One hour 40 minute wait for ambulance

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AN injured motorcyclist was left for nearly an hour and three quarters waiting for an ambulance, according to Warrington North MP Helen Jones.
Eventually the police had to commandeer a council mini-bus to take him to hospital.
The MP highlighted the incident – which occurred prior to Christmas – during an exchange with Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt in the House of Commons.
Ms Jones (pictured) said: “ Prior to Christmas, a motorcyclist in my constituency with serious leg injuries was left lying on the ground in the rain for an hour and 40 minutes waiting for an ambulance.
“Local people had to bring out blankets and hot water bottles to try to
keep him warm, but because no ambulance arrived, the police had to commandeer a council minibus to take him to hospital.
“Is the Secretary of State ashamed to stand at the Dispatch Box and tell the House that the NHS is not in crisis, when that is what is happening on the ground?”
The MP’s question followed an earlier one which drew attention to the fact that the ambulance service in Wales meets target response times 60 per cent of the time, while in England it manages 75 per cent.
Mr Hunt told her: “This is what I think is so shocking: Labour members are not actually interested in what is happening to avoid precisely the kind of things that the Hon Lady mentioned.
“We are putting £4.6 million of extra support into the North West ambulance service this winter, and that money is being used to employ more paramedics, to train people so that they can see and treat patients on the spot, and to help more people on the phone so that they do not need an ambulance.
“The Hon Lady should perhaps have listened to the earlier question, because where Labour is running the ambulance services, results are even worse.”
Afterwards, Ms Jones said: “It is clear that ministers are extraordinarily complacent about this issue. Our over stretched paramedics are simply not able to cope. We need more staff and more ambulances. Injured people should not be left to the kindness of strangers and our
overstretched police force. “


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Experienced journalist for more than 40 years. Managing Director of magazine publishing group with three in-house titles and on-line daily newspaper for Warrington. Experienced writer, photographer, PR consultant and media expert having written for local, regional and national newspapers. Specialties: PR, media, social networking, photographer, networking, advertising, sales, media crisis management. Chair of Warrington Healthwatch Director Warrington Chamber of Commerce Patron Tim Parry Johnathan Ball Foundation for Peace. Trustee Warrington Disability Partnership. Former Chairman of Warrington Town FC.

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