KING’S CROSS HOSPITAL IN LONDON, ENGLAND, has a contract with Caring For You, a private ambulance firm that transports non-emergency patients to and from the hospital. But Caring For You’s drivers haven’t been caring for other ambulances.
The hospital’s guidelines clearly state that the CFY ambulances must be moved from the loading dock to a separate designated parking area within an hour. That simple rule is a little too much for the driver’s to grasp and they’ve been leaving them for greater lengths of time, despite being cautioned by the hospital.
Now the CFY management is starting to take the contract a little more seriously because the hospital has begun putting tire clamps on ambulances that are left over the 1 hr. limit. So far, they have been clamped 20 times and paid £50 ($95) each time to get released.
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Daily Mail photo
Despite the penalty, some of them are still having trouble with understanding what “1 hour” means and the problem hasn’t yet been eliminated.
The hospital issued the following press release:
‘King’s College Hospital has a contract with Caring For You to provide transport services for patients who are unable to travel to and from their appointments by public or private transport.
‘As part of this contract, King’s issues guidelines to CFY which specify where and for how long drivers are to park.
‘These guidelines are designed to help allow patient transport vehicles, taxis, private cars and emergency vehicles to move through the hospital site freely, as well as ensuring the safety of pedestrians.
‘Only patient transport vehicles are involved – the hospital is NOT clamping emergency response ambulances.
The Daily Mail carries the STORY.
Firegeezer wonders if just maybe these drivers are hired from the “English-as-a-2nd-language” group of the population?
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