I have just finished reading your book, More Blood, More Sweat and another cup of tea. Once I started I couldn’t stop reading. I was intrigued, horrified, saddened, gladdened and totally absorbed by every page. It makes me angry to hear about your pay, conditions and the way you are sometimes treated by the general public. I congratulate you and your fellow workers on the work you do day in and day out. There is one more thing I would like to talk about.

Until a year and a half ag,o I was an normal 37 year old, then following my divorce began suffering from mental health problems. I have done and do some pretty strange things when I become unwell and have been treated by the ambulance service who have (the times I remember) been treated very well. I think there needs to be more training in mental health issues, especially where the police are concerned. I can see how it must be a difficult job dealing with a mentally unwell person; and therefore think a bit more training in this area wouldn’t go amiss.

Your blog is great. Hope you manage to have a summer holiday somewhere relaxing! (or maybe you would get bored!)

Regards
Helen

I want to buy you a pint after reading that.

…fucking WANKER! *fumes at your dad*

If the person has an injury then that always takes precedence over a criminal matter anyway, as it rightly should.

I have never heard of a medical professional being criticised by the BMA or anyone else for informing the Police that a person they have in situ or in hospital is wanted or is of interest. The flipside is someone (the CPS) could possibly go down the lines of assisting an offender but as you surely know, some people talk a lot of bollocks and unless you know for a fact that the person has committed, is suspected or wanted in connection with committing an offence then you will never be dealt with from a legal point of view.

Practically, I think that most criminals we deal with know or believe that at some point if they are wanted and they go 'into the system' either through NHS or criminal justice then they are going to be found out. I've no doubt you've had people who have refused to give you personal details for one reason or another when they have had an injury, most of the time it's because they think we (the Police) are going to get involved and if that impedes their treatment, then more fool them.

A W/M (wanted/missing) marker could be for anything from an information report to a circulation for rape/murder, if you believe that the Police should be informed then I personally don't think there is any harm ethically, legally or otherwise in passing the information. The most that will happen is they are dealt with after medical treatment anyway, and we do get lots of people who believe they are wanted for anything and everything and simply aren't, in which case we don't care if they big themselves up.

The pt had broken the other bloke's leg playing football that afternoon. He wasn't at all bothered about it, just more concerned that the bloke's mates would be there and probably give him a kickeing

Before we arrived at hospital he asked if there was a bloke with a broken leg in, I said I have no idea, why? Turned out he'd broken it playing football earlier that afternoon.

I now know that despite having a crocked knee and claiming money from the state to support him (fraudulently) that he's well enough to play football on the crocked knee.

So, do I disregard this information or do I contact the DSS and point out his fraudulent activity?

Well worth a read, particularly if you believe than that the person has committed an offence.

You would have to rely on the “reasonable excuse” defence – might be difficult as it could be argued that you could convey the patient to hospital and then summon the police.