Why 99.9% of people really do appreciate the dedication and life saving work of the Emergency Services & NHS

This account was sent in by one of our followers. It gives a dramatic example of why our Emergency Services & NHS are so vital and why they should be given the funding they need, rather than the cuts & politically medling which they fear.

Although this incident happened a few years ago, the principle is still the same; that our Emergency Services & NHS should be treated with the respect that they truly deserve:

“I was following a skip lorry, and at 10:30 on the 8th May 2004 a piece of plywood measuring 8’x 4′ (2.5M x 1.2M) came off the back of it…

The accident happened on the B1383 just near the turning to Elsenham in Essex
The unsecured piece of plywood lifted off the back of the skip lorry – it was just laying on the bed of the lorry – no skip – and came flying towards me – I thought it was either going to smash into me or worse decapitate me so…
I swerved and hit the brakes – and we all know that when in a 4 wheel skid you release the brakes and pump them – but in that moment when a 15 tonne lorry was coming directly towards me and I was not stopping I pushed harder and harder (and still not stopping)
I had enough time (it seemed) to make a cup of tea and read the paper and after the impact I was in no pain and my only thought was how was I going to get home…
The lorry that I hit tried to avoid me, hit the near side curb and tipped over onto the verge

I spun round and round and ended up in my near side lay-by
The Lorry Driver later stated that he saw the piece of wood lift – looked in his mirror to see where it went – looked forward and I was in front of him!!
He had no time to do anything!!

This 4.5 mile journey cost me about £475 – £125 for the hire of the vehicle and £350 Accident Excess.
The Skip Lorry continued on its journey – the driver totally oblivious to the calamity he had caused!!

The Emergency Services were quickly on the scene with the Essex Police being the first to arrive. The Fire Service arrived soon after, the Retained Fire Crews from Newport and Saffron Walden and the Rescue Tender from Harlow. There were also several ambulances in attendance from what was the Essex Ambulance Service as they had been told it was a multiple vehicle accident

Initially the Fire Service tried to cut me out but this failed and eventually
I was extricated through the back of the van and one of the fireman
used his body to pull me over the top of him
– this took probably an hour and a half

I worked for Uttlesford District Council at the time and had shown the Saffron Walden fire crews around the Council Offices in order to familiarise them with the building and upon their arrival the conversation went “Oh it is the bloke from the Council – there is something sticking into his leg – NO it is his bones sticking out” (thanks Guys) I had, amongst my other injuries, a displaced compound fracture of both my Tibia and Fibula
• Tibia – the shin bone, the larger of the two leg bones located below the knee cap
• Fibula – the smaller of the two leg bones located below the knee cap

After the event, I was extremely lucky, as, travelling in the same direction as me but a couple of cars behind me, was a doctor but coincidentally – his daughter – also a doctor working at Addenbrooke’s Hospital in the A&E department was travelling towards me and they both stopped (nobody could pass in reality) and gave assistance

I was attended to by the Essex Ambulance Service which has now merged with others to become the East of England Ambulance Service – the Doctor’s and the Paramedics, apparently, worked on my left foot, in the ambulance, for 1.5 hours trying to manipulate the bone to obtain a Pedal Pulse – there was talk of possible amputation as my life was in danger, and was undoubtably saved by the hard work of the Doctors and Paramedics at the roadside

Of course I knew nothing of this, the medical staff had given me something and I was out of it.

Next thing I knew I was at Addenbrooke’s A&E sometime later. Addenbrooke’s Hospital is an internationally renowned teaching hospital in Cambridge England
with strong affiliations to the University of Cambridge and is based on the
Cambridge Biomedical Campus

The hospital was founded in 1766 on Trumpington Street with £4,500 from the will of
Dr John Addenbrooke, a fellow of St Catharine’s College
Once in hospital – where the staff there undoubtably saved my life – again

I had a 20 hour operation (12 hour orthopaedic & an 8 hour plastics back to back)
I was then on life support for 48 hours and apparently it was touch and go as to whether I would survive. The surgeon promised to phone My partner whenever he was finished and he was true to his word phoning her Sunday morning
I was given 14 pints of blood and was in hospital for only 6.5 weeks

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