'I was exhausted and worried': Injured pensioner who faced six-hour wait for ambulance and another three hours to get into A&E

It comes as health bosses have warned of huge rises in demand, with West Midlands Ambulance Service experiencing its second busiest day on record last week.

Dr William Edmondson was hurrying up some steps earlier this month when he missed his footing and fell, hitting his head heavily against a brick wall.

The 75-year-old, who lives near Westbury, suffered a deep cut above his left eye, with significant bleeding.

His wife Linda was told he needed an ambulance after calling 999, but it took more than six hours for one to arrive.

William was taken to Royal Shrewsbury Hospital and says he faced another three-hour wait inside the ambulance when he arrived as the A&E department was so busy.

After a further hour-long wait on a trolley, he was given a head scan and then eight stitches before travelling home in a taxi.

William, who has praised staff for the care he received, says his biggest worry was that he takes medication for a heart condition that leaves him at significant risk of a bleed on the brain after any head trauma.

"All the care I got was amazing. I’m so grateful for the NHS," said the retired academic.

"The paramedics were kind and funny, and they found me some food once I made it into A&E.

"I was also aware they were watching me closely to make sure there were no signs of a brain bleed.

"And when I finally got medical attention, it couldn’t be faulted. But when I was examined by the doctor, and he asked when it had happened, he was shocked when I looked at the clock and said, '13 hours ago'.

"He knew and I knew that this wasn’t good enough."

He said he chatted to staff about what might be causing the delays.

"When I finally made it into the A&E corridor, the system was that one ambulance crew would care for the patients brought by three ambulances – to release two ambulances back onto the road," William said.

"All the staff are doing their best to juggle inadequate resources, and everyone I saw was fantastic.

"But the hospital doesn’t seem to have enough beds to admit patients who need care, and then the A&E gets full to capacity, and the ambulances stack up outside, and patients wait hours for an ambulance to get to them. It all grinds to a halt.

"And I was also told how much pressure GPs are under. I suppose they’re dealing with so much unmet need as Covid rates reduce, and they’re running Covid vaccination clinics as well.

"I needed hospital care, but there will be some patients who go to A&E because there isn’t capacity for GPs to see them locally.

"I’ve got mixed views now. The ambulance crew were wonderful.

"My care in A&E was good. But I was exhausted and worried when I didn’t need to be. If we want an NHS that works, we have to have enough funding to make sure the NHS is there for us when we need it. I’m scared for the future.”

Gill George, chair of Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin Defend Our NHS, said she had been made aware of what happened to William.

She said: "I’m glad William’s OK – but those long waits for an ambulance and for treatment quite possibly put him at risk. Similar delays will be putting other patients at risk. We’ve got two big problems ahead that are going to make things even worse.

"One is Future Fit. It’s always been about fewer beds, fewer doctors, and fewer nurses. It’s a cuts project.

"And the other problem is that NHS England has told the local NHS to make deep cuts – three per cent a year cuts, each and every year, from 2022/23 right through to 2025/26. That’s catastrophic. It just can’t be done safely."

Health bosses say the Future Fit hospitals shake-up, which will separate emergency and planned care in the county, will deliver safer care and better outcomes for patients, reduce cancellations of planned care and the amount of time people stay in hospital.

Nathan Hudson, emergency services operations delivery director at West Midlands Ambulance Service, said: “I would like to apologise for the length of time it took to get to Dr Edmondson, we accept that nobody should have to wait six hours for an ambulance to arrive.

“As a service we’ve been under extensive and sustained pressure across our 999 and 111 service for several weeks now. The demand we’re facing is due to a combination of factors; the returning of normality post-lockdown with many people out and about enjoying more freedom; hospital pressures means a knock-on effect on our ability to handover patients quickly in A&E; and the warmer weather is exacerbating many medical conditions.

“Whilst it is challenging, we continue to do everything possible to provide the very best level of patient care possible to patients across the West Midlands. Our staff and volunteers, from every single corner of the service, are working tirelessly, responding to case after case to reach patients as quickly as possible.”

WMAS says at the time of the call, demand for ambulances in Shropshire was 80 per cent higher than forecast.

During the first two weeks in June, call numbers rose by 30.2 per cent compared to the same period in 2019, and the service experienced its second busiest day on record on June 14.

Nigel Lee, chief operating officer at The Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust, said: “Our current A&E attendance is above the numbers we were seeing before Covid-19 which, combined with precautionary measures in place for the safety of our patients and staff, is challenging.

"We aim to admit, transfer or discharge patients within four hours of arriving at A&E.

“We would urge anyone who needs urgent, but not emergency care, to contact NHS 111 in the first instance, and they can direct you to the most appropriate service.

"Pharmacies can help with things like headaches and diarrhoea, and minor injuries units are available for things like fractures that require plastering only and minor burns and scalds.

“We understand that patients waiting in ambulances is less than ideal and we continue to work with West Midlands Ambulance Service and other partners to address this issue.”