‘I thought ‘Is this how life ends:’ Pensioner told to call a taxi during medical episode

A stroke survivor from the Bellarine Peninsula recalls thinking his life was coming to an end while waiting for a taxi to take him to hospital.

A Bellarine Peninsula stroke survivor told to get a taxi to hospital after, what he felt, was a concerning medical episode says he’s lost confidence in the health system.

Pensioner Robert Drummond, 67, called an ambulance when he felt like he was having another stroke but was told none were available.

“I was feeling pretty unwell and I thought I was having another stroke,” Mr Drummond said.

The call for an ambulance in November last year came after Mr Drummond was dazed, giddy and had a headache, and was two months after he was hospitalised for three days after a minor stroke.

“I thought ‘Is this how life ends? Waiting for a taxi,” Mr Drummond said.

He was told to get a taxi to Geelong hospital about midnight, an hour after his initial call to triple-0.

An Ambulance Victoria spokeswoman said taxis were used when “appropriate and safe” for triple-0 callers who didn’t need emergency transport.

“This helps keep ambulances available for life-threatening emergencies,” the spokeswoman said.

“Throughout Victoria, emergency ambulances are allocated based on clinical need and prioritised to the sickest patients, particularly those with life-threatening conditions such as cardiac arrest, stroke or major trauma.”

Robert Drummond concerned about taxi access

Between April and June more than 42,500 triple-0 callers did not need an emergency ambulance and were trigged to other care by paramedics and nurses, the spokeswoman said.

Mr Drummond, from Connewarre, grew anxious after he arrived at Geelong hospital’s emergency department when told it could be up to 10 hours before he was treated.

After about five hours of waiting Mr Drummond gave up and returned home by taxi.

“I didn’t know what to think. I was felling too unwell to sit there. I just wanted to go home and lie down. It was too long to wait, it was inhumane.”

Mr Drummond said he waited in the emergency department with about 12 people.

He returned home to bed and woke up in the morning feeling better but said he was “pretty shaken by the whole experience.”

Mr Drummond said he contacted the office of South Barwon Labor MP Darren Cheeseman for assistance.

Mr Cheeseman didn’t respond to questions about Mr Drummond’s experience on Tuesday.

He said the state government would allocate funding to recruit up to 7000 healthcare workers, get more paramedics on the road, and employ more triple-0 call takers.

Robert Drummond concerned about taxi access

“The most recent performance data shows the health system is experiencing record demand due to this unprecedented global pandemic,” Mr Cheeseman said.

“The $12 billion Pandemic Repair Plan will help health services keep up with rising demand and come out stronger on the other side.”

South Barwon Liberal candidate Andrew Katos said Victoria’s health system needed an overhaul.

“Our health workers are doing the best job that they can but they are overworked and under

resourced. Fixing Victoria’s broken health system is our number one priority,” Mr Katos said.

“This is why we are going to shelve Daniel Andrews $35 billion rail tunnel in Melbourne that will take 15 years to build and invest every cent of that into immediately fixing Victoria’s health system.

“Locally we will build a new ambulance station in Armstrong Creek and commence the construction of the Geelong Women and Children’s Hospital.”

The triple-0 call taker, ESTA, was contact for comment but said questions on the case should be directed to Ambulance Victoria.

Originally published as ‘I thought ‘Is this how life ends:’ Pensioner told to call a taxi during medical episode