COMPLAINTS IN AGAINST STAFF
landed awkwardly, and thought he had badly damaged his hip.
One of his work colleagues at Cardiff Bus dialled 999. A call handler from the Welsh Ambulance Service allegedly instructed him not to move until paramedics arrived.
But Mr Addis said an ambulance failed to turn up for more than six hours, forcing him to stay on a “freezing” cold pavement from 12.50pm to 7pm.
He was eventually taken to UHW in a taxi.
“I was walking past the Probation Office and the next thing I know I’m lying on the floor,” said Mr Addis, who lives in Rhydyfelin, near Pontypridd.
“I’d tripped over the pavement and landed badly. I’ve already had two knee replacements and two hip replacements so I immediately thought I’d damaged my hip.”
Grandfather-of-five Mr Addis said OK to be lifted off the ground I was put into a taxi and taken to hospital.
“I know there’s a tremendous amount of pressure on the ambuA YELLOW weather warning lance service but what I went through for snow and ice has been was disgusting.” issued for Wales.
After being assessed by medics at The Met Office has foreUHW it was discovered Mr Addis had cast a spell of rain, sleet and suffered ligament damage to his snow to move east across the shoulder. UK on Monday night and
His wife Diane, 74, said she made Tuesday. an official complaint to the Welsh The warning covers a large Ambulance Service. part of North Wales and is in
She said: “How can someone be left place from 9pm on Monday lying outside in the cold for that until 3pm on Tuesday. amount of time? Some roads and railways
“I left my complaint with the Welsh may be affected, with longer Ambulance Service the day after it journey times possible by happened and I was told somebody road, bus and train services. would get in touch within 48 hours – Away from the coast but they didn’t.” around 1-3cm of snow is
In response to Mr and Mrs Addis’ possible, with up to 5cm on concerns, Judith White, the Welsh ground above 200m. Ambulance Service’s area manager Although the warning is for south east Wales, said: “We would not in place until the start of like to sincerely apologise to Mr Addis the week, conditions across for the wait he experienced, as we Wales are set to be cold and completely appreciate how distresscloudy for the end of the ing this would have been for him. weekend.
“We can confirm that we have Today will be a brighter received Mrs Addis’ concerns and day for most, with sunny would like to reassure them both that spells, but still feeling cold. we will remain in contact as we examSome rain or sleet or hill ine in detail why this happened. snow is possible, although it
“The wait Mr Addis encountered will be brief and unlikely to does not represent the standard of settle. service we aim to provide for our Temperatures in Cardiff patients and we send him our best are set to drop below freezwishes for his recovery while we carry ing at the start of the week. out our inquiries.” The Met Office forecast the
In response to the complaints figcapital will wake to -1°C on ures disclosed, following the FreeTuesday morning, with temdom of Information request, Claire peratures hovering around Bevan, the Welsh Ambulance Service the freezing point on a director of quality, safety and patient cloudy Monday. experience, said: “While it’s naturally Swansea is set to see sunny concerning when anyone is unhappy skies on Monday, with temwith our services, we actively encourperatures staying at around age patients to give feedback so that 4°C for much of the day. we can learn from them and improve Despite sunny conditions, their experience of the care we proresidents will wake to a vide. “feels-like” temperature of
“Our staff and volunteers are comaround -3°C on Monday mitted to providing the best possible morning. a number of good Samaritans came with me by 7pm. They were all brilstandards of care in order to deliver a Sleet showers are likely in to his aid. liant, to be fair. first-class service. the area on Tuesday from
“All the boys [from Cardiff Bus] “There were two city ambassadors “It’s important to note that the around midday, with temgave me their jackets but as I was told who went to two hotels and got number of concerns and adverse peratures staying at around not to move I didn’t have anything on duvets C.2° and blankets for me. incidents raised is equivalent to less my back. It was freezing,” he added. “And there were PSCOs from South than 1% of the more than 2.2 million Merthyr Tydfil could see
“There was one bus driver who finWales Police who stayed with me and emergency calls we received in the light snow showers on Tuesished his shift at 2.30pm and was still even called the ambulance themlast five years. day, with the Met Office preselves. They couldn’t believe how “During the same period we also dicting a 60% chance of long it was taking.” received 3,074 compliments from showers.
Mr Addis said several people called patients who were grateful for the Monday is forecast to be a the ambulance control room in Cwmoutstanding care they were given by brighter day but the “feelsbran for an update. our hard-working teams both out on like” temperature will drop
“One minute I was second, then I the road and in our clinical contact to around -5°C at 9am. was sixth, and then I was first. They centres. Conditions are forecast to just kept on moving me up and down “The trust investigates all concerns be similar in Carmarthen for the list,” he said. brought to our attention thoroughly, Monday and Tuesday, with
Cardiff Bus were in the process of and we’ve made significant improvelight snow showers also presending one of their spare buses to ments to develop a robust system for dicted for Tuesday at around pick him up and take him to hospital patients to raise concerns or give 9am. when a paramedic on a bicycle compliments. Caerphilly is likely to be showed up. “We will continue to engage with spared much of the severe
“They initially thought I’d broken the people of Wales and work in partweather, with temperatures my shoulder,” he said. nership to help shape and further staying above freezing for
“Once they’d established that I was improve the services we provide.” Monday and Tuesday.