Left lying in a freezing street in agony... OAP’s 3hr wait for ambulance
Wife of casualty, 71, had to ring overstretched paramedics 12 times
A FRAIL pensioner who broke his ankle was forced to huddle under wet blankets on the icy ground for more than three hours waiting for an ambulance.
Michael Wilczynski was injured after slipping on ice outside his home in Edinburgh while on his way to check on a neighbour.
The 71-year-old was left lying in agony on the pavement in the pouring rain for hours before paramedics arrived to treat him.
The pensioner’s wife Patricia, 72, desperately called paramedics for help 12 times after being told not to move him.
Kind-hearted neighbours tried to keep the retired civil servant warm by bringing out blankets, umbrellas and hot water bottles, but he was left with no pain relief until the ambulance finally arrived.
A tarpaulin sheet and hot drinks were also brought out to Mr Wilczynski as temperatures dropped as low as 3C (37F).
Ambulance chiefs said the delay stemmed from having to prioritise ‘the sickest’ and ‘most seriously injured’ cases during a busy time.
But the pensioner’s daughter, Sara Wilczynska, 34, who drove from work to be by her father’s side, described the incident on Thursday as ‘a disgrace’.
She said: ‘It is absolutely shocking. He could have caught hypothermia or anything.
‘It is a terrible way to treat anyone, let alone someone who is in their seventies.’
Mr Wilczynski had initially been spotted on the ground in the city’s Carrick Knowe area by neighbours, who quickly alerted emergency services to his condition.
One resident on the street, who asked not to be named, said she was ‘hugely concerned’ about leaving Mr Wilczynski outside in the ‘baltic’ temperatures.
She added: ‘We were getting conflicting advice from the people at the emergency services, at NHS 24 and the local medical centre.’
Mr Wilczynski was eventually transported to Edinburgh Royal Infirmary – more than three hours after his fall – where he was confirmed to have a badly broken ankle.
Margaret Watt, chairman of the Scotland Patients Association, said the incident showed the ambulance service is being ‘stretched to the limit’.
She added: ‘Emergency services are constantly under pressure, particularly at this time of year when the weather makes going outdoors more dangerous.
‘Ambulance crews have to stay with patients in the accident and emergency department until they are signed over to staff, but all this does is take crews off the road. There is an added risk of a vulnerable pensioner being exposed to cold temperatures and possibly contracting an infection he could then take in to the hospital, causing further problems.’
The Scottish Ambulance Service yesterday issued an apology to Mr Wilczynski and his family.
A spokesman said: ‘The service was experiencing an exceptionally high, out of the ordinary level of demand in Edinburgh and across Scotland on Thursday and we would like to apologise for the lengthy delay.’
‘A terrible way to treat anyone’