AMID continuing controversy about the Welsh Ambulance Service’s inability to reach even revised targets for reaching those in need, a Pembrokeshire man has taken to social media to air his fury and concern about an incident which saw an elderly man waiting in driving rain for an ambulance to arrive.

Rob Parker told The Herald: “My partner, Kim (Joyce), returned home from work at 5.45 in the evening of December 3 and found an elderly gentleman lying in the street in the rain with a lot of blood coming from his face and head. “I called an ambulance at 5.46.

He was soaked through, so I ran in our house to get towels, blankets, pillows and waterproof items like my coats and the pram cover. “We covered him up and tried to keep him as warm as possible while the ambulance was en-route.” As they waited for the ambulance, Rob told us that the rain began to fall heavier and that he used a child’s parasol umbrella to try and keep him dry.

Worried about the lengthy wait, Rob phone the ambulance service again at 6:08pm: “I called 999 again to ask about the ambulance, as we were growing increasingly concerned about the condition of the man with the cold and rain and his blood loss. “I was told that an ambulance would be on its way, the ambulance did not arrive until 6.30pm, 44 minutes after the first call.

“By the time the ambulance arrived the poor old man, Kym and I are all absolutely freezing and soaked. No disrespect to paramedics (who have a tough job), but waiting three quarters of an hour for emergency services is absolutely unbelievable; it’s inhuman, its neglect – even with the weather out of the equation. I really hope that the man doesn’t have any further problems due to the conditions he was left in, even with our help.”

Rob concluded: “To wait 44 minutes for an ambulance is unacceptable, it’s complete neglect.” Reflecting on his experiences, Rob told The Herald: “I feel our county is becoming a place where I no longer want to bring up young children due to the problems with the healthcare system. It’s all a shambles.” We asked the Welsh Ambulance Service Trust to respond to Rob’s account of the incident.

Rob Jeffery, the Welsh Ambulance Service’s Head of Operations in the Hywel Dda area, told The Herald: “We were so sorry to hear about the circumstances of this gentleman’s accident and would like to praise those quick-thinking bystanders who helped him prior to our arrival. “As an ambulance service with finite resources we must prioritise calls to ensure we reach the sickest patients first.

“We dispatched an ambulance immediately to this gentleman but it had to be diverted to a life-threatening emergency. “We dispatched a second ambulance just as soon as it became available. “We would encourage Mr Parker to contact us directly if he’d like to discuss his concern in more detail. This patient or his relatives are also invited to contact us if they wish.”