It took them two hours to get me into hospital

EMERGENCY response times are always a talking point. After the Grimsby Telegraph printed a story about one father's experience of waiting one hour 19 minutes for an ambulance, others came forward to share their experiences. Reporter KATIE BLACKBURN talked to them.

AN IMMINGHAM couple's frightening ordeal came flooding back after reading an article in the Grimsby Telegraph.

BRINGING BACK MEMORIES: Pauline Plaskitt, of Immingham, who suffered a stroke in August last year and had to wait more than two hours to be taken to hospital by ambulance. Picture: Abby Ruston

For Malcolm Plaskitt, 63, and his wife Pauline, 64, memories from more than a year ago, when Pauline suffered a stroke at her home, were fresh in their minds after reading about delayed responses from the area's ambulance service.

Mr Plaskitt was shocked that someone else had suffered an experience similar to his when he complained to East Midlands Ambulance Service (EMAS).



As reported last month, a father was stunned that his teenage daughter, who had collapsed and begun to have fits, had to wait for an hour and 19 minutes after an ambulance was called.

In August last year, Mr Plaskitt rang for an ambulance when his wife had a stroke at their home.

He claims it was two hours and 12 minutes from the time he called at 6.30pm until she finally reached Grimsby's Diana, Princess of Wales Hospital.

He said: "I was told by the operator when calling 999 that they were very busy and would be sending an ambulance from Scunthorpe. It took 30 minutes for a rapid response vehicle to arrive, who told me the ambulance I originally rang for was cancelled and another one was on its way. It then took them another 30 to 40 minutes to arrive and get my wife on her way to hospital.

"It was very frightening as my wife was getting progressively worse in front of me."

Mr Plaskitt was shocked to read of a similar situation in the Telegraph.

He said: "I am criticising the time it takes to respond to a patient which extends further than the paramedics themselves.

"They did a fantastic job once they arrived to help my wife, which I cannot fault."

National guidelines state ambulances should arrive within eight minutes for "red" emergency calls, such as heart attacks or those with severe breathing difficulties, and 19 minutes for cases classed as not immediately life-threatening.

Responding to our previous article, a spokesperson from the East Midlands Ambulance Service said: "We make every effort to get to people quickly so we can provide the best possible clinical care.

"Every patient who needs help gets a response.

"It is challenging to reach rural areas, for example parts of Lincolnshire, as at certain times of the year the population in this area does increase significantly, putting even greater pressure on our services.

"We will continue to assess the impact of our new staff rotas, put in place to better match demand, and to see the improvement which we expect to see from that."