Six-hour wait for ambulance (From Free Press Series)

Six-hour wait for ambulance

9:53am Thursday 9th July 2009

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SALLY Evans endured a night of excruciating pain after shattering her leg in a fall – because an ambulance did not come for six-and-a-half hours.

The 46 year-old, from Portskewett suffered compound fractures to her tibia and fibula bones in her lower left leg after slipping from decking in the family garden.

Her husband Dave, who branded the service "pathetic and ridiculous", called for an ambulance at around 1.15am on Sunday, July 5. But his wife was destined to spend the small hours in agony, broken bone pushing against her skin, because despite three more calls, no-one arrived until around 7.30am.

Even then, Mrs Evans was denied much-needed morphine because the ambulance crew did not have the correct key to unlock the container it was kept in.

Mrs Evans, who works at Severn View residential home, Caldicot, needed surgery to repair the extensive damage, including the fitting of a titanium plate. Her experience left the couple shocked and angry.

"It's pathetic, ridiculous," said Mr Evans, a tanker driver.

"She'd been to a barbecue and we had family here, so when she came home she was out chatting to them and she slipped off the decking," he said.

"I didn't think she was badly hurt at first and told her to get up. But I had to carry her into the house and lie her on the floor. We could see bone pushing the skin up.

"I rang four times through the night and they rang about 4.35am to say an ambulance would be here.

"They said it was a busy night but you don't expect to have to wait that long. It felt like the longest night we've ever had."

A Welsh Ambulance Services NHS Trust spokesperson said: “We apologise for the delay in this case, due to a period of high demand during Sunday morning. We are unable to comment on individual cases but if the family wish to contact us we would be happy to discuss the case with them.”

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