transmanche
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I'm not sure that a Dublin hospital's policy is relevant here.
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Man rescued from coal train
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Probably the main reason that Search and Rescue assets are not charged for in the UK is that charging leads to people delaying the call or help. This puts them and, more importantly, the rescuers at more risk.
A case in point is the loss of the Union Star in 1981. She could have been saved if a Mayday had been called earlier, but that would have meant that she was a valid object for Salvage, which costs money. In fact a tow from a Salvage Tug was offered and refused, until it was to late. A further factor was that the Master had his wife and two daughters on board, without permission, which would have to come out in a rescue situation. The late Mayday meant she was almost on the rocks before the lifeboat 'Solomon Brown' was able to get to her. The result was the loss of all 8 souls on board the Union Star and the 8 members of the lifeboat crew.
This resulted in a change in the law, these days the Coastguard can declare a Mayday on your behalf, whether you like it or not.
Not exactly a clear cut case, but as clear as you will see when actual SAR, rather than Salvage, is free.
This is why the RNLI never claims Salvage, which in many cases they could do so in law.
Separately, a charge would also discourage people from reporting possible people in distress, even if the rules protected them. The SAR organisations would much rather have a false alarm than a death on their hands.
This is a matter close to my heart as when I had an accident at College way back in 1980's, the talk of Hospitals charging for road accident casualties confused the issue for staff so much that leaving the Halls of Residence was delayed whilst they argued. I was finally taken to hospital in a member of staffs car. I do wonder if proper stabilisation of the wound by paramedics before departure would have saved more of the functionality of my hand.
As it is I am eternally grateful to the Medical Student who put himself at legal risk to deal with my injuries whilst the staff were content to leave me to bleed whilst they bickered. He did his best and is probably the reason I have as much of a working left hand as I do, and he was definitely the reason I got to hospital before I passed out from loss of blood.
A case in point is the loss of the Union Star in 1981. She could have been saved if a Mayday had been called earlier, but that would have meant that she was a valid object for Salvage, which costs money. In fact a tow from a Salvage Tug was offered and refused, until it was to late. A further factor was that the Master had his wife and two daughters on board, without permission, which would have to come out in a rescue situation. The late Mayday meant she was almost on the rocks before the lifeboat 'Solomon Brown' was able to get to her. The result was the loss of all 8 souls on board the Union Star and the 8 members of the lifeboat crew.
This resulted in a change in the law, these days the Coastguard can declare a Mayday on your behalf, whether you like it or not.
Not exactly a clear cut case, but as clear as you will see when actual SAR, rather than Salvage, is free.
This is why the RNLI never claims Salvage, which in many cases they could do so in law.
Separately, a charge would also discourage people from reporting possible people in distress, even if the rules protected them. The SAR organisations would much rather have a false alarm than a death on their hands.
This is a matter close to my heart as when I had an accident at College way back in 1980's, the talk of Hospitals charging for road accident casualties confused the issue for staff so much that leaving the Halls of Residence was delayed whilst they argued. I was finally taken to hospital in a member of staffs car. I do wonder if proper stabilisation of the wound by paramedics before departure would have saved more of the functionality of my hand.
As it is I am eternally grateful to the Medical Student who put himself at legal risk to deal with my injuries whilst the staff were content to leave me to bleed whilst they bickered. He did his best and is probably the reason I have as much of a working left hand as I do, and he was definitely the reason I got to hospital before I passed out from loss of blood.
transmanche
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Yeah, I linked to that in post #28.
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