Trauma of woman’s 3-hour wait in mud for a 999 crew
A PENSIONER who broke her ankle lies on the muddy ground kept dry by a friend’s umbrella as she waits hours for an ambulance.
The 65-year-old slipped while out walking and pals called 999 when they discovered her on her back.
According to witnesses she was left in the cold and the rain for three hours before paramedics arrived.
During the wait the frail woman, who asked not to be named, was sheltered from the rain by a fellow walker who put a brolly over her.
She fell while out with The Downs Walking For Health Group in Bristol.
Hypothermia
Jill Ford, who was at the scene at the time, said she rang the emergency services at least three times.
She said: “The lady slipped in the mud and it looked like she had broken her ankle.
“She was lying on the ground in a lot of pain and there was still no ambulance.
“She was in danger of getting hypothermia.
“It was wet and cold and she was in a very vulnerable position. She was shaking and we were trying to keep her warm.”
Jill added: “It was like being stranded on a mountain – it was as bad as that.
“It was cold, wet and was starting to get dark in the woodlands and we had no idea how much longer it was going to be.”
The group was walking in the woodland behind the Peregrine Watch on Clifton Down when the woman slipped late on Monday morning.
A spokesman for South Western Ambulance Service said: “We received a 999 call at about 11.40 informing us that a female patient had fallen and sustained an ankle injury.
“A paramedic arrived on scene at 14.32 and treated the patient who has been taken to Southmead Hospital in Bristol for further treatment.
“We only have a finite number of resources available to respond to the ongoing rise in demand for our service and we must prioritise those in a life-threatening, time-critical emergency situation.”
He added: “The trust is handling almost 500 more incidents every day than it was five years ago.”