'Abysmal' service keeps Shrewsbury woman waiting an hour for ambulance

The elderly woman, who suffered a suspected fractured hip when she fell on Bank Farm Road, in Radbrook, Shrewsbury, waited up to 65 minutes for an ambulance to arrive, despite the town's new £1.2 million ambulance station hub being just half a mile from the scene.

Passers-by raced to her aid of the woman, who was out with her daughter, on Sunday afternoon and used a number of umbrellas to shelter her from the heavy rain until emergency services arrived.

A community first responder and paramedic treated her before an ambulance became available and morphine was given to the pensioner, who has not been named.

Ambulance bosses said although the woman was treated at the scene, the delay over the ambulance was "unacceptable".

And they warned that due to stretched resources, this incident was unlikely to be a one-off.

Paul Wilcox, of Belle Vue, said: "We were driving past after being out walking the dogs when we saw this lady with another lady on the floor so my partner got out while I parked up and came back round.

"A neighbour passed us a garden chair over his fence and we managed to get her sitting in that and then I called for an ambulance using the daughter's phone.

"After 20 minutes there was still nothing, so I rang again and the call centre operator said it was a busy period for them – but this was 1pm on a Sunday.

"We were stood around this poor woman in torrential rain trying to keep her warm – she was clearly distressed – and yet I think it was an hour and five minutes before the ambulance finally arrived, which is outrageous."

Mr Wilcox, who has written to Shrewsbury & Atcham MP Daniel Kawczynski about the matter, said the woman was in a "confused state" and "cold and in pain" as she waited for the emergency services to arrive.

The 45-year-old added: "I feel it needs to be flagged up so people realise just how abysmal this service has become – the ambulance staff were great but it's the system that is wrong and they are clearly working in very trying conditions."

West Midlands Ambulance Service (WMAS) said they would "welcome the opportunity" to talk to the patient and her family about the delay and urged them to call the "patient experience team" on (01384) 246370.

In August last year WMAS announced regional £9.8 million "Make Ready"proposals which were expected to generate £2 million in "staff efficiency" savings. A further £1.13 million was due to be saved by selling off ambulance stations in Shrewsbury, Oswestry, Craven Arms and Whitchurch.

As part of the reorganisation, two 24-hour vehicle and ambulance preparation depots, or "hubs", were created in Shropshire – in Shrewsbury and Donnington. At the same time paramedics respond from a number of Community Ambulance Stations which replaced district stations.

WMAS said the change would make significant improvements in terms of cost savings and in other areas, including equip- ment and vehicle management. But in July, Shropshire Clinical Commissioning Group bosses admitted ambulance response times across the county were "still not good enough" and said national targets were not achievable with current levels of funding.

A report in June said only 71.8 per cent of WMAS patients received care from the ambulance service within the eight minute target set by the Government, while 94.5 per cent received care within 19 minutes.

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