DAISY AND YORKIE
Daisy, 60 yrs old, is a widowed patient with full capacity and no identified mental health problems. Daisy has an extensive and well documented history of frequent emergency department visits, calling ambulances and coming into the department with her dog - a Yorkshire Terrier, named Yorkie.
When Daisy brings her dog into the department, this allows her not only to skip the queues, as the dog has to be kept outside the department for health and safety reasons - but also she gets all the attention and care that she demands. This includes hot drinks, food, and blankets for her, and a bowl of water for Yorkie, while she waits outside with the dog.
Daisy always arrives by ambulance, with Yorkie, who repeatedly barks , annoying and upsetting other patients waiting inside.
This situation causes frustration for emergency department staff. who have to keep popping out to check on Daisy.
Daisy complains of acute and severe abdominal pain prior to arriving in the department, but this subsides once she is there. No objective evidence of illness is ever present when Daisy is assessed by the emergency staff, and she is always discharged back home, following examination and various tests.
What would you do to resolve this situation?
Do you agree with the ambulance staff bringing her in?
Do you think that she should be fined for using NHS emergency services inappropriately?
What about Yorkie?
Would you support Daisy and Yorkie in another way?
What is really going on here?
It is proposed that Daisy should be fined for wasting emergency service resources.