Elderly lady, 94, left waiting seven hours on cold floor for ambulance after fall

Ada Cox, from Landport, was left waiting after paramedics were delayed while handing over patients to the emergency department at Queen Alexandra Hospital, in Portsmouth.

Despite several calls made to the service by her daughter Pauline Hogg, Ms Cox did not receive treatment until six hours after she fell.

She then had to wait another hour for an ambulance to arrive to take her to QA Hospital, in Cosham.

Pauline said long waits for ambulances is happening too often and that is was sickening that her elderly mother had to wait on a cold floor for hours.

‘We were advised not to move her because of her age so she couldn’t have anything to drink or even go to the toilet,’ she said.

‘She was laid on her back so we couldn’t risk her drinking something and choking.

‘I emphasised to them how old she was, her vulnerability and that she was on the floor but it still took hours.

‘This is happening too often and to lots of people, not just my mum.’

Ms Hogg said that she was told by South Central Ambulance Service (Scas) they were experiencing a busy day and someone would be at the house soon.

The incident happened on Saturday, October 15.

She added: ‘My mum fell over at around 10am and pressed her alarm which she wears around her neck.

‘When the care providers could not get hold of her, they sent someone round and they found her on the floor.

‘They called 999 and then phoned me.

‘When it got to 1.15pm and no-one had arrived, I called them and was told the service was very, very busy.

‘They also said that Queen Alexandra Hospital was refusing to take patients 
and so ambulances were 
being diverted to other hospitals.

‘The call handler kept telling me they were sending someone as soon as they could but no-one arrived until 4.40pm.

‘It was a paramedic in a rapid response vehicle and he had to call for an ambulance.

‘He could not believe how long my mum had to wait on the floor for. He was absolutely shocked.’

The paramedic called for an ambulance and one arrived within 20 minutes but it took a further 30 minutes to get Ms Cox into the ambulance.

She was taken to the emergency department at QA Hospital.

Ms Cox remained in hospital for a few days and suffered bad bruising from the fall.

She had to be treated for problems with her heart and her breathing.