An 97-year-old woman who suffered a suspected stroke had to wait nearly two hours for an ambulance to take her just FOUR miles.
Charlotte Bunce was left to wait for one hour and 40 minutes for an ambulance which had to travel more than 50 miles to respond to her 999 call.
The OAP’s family slammed the treatment as “disgusting” branding it the beginning of the end for the health service.
Poorly Mrs Bunce was taken ill at Honister Care Home, Hatfield, Herts., on Wednesday afternoon and at 2.54pm carers called for an ambulance.
Doctors and carers looked after the unwell OAP but it was not until roughly 4.40pm when an ambulance arrived from Southend-on-sea, Essex to take her to hospital.
Granddaughter-in-Law Diane Lobar yesterday said her outrage follows reports paramedics are under more pressure and there are not enough ambulances in the region.
She said: “I think it is disgusting. It is the beginning of the end and no-one seems to give a stuff.
“No matter who we have petitioned in Welwyn Hatfield, our thoughts have not been taken into account.”
The delay also follows a rota change which has seen ambulance on-call hours cut at the QE2 Hospital.
Daine added said: “I don’t think this service is good enough, I don’t think the QE2 A&E opening hours are good enough, I have had personal experiences of that for my mother.”
Gary Sanderson, spokesman for the East of England Ambulance Service Trust, said: “The Trust recognises a delay in our response and we apologise for this.
“We always endeavour to reach our patients within the required time frame but on occasions this cannot be achievable due to a high demand in potentially life threatening calls such as heart attacks, strokes and unconsciousness.”
