A paramedic had an abusive note left on his ambulance windscreen by a resident who couldn't get into their home as he fought to save a young girl's life.
North East Ambulance Service worker Chris James Nixon was lambasted by the disgruntled neighbour for his "appalling" behaviour as he attended a 999 call on Friday.
The unidentified person complained they had been unable to get into their home and warned that they had taken pictures of his parking, as the ambulance worker helped a girl who was suffering severe trauma.
The letter read: "I have toke pictures off you leaving ambulance in middle off road, when there is no need for. See pic. You behaviour is appealing and you should be kept responsible for you actions as 'professional driver'. [sic]"
It was signed off: "Resident who can’t get to his house. [sic]"
Uploading a picture of the note to social media, Chris, who lives in Tynemouth, Tyne and Wear, England, wrote: "Whilst working hard to save a young girl's life in the back of the ambulance... received this from a fan who left it on our windscreen!"
The incident received widespread disgust on Facebook, with many people taking to the comment section to fume.
One Facebook user named Sarah Coyne wrote: "So if their relative was gravely ill, they’d expect you to drive around the block to look for a parking space, potentially park a distance away from the patient, and delay their emergency, life-saving treatment? Should have left their name so we can do just that if the need ever arises…"
Daniel Jones added: "So when they call for an ambulance, make sure you park legally, maybe pay and display. All the while they’re bleeding to death."
In addition, many people online complained about the spelling and grammar in the note, with Chris Holmes writing: "The author could have made good use of their waiting time to research how to use the English language."
Chris' only response to the comments was reportedly to write: "Was a bad trauma job as well. HART (Hazardous Area Response Team) was in the back with me."
Speaking out on the incident, a North East Ambulance Service spokesman told Deadline News: "One of our ambulance crews was dealing with a life-threatening trauma on the back of an ambulance recently when a resident left a note with a complaint about the position of the vehicle. The crew was busy delivering life-saving treatment at the time, which was critical for their patient."
"Whilst our teams make every effort to avoid obstructing the highway, there are occasions in the course of their work when a patient’s life might be at risk and every second of treatment is critical in their care. On those occasions, moving a vehicle may not be the highest priority for our staff. Understandably, the team concerned was surprised and disappointed to have received a note of complaint given what they were dealing with."
"We appreciate that on this occasion a nearby driver did experience some inconvenience and would not have been aware of what was going on inside the ambulance but we rely on the support of members of the public at such times to be patient, bear with us and allow us to deliver critical life-saving treatment."
