Woman, 71, waits two hours for ambulance after being told none available
West Midlands Ambulance service have issued an apology after a woman was left waiting two hours for an ambulance.
The 71-year-old woman was left needing medical attention after falling over outside B&M on Bilston Road in Wolverhampton at around 2.15pm on Thursday, July 8.
An ambulance was called by shopper Lynne Suman, who said she had been told no ambulances were available at the time.
She said: "I rang the ambulance service to get one out to her as she's 71 and frail and they told me none were available and they would prioritise one as soon as one was free.
"We were still waiting an hour and a half later for them to come and I had to go to let her relatives know she was waiting for one, which can't be right."
A spokeswoman for West Midlands Ambulance said: "We received a 999 call at 2.15pm today to reports of a patient who had fallen on Bilston Road, Wolverhampton.
"Unfortunately, an ambulance did not arrive until 4.15pm, for which we are very sorry.
"The service is currently experiencing exceptionally high demand across the Region and therefore patients are experiencing waits longer that we would normally expect.
"The demand we’re facing is due to a combination of factors such as 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.
"Our staff are working tirelessly and we always try to reach patients as quickly as possible, however calls are prioritised to ensure that we reach the most seriously ill or injured patients first."
