‘Why was OAP left lying on a town centre street for over three hours?’
Fury at how long it took ambulance to arrive
A LEADING councillor has called for all the facts on ambulance cover in Leek after an elderly woman was left lying on a busy road last Friday afternoon.
The lady fell on the edge of the pavement in Haywood Street, near the pedestrian crossing. Several members of the public came to her aid by calling the ambulance service and trying to keep her warm.
However, an ambulance took more than three hours to arrive at the scene. The first call was made at 12.44pm, and an ambulance finally turned up at 3.54pm.
One witness, who does not want to be named, but who rang the emergency services for a second time after no ambulance turned up, said: “When I arrived in Haywood Street the lady was lying on the edge of the road.
“I understand she had tripped on the pavement, but no-one could lift her away from the roadside in case something was broken.
“PCSOS were guarding her from the traffic. I think someone had already dialled 999, but after a while no ambulance came so I rang them.
“I was told they had to prioritise incidents, and that this call was low down.
“I find the whole episode disgusting as this woman was lying on a cold pavement a very long time waiting for medical assistance.”
West Midlands Ambulance Service said on three occasions they had ambulances en route to the patient, but they were all diverted to calls where the patient was more critically ill or injured.
Now, following the incident, county and district councillor Charlotte Atkins said she was appalled by the lack of ambulance cover in the town. She said: “I am appalled that an elderly lady had to wait so long for medical attention.
“She was left lying on the cold ground on the edge of the road, vulnerable to passing vehicles.
“All the assurances from the West Midlands Ambulance Service about an improved service when the Rapid Response Vehicle was withdrawn have come to nothing. There was no fully staffed ambulance quickly on its way to the scene ready to take this lady to hospital.
“This accident occurred in the middle of Leek, not some remote location which was difficult to access.
“Why were there no First Responders on the scene? Were they not notified? “Onlookers were told when they contacted the ambulance service that it was a matter of priorities. This lady’s life was not deemed to be at risk.
“Has it now come to the point where an ambulance will only respond quickly if the patient is in imminent danger of death?
“We need to know why no ambulance was available. How many ambulances were in the area that Friday afternoon?
“Has the service suffered such funding cutbacks that Leek is not now a priority for ambulance cover? Are all ambulances now just directed to large urban areas? We have a right to know the facts.”
Leek Health Campaign Group also raised concerns over ambulance cover in Leek and across the Moorlands.
Chairman of the group, Pam Wood, said: “News of yet another accident victim laying injured on the roadside in Leek town centre, waiting hours for an ambulance, is an outrage. An elderly person in obvious pain and discomfort laying only inches from passing traffic.
“No-one – our ambulance service, our health service commissioners nor our elected leaders – could possibly suggest that this is acceptable.
“This lack of an ambulance service to serve the 100,000 population in the Moorlands cannot continue – the situation requires an urgent response from the responsible authorities.
“Leek Health Campaign Group calls on all parties to take rapid action to bring back our ambulance service.
“The public needs to hear immediately that these bodies are committed to reinstating this crucial public service.”
West Midlands Ambulance Service emergency services operations delivery director, Nathan Hudson, said: “I would like to apologise to the patient and her family for taking so long to get to her. We always try and get to every patient as quickly as we can, but on this occasion it took much longer than we would have hoped.
“On three occasions we had ambulances en route to the patient, but they were all diverted to calls where the patient was more critically ill or injured. WMAS said the background to the delay was:
■ Demand at the time was 27 per cent higher than the same day last year;
■ The performance standards ask for a response to 90 per cent of Category 3 patients within two hours, but accepts that for that further 10 per cent it may take longer than that;
■ A community first responder in the area was dealing with a Category 2 patient at the time;
■ Since last year, CFRS are sent to Category 1 and 2 calls only as these are the calls where they can make the biggest difference to patients;
■ The Trust did receive two further calls from the scene, but on each occasion, was told that the patient’s condition had not changed.
This lack of an ambulance service to serve the population in the Moorlands cannot continue
Pam Wood