with serious injuries, adding: “We’ve never had an emergency like this … I hope not, but we just want to more people got help. ”
“Management will, of course, compensate all drivers and we will be happy to continue (in the coming days of the strike) for as long as it takes.”
In Staffordshire, Stafford & Stone Airport Transfers also offered free rides.
The company said it has two vehicles for the local community “for those who have an emergency and need to get to the hospital as soon as possible.”
He warned: “Please note that we do not have a medical background and cannot give advice. We are here to provide the hospital with fast and free service instead of waiting for a taxi.”
In the meantime, Brighton-based Streamline Taxis offered trips to the hospital at half price on strike days.
said operations manager Jason Cheeseman I: “As a company, Streamline is always trying to help the local community.
“We had a ‘Taxi for injections’ campaign under lockdown, taking people who couldn’t afford taxis for their injections to local Covid centers.
“In this case, we thought we could help today by getting people in need of urgent care to the emergency room without worrying too much about the cost.
“The reception was good and all the customers who approached the drivers were very grateful for our work.
“All employees of our call center, directors and drivers supported this initiative. We will do the same again on December 28th.”
While the arrangements were warmly received online, health officials suggested there weren’t “large numbers” of taxi arrivals.
So said the director of a large educational foundation in the North Journal of Health (HSJ) said that “it wasn’t as bad as I feared in terms of hospital pressure – in fact (Emergency Rooms) are under less pressure than usual.”
They added: “We have not seen patient cars/taxis arriving in large numbers, but the problem is that at the moment we do not see much risk as people will be at home. Therefore, we expect very busy days on Thursday and Friday.”
Source: I News
I’m Raymond Molina, a professional writer and journalist with over 5 years of experience in the media industry. I currently work for 24 News Reporters, where I write for the health section of their news website. In my role, I am responsible for researching and writing stories on current health trends and issues. My articles are often seen as thought-provoking pieces that provide valuable insight into the state of society’s wellbeing.