I sympathise a little with the father (as everyone else has said, the real villians of the piece are the reporters, and the system is at fault too) but the fact still remains that ambulances are there to deal with medical emergencies, not financial ones. I do find it hard to believe the family couldn't find £10 for a taxi -- they could take it out of food or bill money and repay it at a later date, surely? -- but you obviously have more experience than me in that sphere. I know I was living on £8k a year when I was at university and I never reached a stage where I wouldn't have been able to find £10 in an emergency. Anyway, the fact remains that you wouldn't call an ambulance to take you to Tescos to do your food shopping, and neither should you call an ambulance for a broken toe. "I can't afford a cab" is *never* a good reason to call an ambulance.