London Ambulance service report finds ‘poor care' for Sickle cell patients
People with an inherited blood disorder have actively avoided seeking ambulance care because of past negative experiences, according to a report commissioned by London Ambulance Service (LAS).
Findings of a research project carried out by the Sickle Cell Society into sickle cell patients' experiences of ambulance care and 999 and 111 calls in London, revealed that many patients had negative experiences, some historic and some recent, with LAS, which have affected their confidence in the service.
There are around 17,500 people with sickle cell disease in the UK.
It is particularly common in people with an African or Caribbean family background.
Symptoms can include very severe pain, serious and life-threatening infections and anaemia.
The research found some of the key themes of those who detailed negative experiences included lack of appropriate pain relief, inconsistent care, having to answer too many questions while in acute pain, and not feeling listened to or respected.
Other themes arising included insufficient priority and slow attendance, not being taken to a preferred hospital and issues with handover from LAS to emergency departments.
A joint written submission from four individuals who had also sought the views of peers - one sickle cell patient, two parents of young adults with sickle cell, and one widow of a sickle cell patient - stated: 'There is a general consensus that the majority of people spoken to are very reluctant to call the ambulance service unless it is the only and last resort and the pain is so bad they have no excuse but to go hospital.
'This is for numerous reasons: fear of not receiving appropriate pain medication en route, not being listened to in terms of what their needs are and perception of being seen as a drug-seeking individual.'
They added that sickle cell patients' views of LAS were often 'marred by past performance'.
The report's recommendations include the LAS routinely involving sickle cell patients in training for its staff and ensuring that staff have a basic understanding of the sickle cell disorder.
LAS said it had developed an action plan to improve care for patients with sickle cell disease, including more detailed training for all frontline clinicians and improving the use of pain relief.
Dr Fenella Wrigley, chief medical officer at the ambulance service, said: 'While we have made improvements, I fully recognise that we need to continue to support the needs of patients with sickle cell disorder and ensure that they feel listened to.
'Our emergency call handlers and ambulance crews are frequently the first contact with the NHS for patients experiencing a sickle cell crisis and it's vital that we can advocate for them.
'We are committed to delivering outstanding urgent and emergency care for everyone who lives in our city. In a modern ambulance service this means delivering more personalised care for our patients including sickle cell patients.'
John James, chief executive of the Sickle Cell Society, said: 'This report is crystal clear in its framing of the huge challenges faced by sickle cell patients in London, when they are at their most vulnerable.
'It is indefensible that people with a serious and life-threatening health condition are receiving poor care, delays and unhelpful attitudes from ambulance staff.
'We welcome LAS commissioning this report, and their commitment to the development of an action plan to address its recommendations. It is essential that this leads to real, lasting change.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Scottish Sun
3 hours ago
- Scottish Sun
Map reveals holiday hotspots where rabies is rife – after British mum died after being scratched by puppy
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) THE countries where you are most likely to catch rabies have been revealed in a map of high-risk hotspots. It comes after Yvonne Ford, from Barnsley, South Yorkshire, died over the weekend after suddenly falling ill with the disease. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 3 Rabies is a viral infection passed on through bites, scratches, or licks from infected animals Credit: Getty The mum, 59, had suffered a mild scratch from a puppy while on holiday in Morocco in February and unknowingly contracted the potentially fatal bug. Rabies is a viral infection spread through bites, scratches or even licks from infected animals. It can take anywhere from a week to a year for symptoms to show, but once they do, the disease is almost always deadly. The NHS says rabies symptoms include: Numbness or tingling where you were bitten or scratched Seeing things that are not there (hallucinations) Feeling very anxious or energetic Difficulty swallowing or breathing Being unable to move (paralysis) The virus attacks the brain and nervous system, and death usually follows within days. There have been less than 10 cases of human rabies associated with animal exposures abroad reported in the UK since 2000. However, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) yesterday stressed there was "no risk to the wider public" given there is "no documented evidence of rabies passing between people". The last death caused by rabies in a UK animal, other than bats, was in 1902. Dog licensing, euthanasia of stray dog and quarantining were credited with killing off the virus. Model, 24, hospitalised after getting attacked by two monkeys while in bikini photoshoot & left needing five rabies jabs Western Europe is now considered 'low risk' for the disease by the WHO, while countries in Eastern Europe are listed as 'moderate risk' and African and Middle Eastern countries are 'high risk'. Popular tourist destinations like Egypt, Tunisia, Morocco and Turkey all carry a high risk of dogs transmitting rabies to people, according to UKHSA risk assessments. Parts of Spain, specifically North African territories of Ceuta and Melilla, are also high risk - while risk on the mainland remains low. The 'high risk' classification means rabies is known to exist in wild or domestic animals (such as dogs), or there isn't enough data to rule it out. Related viruses found in bats are monitored separately. Using this official data, a map pinpoints the 92 'high risk' hotspots where exposure to rabies from dogs remains a serious threat. Other high-risk countries frequently visited by UK travellers include Thailand, India, Indonesia (including Bali), and South Africa. The data also flags several lesser-known but high-risk areas such as Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Nigeria, and Tanzania. Travellers to these countries should be particularly cautious around animals, as rabies transmission through bites or scratches is a serious risk. 3 Yvonne Ford, from Barnsley, South Yorkshire, died after falling ill with rabies Credit: Facebook 3 She is believed to have caught the disease in Morocco Credit: Facebook Dr Katherine Russell, head of emerging infections and zoonoses, at the UKHSA said: "I would like to extend my condolences to this individual's family at this time. "If you are bitten, scratched or licked by an animal in a country where rabies is found then you should wash the wound or site of exposure with plenty of soap and water and seek medical advice without delay in order to get post-exposure treatment to prevent rabies. "There is no risk to the wider public in relation to this case. "Human cases of rabies are extremely rare in the UK, and worldwide there are no documented instances of direct human to human transmission.'" The course of treatment for rabies is four doses of the vaccination for rabies and human rabies immunoglobulin (antibodies) applied over a 21-day period. The last recorded rabies death in the UK was in 2018, when 58-year-old kebab shop worker Omar Zouhri was bitten by a cat while visiting family in Mehdya, Morocco. He contracted the virus on August 31, but it wasn't until nearly two months later, on October 28, that he began showing symptoms of 'furious rabies', including itching, pain and violent muscle spasms. By then, the virus had reached his central nervous system, making treatment impossible. Omar, from Aylesbury in Buckinghamshire, died in hospital in Oxford on November 4.
Metro
4 hours ago
- Metro
Every country with rabies after woman dies on holiday in Morocco
A British woman has died of rabies after she was 'scratched' by a puppy while on holiday in Morocco. Yvonne Ford, 59, from Barnsley, South Yorkshire, had what has been described as 'light contact' with the stray dog on her trip to the North African country in February. But two weeks ago, her family said she developed a headache, and later 'couldn't walk, talk, sleep or swallow'. While there is no risk of rabies in the UK, the same cannot be said for many other countries. So, if you've got a holiday booked this summer, you should be aware of the areas at risk, the symptoms — and how to avoid contracting the disease. Fuel your wanderlust with our curated newsletter of travel deals, guides and inspiration. Sign up here. According to the NHS, rabies is a rare but serious infection. It is usually contracted from the bite or scratch of an infected animal, typically mammals, such as dogs, bats, raccoons and foxes. Alongside being bitten or scratched, rabies can also be contracted if an infected animal licks your eyes, nose, or mouth, or an open wound. The World Health Organisation (WHO) reports that dog bites and scratches cause 99% of human rabies cases. And, once the virus infects the central nervous system and symptoms appear, the disease is fatal in almost 100% of cases. However, rabies is not contagious from person to person. That means someone who is infected cannot pass the disease on to another human. • Afghanistan – high risk • Albania – high risk• Algeria – high risk• Andaman and Nicobar Islands – high risk• Angola – high risk• Argentina – high risk• Armenia – high risk• Azerbaijan – high risk• Bahrain – low risk • Bali – high risk • Bangladesh – high risk • Belarus – high risk • Belize – high risk• Benin – high risk• Bhutan – high risk• Bolivia – high risk• Borneo – high risk• Bosnia and Herzegovina – high risk• Botswana – high risk• Brazil – high risk• Brunei Darussalam – low risk• Bulgaria – low risk but foxes are high risk• Burkina Faso – high risk• Burma – high risk• Burundi – high risk• Cambodia – high risk• Cameroon – high risk• Canada – low risk but foxes, skunks and racoons are high risk• Central African Republic – high risk• Ceuta (north African territory of Spain) – high risk• Chad – high risk• Chile – low risk • China – low risk • Colombia – high risk• Comoros – high risk• Congo (Republic) – high risk• Congo (Democratic Republic of) – high risk• Costa Rica – high risk• Côte d'Ivoire – high risk • Croatia – low risk but foxes are high risk • Cuba – high risk• Czechia, within 50km border Poland/Slovakia – low risk, foxes high risk• Democratic Republic of the Congo – high risk• Djibouti – high risk• Dominican Republic – high risk• East Timor – high risk• Ecuador – high risk • Egypt – high risk • El Salvador – high risk• Equatorial Guinea – high risk• Eritrea – high risk• Estonia – low risk• Ethiopia – high risk• French Guiana – high risk• Gabon – high risk• Gambia – high risk• Georgia – high risk• Ghana – high risk • Greenland – high risk • Grenada – low risk• Guatemala – high risk• Guinea – high risk• Guinea-Bissau – high risk• Guyana – high risk• Haiti – high risk• Honduras – high risk• Hong Kong – low risk• Hungary – low risk, but foxes are high risk• India – high risk• Indonesia – high risk• Iran – high risk• Iraq – high risk • Israel – high risk • Jan Mayen and Svalbard (Norway) – high risk• Jordan – high risk• Kazakhstan – high risk• Kenya – high risk• North Korea – high risk• South Korea – high risk• Kosovo – high risk• Kuwait – low risk• Kyrgyzstan – high risk• Laos – high risk• Latvia – low risk, but foxes are high risk • Lebanon – high risk • Lesotho – high risk• Liberia – high risk• Libya – high risk• Lithuania – high risk• Macau SAR – high risk• Macedonia – high risk• Madagascar – high risk• Malawi – high risk • Malaysia – high risk • Mali – high risk• Margarita Island – high risk• Mauritania – high risk• Melilla (north African territory of Spain) – high risk• Mexico – high risk• Moldova – high risk• Mongolia – high risk• Montenegro – high risk• Montserrat – high risk • Morocco – high risk • Mozambique – high risk• Myanmar – high risk• Namibia – high risk• Nepal – high risk• Nicaragua – high risk• Niger – high risk• Nigeria – high risk• Oman – high risk• Pakistan – high risk• Palestine – high risk• Panama – high risk• Paraguay – high risk• Peru – high risk• Philippines – high risk • Poland – high risk • Puerto Rico – high risk• Qatar – low risk• Romania – high risk• Russian Federation – high risk• Rwanda – high risk• Sao Tome and Principe – low risk• Saudi Arabia – high risk• Senegal – high risk• Serbia – high risk• Sierra Leone – high risk • Slovakia – low risk, but foxes are high risk • Slovenia – low risk, but foxes are high risk• Somalia – high risk• South Africa – high risk• South Sudan – high risk• Spain (north African territories of Ceuta and Melilla) – high risk• Sri Lanka – high risk• Sudan – high risk• Suriname – high risk• Svalbard – high risk• Swaziland – high risk • Syria – high risk • Taiwan – low risk• Tajikistan – high risk• Tanzania – high risk• Thailand – high risk• Tibet – high risk• Timor-Leste – high risk• Togo – high risk• Trinidad and Tobago – low risk• Tunisia – high risk • Türkiye – high risk • Turkmenistan – high risk• Uganda – high risk• Ukraine – high risk• United Arab Emirates – low risk• United Kingdom – no risk in animals but low risk in bats• United States of America – low risk but foxes, skunks and racoons are high risk• Uruguay – high risk • Uzbekistan – high risk • Venezuela – high risk• Vietnam – high risk• Western Sahara – high risk• Yemen – high risk• Zambia – high risk• Zanzibar – high risk • Zimbabwe – high risk Source: The NHS advises tourists to seek health advice at least eight weeks before travelling to a country with a high risk of rabies. You can use the TravelHealthPro website to find country-specific vaccine recommendations and important advice and tips to stay healthy abroad. The health service also advises speaking to a travel health clinic before your trip, as they may recommend a vaccination against rabies. You'll have to pay for this. They will likely suggest a vaccine if you're travelling somewhere where hospitals and clinics are scarce, if you're travelling to a country where you'll come into contact with infected animals, if you'll be spending a lot of time outdoors, or if you're travelling for over a month. If you haven't been vaccinated and get bitten, scratched or licked while abroad, the NHS advises you to seek medical help immediately. You should also wash any bites or scratches with soap and water as soon as possible. If you've been scratched or bitten by a potentially infected animal, a doctor will decide if you need treatment. If they deem it necessary, you'll likely receive two or more doses of the rabies vaccine. Or, a liquid rabies medicine called immunoglobulin will be administered into the wound. You'll only receive the latter if you've not had the rabies vaccine before, or you have a weak immune system. Time is of the essence: if administered quickly, the treatment is effective at preventing the disease. Finally, if you've been treated for rabies abroad, the NHS advises you to contact your GP back in the UK as soon as you return. They will assess if further treatment is required. Warning signs of rabies include: numbness or tingling where you were bitten or scratched hallucinations feeling anxious or energetic difficulty swallowing or breathing being unable to move (paralysis) Symptoms usually appear between three to 12 weeks after exposure. However, the incubation period – the time it takes for an infection to develop after a person has been exposed to a disease – can range from days, months to years. More Trending The time it takes for rabies to develop depends on how much of the virus you've been exposed to and the location of the wound. The World Health Organisation (WHO) reports that around 59,000 people die from rabies in over 150 countries each year. Of these cases, 95% occur in Africa and Asia. Rabies is more common in rural and poor populations, with around half of the cases being children under the age of 15. Once symptoms develop, it is almost universally fatal. MORE: Urgent recall for chicken fettuccine alfredo 'linked to three deaths and a pregnancy loss' MORE: The ultimate guide for travelling on the Tube in a heatwave MORE: Urgent recall of dark chocolate almonds over 'life-threatening' health risk
Daily Record
4 hours ago
- Daily Record
Rabies hotspots map reveals where you're most likely to be struck down with deadly disease
A warning has been issued to those travelling to countries where rabies is prevalent - here we take a look at the key hotspots across the globe Many Brits will be eagerly anticipating their summer holiday. The beach towels will be packed and the airport taxi will be booked - but it is important to keep in mind the risks of heading abroad, particularly regarding your health. Certain viruses or diseases are more prevalent in some countries than in others due to factors like lifestyle and environmental conditions. Rabies, for example, has been wiped out in the UK, but can still crop up elsewhere. This week, a British woman died of rabies after being scratched by a stray dog in Morocco, leading the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) to issue urgent warnings for those visiting countries where the virus is common. Rabies, which is spread through bites or scratches from an infected animal, can be prevented if immediate treatment is administered. The infection was diagnosed in Yorkshire and The Humber, with health workers and close contacts of the woman receiving vaccinations as a safety measure. Dr Katherine Russell, head of emerging infections and zoonoses at the UKHSA, sought to reassure the public. "There is no risk to the wider public in relation to this case," stated Dr Russell. "Human cases of rabies are extremely rare in the UK and worldwide there are no documented instances of direct human to human transmission." Tragically, rabies continues to cause thousands of deaths every year, particularly in Asia and Africa, which account for 95 per cent of the deaths from rabies globally, reports the Express. Contributing factors to the prevalence of rabies in Asia and Africa include inadequate vaccination programmes, limited access to healthcare due to poverty, and a large population of unvaccinated stray dogs. Let's take a closer look at these alarming statistics from around the world. Asia Rabies is typically more prevalent in South Asia. Countries such as India, which sees a high number of fatalities from the disease, along with Pakistan and Bangladesh, are among the most severely affected. Several African countries also suffer from a high incidence of the disease in rural areas, often spreading amongst dog populations. Regions of Eastern and Western Africa are considered high-risk areas for infection. Countries like Ethiopia, Burundi, and Rwanda have been identified as being particularly susceptible to the disease. Other affected regions Despite lower rates of infection in Europe and North America, certain areas and animal populations still carry the disease. In the Americas, bats are typically the carriers of the disease. Meanwhile, sporadic outbreaks in Eastern Europe often originate in red fox populations. While the UK boasts rabies-free animal populations, a few bat species can still transmit a virus similar to rabies. Between 2000-2024, six cases of infection from exposure elsewhere were documented. Consequently, WHO officials have advised individuals travelling to high-risk areas to be aware of the potential dangers and take necessary precautions when interacting with animals that may be infected with rabies. Dr Katherine Russell cautioned: "If you are bitten, scratched or licked by an animal in a country where rabies is found then you should wash the wound or site of exposure with plenty of soap and water and seek medical advice without delay." Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community!
