Grandmother in four hour wait for ambulance-claim -
Pensioner’s family claims she was left sitting outside on a garden chair after alleged robbery
A GRANDMOTHER claims to have waited more than four hours for an ambulance after she sustained injuries when she was allegedly robbed outside her home.
Rita Kerslake, 79, was walking home from a skittles evening at her local Hibernian Club in Mountain Ash on July 18 when the incident is reported to have happened at around 10.15pm.
South Wales Police said a man has been charged with robbery in connection with the incident.
The pensioner’s son Steve Kerslake said the ambulance response was “not good enough”.
Mr Kerslake said an ambulance was called at 10.35pm that night but didn’t arrive until 2.50am.
He said: “Luckily, my mother’s neighbours went to her assistance and were able to lift her off the floor onto a garden chair to give her temporary respite.
“My mother was left sitting outside for over four hours, despite numerous requests by the police officers at the scene for their attendance.
“It was found when the ambulance did arrive that my mother had an erratic heart beat.
“This occurred in the middle of Mountain Ash not in a rural community miles from anywhere.”
Mrs Kerslake was then taken to Prince Charles Hospital in Merthyr Tydfil and Mr Kerslake said his mother has since praised the “high quality of care” she has received there, as well as by the attending ambulance crew.
A Welsh Ambulance Service spokeswoman said: “We are really sorry to hear of Mrs Kerslake’s experience as a result of this incident and we appreciate that this must have been a worrying time for all involved.
“We can confirm that we are already looking into the circumstances to better understand their concerns.
“It would be inappropriate to comment further while our investigations are under way, except to say we hope that Mrs Kerslake is making a good recovery and we send best wishes to her and her family.”
Leon Jones, 31, of Duffryn Street, Mountain Ash, has been charged with robbery and remanded in custody until August 17 when he will appear at Merthyr Tydfil Crown Court.