We have had all sorts of historical difficulties with transport and this was raised on a couple of occassions and its an .....ambulance every time..we have company vehicles and i would not let a member of staff drive any one to hospital....or if they are ill ....not requiring hospital treatment.. they get a taxi We have first aiders on site that could quite comfortably look after them untill the ambulance arrived. If the conditioned worsened in the car how are they going to be treated ?

It is good practice to accompany someone who may be unwell or suffered and accident at work. If that means driving them home or to the local hospital so be it. Normal precautions should be taken with regards to car insurance, otherwise get a taxi. No need to go OTT with this one.

i think you would need to check with a few insurance companies to see what there view would be if it is a colleague giving a lift to a friend who also happens to be a fellow employee then i would say you are giving a lift to that person back to their home same as you might give a lift to someone taken them to a from work to save money on driving to cars. i don't see needing business insurance would be justified on the very rare case you might happen to help out someone who isn't feeling well. But if you plan on putting a procedure in place that Joe bloggs gives anyone who feels ill to take them home or to hospital then that might be a different matter as this is an eventuality that you have planned for and identified a specific role to a person. My personal view is not to waste the ambulance service time for anything that isn't life threatening or likely to risk the causality's condition further. It's wasting the ambulance service time for more urgent calls. plus they are more than likely to make it a non priority call for someone that fells a bit unwell. also you are risking the lives of the ambulance crew who will be running on sirens and lights for no good reason. People who phone for an ambulance for what is clearly a minor injury that could be treated at the local A&E and isn't urgent or remotely life threatening are as good as hoax callers to the fire service. Sorry but that's my honest opinion if you think the causality life or health might be at risk then phone 999 if it isn't at risk and just a minor injury then transport to the local A&e yourself and the company should have a procedure for that. Sorry went slightly of topic from the original post Phil

I would have to agree with Phil and Ray. Each case has to assessed on its merits, if the casualty can be transported via taxi without the necessity of the "blues and twos", then do so. Ambulance service should only be utilised when it is an emergency.

I tend to agree with what Ray and Phil have said. Plant your feet on the ground, keep things in perspective. Depending on the nature of the illness or injury some may need to be accompanied (by a first aider - maybe?) and some won't. I do not advocate '..an ambulance every time..' that would IMVHO be, unreasonable, and bordering on the perverse.