'˜Toxic' ambulance trust criticised over three-hour wait for injured footballer

It comes after an injured football player was left waiting nearly three hours when teammates called 999 six times.

Baroness Smith of Basildon raised the September 23 incident in the House of Lords.

It happened at Bognor Regis Town Football Club and involved South East Coast Ambulance Service.

Baroness Smith said it was ‘not an isolated incident’ and a recent health watchdog exposed ‘a toxic atmosphere’ at the trust, which covers the West Sussex area.

Elizabeth Whitfield, GMB regional organiser, said: ‘This incident highlights how SECAMB Trust is plagued with serious issues, as highlighted in the damning CQC report last year and another one just last month which kept the trust in special measures.

‘All ambulance trusts are facing severe budget cuts due to the government’s austerity agenda and despite an slight increase in staffing in SECAMB this year, it is still not enough to meet the demands on the service.’