OAP’S threehour wait for ambulance

SERVICES: OAP was suspected to have broken her leg but other incidents were prioritised

An elderly bowler had to wait more than three hours for an ambulance after breaking her leg in Arbroath.

The woman was playing at the Arbroath and District Indoor Bowling Club when she fell on to the rink at around 1.50pm yesterday.

Staff were told ongoing incidents meant no ambulances were available.

Club manager Jim Burnett said: “It’s a bit ridiculous but if there are major incidents on the go, what can you do?”

An elderly woman with a suspected broken leg was left waiting for an ambulance for more than three hours last night.

The woman was playing at Arbroath Indoor Bowling Club when she fell on to the rink just before 2pm.

Other bowlers dialled 999 immediately but she was forced to wait while lying on the ground for more than three hours for paramedics to arrive.

The Scottish Ambulance Service phoned the club back around 3.30pm to say the ambulance would be arriving within half an hour but did not arrive at the Cairnie Road venue until after 5pm.

One bowler who saw the incident, who did not want to be named, said: “This woman fell on to the rink and we think she maybe has a broken leg.

“We phoned the ambulance about 1.50 or 1.55pm but they were still not here at 4.30pm.

“There were folk who work here with her and her pal but it is shocking it is taking so long for an ambulance.

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It’s a bit ridiculous but if there are major incidents on the go, what can you do? CLUB MANAGER JIM BURNETT

“She is conscious but what wasn’t?”

Club manager Jim Burnett was one of those looking after the woman after her fall.

Speaking before the woman was taken to hospital, he said: “The incident is not life-threatening but the lady has fallen on the floor and we are not allowed to move her.

“The ambulance service phoned and said there were two major incidents on the go so there is not a lot they can do until one is free.

“She is comfortable but the biggest problem is she is lying on the floor and there’s about 80 people in the stadium.

“It’s a bit ridiculous but if there are major incidents, what can you do?”

An ambulance finally arrived after 5pm, ending the stricken woman’s ordeal.

In February last year, a Perthshire woman had to wait over two hours for an ambulance after falling unconscious in the Loch Tay area.

The woman collapsed with a blood pressure reading of 65/50 but it took two hours and 14 minutes for an ambulance to reach her.

The Scottish Ambulance Service prioritises life-threatening incidents and paramedics aim to reach such emergency calls within eight minutes.

The Scottish Ambulance Service was asked to comment. if she