Dear Sir,
This week one of our elderly ladies accidently tripped and fell on the way to our regular Tuesday Club meeting. She fell onto the hard ground and several members went to her assistance. She was laid out on the hard cold ground/ grass for over an hour. An ambulance was called immediately as she was in great pain from her ankle and leg. Everything was explained to the other end of the phone person. especially saying the person was in agony. When the ambulance didn’t turn up I rang 999 again to be told that the ambulance had been diverted to another call, but the service would send another ambulance when one became free. The lady’s health was deteriorating rapidly, agitated with pain.
I phoned 999 again and explained the pain and how cold of elderly lady was only to be asked all the questions again. The operator said their service was stretched to their limit as she had told us twice before, but she would send an ambulance. An ambulance arrived 10 minutess later. The crew were excellent giving the lady all the treatment they could before putting her into the ambulance and taking her to hospital where after a wait again she was admitted to hospital. Her leg was broken in three places and her ankle also broken. This lady uses a top of the range walker and has been using it to come to the club and any time she goes out. We had transport to take her to hospital, but because of the apparent seriousness of her injuries which could have also involved her hip we had no alternative but to cover her up and keep her as warm as possible in the bad weather and wait.
We do appreciate there may be other emergencies and the ambulance department is fully stretched, but it is up to the people that fund these services to make sure the Ambulance Service functions properly for the good of all. I would like to thank the nurse who sat and monitored the lady, also Pauline and Bernadette who accompanied her to hospital and stayed with her until her family arrived.
Dorothy Bowman New Friends New Places club
