Posted By Chris Matthews Can anyone give me a definitive answer please. SCENARIO: An employee complains of feeling ill or off sorts, and gives the symptoms of a mild stroke [possibly]. It is decided that medical assistance/advice should be sought and the employee is removed to his GP surgery being close to the workplace. A second employee escorts the former by taking him in a company car, however, the driver is not a first aider. QUESTION: Are we obliged to send a first aider with them, and was the decision wrong to go directly to the GP as opposed to the A&E which is around 10 to 12 miles away in the next town? Your thoughts appreciated. Thank You Chris

Posted By MichaelM If a stroke was suspected I would, as a first aider and a H&S Officer, have called an ambulance. A second question comes to mind. Would the car owners insurance have covered them whilst transporting a sick workmate to hospital, the doctors or even home? I don't believe it would have. Michael

Posted By Lilian McCartney You don't need to send a first aider. The 'sick' employee can make the decision of where to go if they wish as its a medical illness. Their GPis the person most likely to know medical history and deal wiht situation. I've often found that an ambulance isn't wished for by the sick or injured and made a decsion as to whether the employees wishes are the ones to follow or to over rule them and get an ambulance. Company car insurance would have covered this. Going ot GP's instead of A&E wise move if nearer and less time than trying ot get through traffic. GP's often act in this role especially where there isn't an A&E nearby.

Posted By Ken Taylor Whilst the ambulance should be the normal and usually best approach for a medical emergency, there may be occasions when other resources for urgent medical attention will be appropriate in the first instance. Those making the decision should need to be prepared to defend this if necessary. Whilst sending a first-aider could well be beneficial in some circumstances, this will need to be weighed against any consequence of the temporary loss of the first-aider to the remaining workforce and may well not be advisable if this will leave insufficient first-aid cover. Like many emergency situations, you have to do the best you can in the circumstances and if this means departing from the normal procedure be prepared for what may follow. With regard to car insurance, I cannot believe that any insurer would consider giving a lift to a work colleague on their way to medical attention as a nullifying their cover. Remember though that these days the arrival of an ambulance will bring some emergency medical attention and so the critical time may be that for the ambulance to arrive and not the time needed to get the casualty to hospital.

Posted By MichaelM Chris Thanks for the thread. It raised many interesting points that we could all learn from. The clarification today also puts a different light on it although I think the first aider should have gone along to the doctors and then returned in case the patient became more unwell (tingling in the arm could have been the beginning of a heart attack) but I think you are thinking along that line anyway. One thing I have thought of is that I have access to a company OH Doctor and could have phoned for advice on the issue prior to transporing to the Doctors Surgery. Do you have access to this type of advice? Michael

Posted By Mike Hines Chris, I think the response was appropriate under the circumstances. The individual would be aware of thier own medical history and that of thier family which could make them more vulnerable to a stroke. If there is any doubt then and ambulance should be called, however if the casualty is responsive and the symptoms are not progress, you could contact NHS direct, they would be in a position to identify the casualty’s condition and in turn call and ambulance or advise him/her to contact GP. As for comments regarding insurance issues, the vehicle was a company car being used on company business. It would only be prudent and in the companies interest in discharging it’s common law duty of care, to insure that the employee was transported safety to seek assistance, rather than driving themselves and endangering others in a condition where their own insures may have deemed them unfit to drive and thus voiding thier policy. If a company car is not available then the next best alternative would be to use a taxi Hope this is of some help Cheers Mike

Posted By Hilary Charlton To answer your original question. We too have had this dilemma but we are very close to the local hospital. The Company has agreed to cover any personal car used for the purpose of taking a work colleague to the hospital in an emergency should there be an accident of any sort that the insurance company will not cover. We have two employees go with the injured/unwell party - a driver who is purely that, and a first aider. This is because the person can rapidly deteriorate/have a fit/anything else on the way to the doctor/hospital and, therefore, competent help should be available and not driving the car. This is how we would do it, but in an emergency you have to improvise and although this is text book of what we should do, how we would react may be a very different thing. For my money you took the action you thought was best at the time and that's all you can really do. Hilary