PCSO's

Got called last night to a job described as young male lying outside house, phoned in by old male living at house. Police to attend also.

Arrived to find a 20yr old lad lying on the pavement, feining unconciuosness and not doing a very good job of it.

This would normally warrant the usual Ambulance response of an unsympathetic primary survey, which consists of standing on their hand until they stop feining unconciousness, sit bolt upright and start complaining, thus proving they are alert and have a viable airway.

Last night however, having not had the opportunity to complete a full head to toe secondary survey on an unconcas (unconcious casualty), this lad was going to get a full MOT, unconcious or not.

After finding him.......... surprise, surprise, ...........well but pissed, I completed the paperwork and asked the two PCSO's (Police Community Support Officers) to sign for his custody. They both looked a little surprised and queried why we would not be taking him to hospital?

Well I felt this deserved a chat about the role of A&E in caring for 'sick' people and in my view, the role of the Police in dealing with pissed people, who were not sick. The problem came, they explained that as he has not committed a crime, they had no reason to hold him. So why does this make him our problem and the only place he can go is to occupy a valuable bed in A&E so he can sleep it off!

Finally pursuaded them to arrange for a car to collect him and take him home. I am all for increasing the Police presence on the streets to deal with criminals, but in my humble view they also have a duty to serve the public, both the old man who has a drunk lying outside his house and the young man who has had too much to drink to be left alone at 01:30 in the morning, even if no crime has been committed by either party.