11:17am Friday 10th July 2009
In 1990, I suffered a severe stroke at my home in Finchley central which meant I had to be sent by ambulance to the Royal Free Hospital as soon as possible.
However, on reaching Ballards Lane, despite sirens blaring and blue lights flashing, it proved impossible to penetrate the morning rush-hour traffic which was jammed solid.
After a hurried conference on the radio, which I overheard, between the paramedic and his control, it was decided to turn round and take me against the traffic to Barnet Hospital where I arrived a short time later. My experience shows how impractical Healthcare for London’s proposal to take Barnet acute stroke cases to University College in Central London is — particularly when you take into account that traffic levels are even higher now than my stroke 19 years ago.
If the emergency service could not take me from Finchley central to the Royal Free Hospital on a blue light call, then how are they going to take someone from Barnet to University College at times of congestion there are today?
Myles Coffee, Strathmore Gardens, Finchley
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