Woman's anger over ambulance wait

An elderly woman's complaint that she waited two hours for an ambulance after a fall at home is being investigated.

Sheila Ashley, from Bishops Cleeve near Cheltenham, raised the alarm using an automatic alert system last Friday.

She said the operator had to request a paramedic twice and then a second had to be called to help lift her.

A statement from the Great Western Ambulance Service said: "We have been contacted by Sheila. A complaints investigation is underway."

'Upset and frustrated'

Mrs Ashley, who is in her 80s, said she was lying on the floor for an hour with a blanket over her, when her husband had to press the panic button again.

She said the operator seemed surprised the ambulance had not arrived and made a second 999 request.

But a further hour later when the paramedic finally arrived, there was a another 45 minute wait for a second medic to help lift her, she said.

"I was upset and frustrated and I kept saying to my husband 'where are they?'" said Mrs Ashley.

"When something like that happens, you are in shock.

"We're all elderly around here and there are lot of people here who are older than I am and live on their own. What would have happened to them? They could have died of shock."