The Ref Stop

Junior/Youth Abandonment

Aled

Aled

RefChat Addict
Level 5 Referee
I rather nasty incident today which saw an U13's player rather unfortunately dislocate his knee, game was abandoned due to serious injury officially but really because an inept NHS failed to turn up for 30 minutes by which point it was pointless carrying on as for starters I couldn't remember the re-start (I think it was a corner) and most of the players were quite shaken up so I was happy to abandon the game as both managers also wanted to do that.
Thankfully I've heard that it's not too serious but as it was the 3rd occurrence it's curtains on him playing again :( however I may have a new referee :)

##Edit - If someone could move this to match incidents I'd greatly appreciate it, just realized it's in the wrong place.
 
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The Ref Stop
I sympathise on a number of levels. Having dislocated my knee, having had to wait for an ambulance in a similar situation as a referee, and having to abandon for much the same.

Alas, ambulances don't consider sporting injuries as high-priority (so I'm told anyway, by medical staff at a recent match where I had a concussion), and won't go out of their way to get there before seeing to Albert and Doris who feel a bit feint or have bumped their hips in the high street.

At that age, an injury of that nature, no one could take umbrage with an abandonment. Hope you didn't take any grief, more importantly, hope the wee fella is alright.
 
Nasty injury and very painful.

Sadly nhs (or more correctly ambulance services) resources are spread thinly and they have a priority system in place with immediate risk to life obviously dealt with as priority. So not breathing, heart attacks etc will see you get an ambulance within a space of minutes (cannot remember exactly what the target is, but it is quick). While a dislocated knee is immensely painful and quite distressing for those who see and hear it, it's not life threatening. Hence the wait. You may get a first responder a bit quicker to give pain meds.

Sounds like you did correct to me.
 
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Had an argument with someone delivering a first aid course once as she was adamant that regardless of severity an ambulance would be there within 8 minutes. She didn't like the fact that I'd mentioned 5 occasions where it had taken at least 45 minutes to arrive. She wasn't having any of it.
Any who, sounds like you did the right thing by abandoning the game,
 
As a first aider my I found it disgusting how a 13 yr old can be left on a wet and cold football pitch for nearly an hour whilst in agony, I think it's wrong entirely!
 
Back in the days when I was a manager, my u14's team were playing a friendly at Christ's Hospital, an independent school in West Sussex

They had an ambulance and paramedics parked 50 yards away for the duration of the games being played that day

Happily, one of my boys got smacked in the nose by the ball and needed some minor treatment for a bloody nose

Waste not, want not :)
 
Sounds like you did the right thing. I'm with you on this one Aled, to leave an injured child on a cold, wet football pitch for that amount of time is shameful.
 
Aled said:
As a first aider my I found it disgusting how a 13 yr old can be left on a wet and cold football pitch for nearly an hour whilst in agony, I think it's wrong entirely!
Click to expand...

Guessing there was no stretcher available to take him somewhere dry?
 
Aled said:
I rather nasty incident today which saw an U13's player rather unfortunately dislocate his knee, game was abandoned due to serious injury officially but really because an inept NHS failed to turn up for 30 minutes by which point it was pointless carrying on as for starters I couldn't remember the re-start (I think it was a corner) and most of the players were quite shaken up so I was happy to abandon the game as both managers also wanted to do that.
Thankfully I've heard that it's not too serious but as it was the 3rd occurrence it's curtains on him playing again :( however I may have a new referee :)

##Edit - If someone could move this to match incidents I'd greatly appreciate it, just realized it's in the wrong place.
Click to expand...

Don't be so quick to blame the NHS official. Cuts to services means we have to prioritise and football injuries are apparently unimportant.
 
With a serious injury you should never even consider moving the patient to somewhere dry on a stretcher. Such ignorance will only compound the injury and could make it much worse than it needs to be. Don't allow players to move someone with a serious injury, wait for the medics even if they are going to be delayed by attending to those with life=threatening injuries first.
 
You should only move the patient if they are in a life threatening position themselves.
A dislocated knee if not life threatening.
Surely, you could have rolled him a put a rug under him to keep him as dry as possible
 
It is nothing to do with the referee. Each team has a first aider, they decide, we do what they say. :)

Of course we all knew that.
 
What happens if your a health care professional or a first aider outside of football?

Claim ignorance and follow what they say?
 
If you are a health care professional then you would take charge of the situation.

If you are a first aider, the team first aider would still call the shots I guess.
 
opayin said:
Don't be so quick to blame the NHS official. Cuts to services means we have to prioritise and football injuries are apparently unimportant.
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This is nothing personal but I just can't believe that, a 13 year old in excruciating pain with a dislocated knee unimportant? Absolute joke
 
jack.prescott said:
This is nothing personal but I just can't believe that, a 13 year old in excruciating pain with a dislocated knee unimportant? Absolute joke
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Jack, I can understand your point, but the 13 year olds leg isn't going to quickly worsen. Whereas, someone having a heart attack, or a stroke, would be time critical! I'm sure opayin meant by 'unimportant' that they are not as important as someone who is in limbo between life and death.
 
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