I found a entry in my livejournal from a while back which is an example of a call with a long delay before dispatch (address details changed for patient confidentiality wotnots, obviously): One of my pet hates has always been people who live in England but can't speak English. One step worse than this are people who live in England, can't speak English, but refuse to admit it. Like the man who rang me last night. In fact, this guy didn't even seem to speak his native language very well... Me: Nee Naw Service, what is the address of the emergency? Him: Chest pain! Uuurgh!! Argh! Me: No, no, the address first, please! Him: Chest pain! Uuurgh!! Argh! Repeat the last few lines five hundred times. Me: WHERE DO YOU LIVE? Him: (in extremely thick accent) 7, Rosevalley Road. Chest pain! Uuurgh!! Argh! Me: Rosevalley Road in which area?? Him: Chest pain! Uuurgh!! Argh! Me: Okay, that's it. I am getting the interpreter. Which language do you speak? Him: Engleeeesh! Eventually I establish the man speaks Punjabi. I call the Punjabi interpreter and tell the man to hold the line and not hang up. He hangs up. I put the Punjabi interpreter on hold and ring him back. The Punjabi interpreter talks to him in Punjabi. He answers her in English. Me: (via interpreter) First of all, there's no Rosevalley Road in London... could you spell the name of the road? Him: I cannot spell it! Rosevalley Road! Me: And which area is it in? Him: By Tescos! By Queen Pub! Me: We cover the whole of London. What is the name of the area? Or the postcode? Him: I do not know postcode. I do not know name. ROSEVALLEY ROAD!!! Me: You need to spell it or tell me which area it is in. If you can't, find a neighbour or someone who does. Or call me from your landline and we will trace the call. Him: Okay, you not help me. I die! *click* So I ask the operator to trace the call (if he had called from a landline or an Orange or Vodaphone mobile, this would be done automatically) and we establish that he is somewhere in Bromley, Kent. Then I call the police, who have better software for finding addresses and try to find an address in Hayes that sounds like Rosevalley or Roseberry or Rosemary Road. Eventually the police stumble across Roseville Road, Bromley. The man obviously doesn't even know how to pronounce the name of his road, let alone spell it. Anyway, the man got an ambulance, which was dispatched a good fifteen minutes after the start of the call. I hope he wasn't having a heart attack!