EXCLUSIVE: 'My mum waited for 5 hours in an ambulance outside of A&E'

A Glasgow man is exclusively telling Clyde 1 News that he feels like ambulances are being treated like "mini-wards"' - after his mother waited for five hours to get into the hospital on New Years Day.

The man, who we are calling Sam to protect his identity, said his 65-year-old mum was waiting in a queue of ambulances to get into the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital (QEUH) after phoning 999 on January 1st 2024.

His mother has complex health needs and was recently admitted with a chest infection, and called for an ambulance after taking unwell.

Sam claims after calling NHS24, emergency responders were called at around 2pm.

He says the crews arrived at 4 pm, where she was treated in her home before deciding to take her to accident and emergency.

The family arrived at the QEUH at 5.30 pm - where Sam claims he can recall counting "at least 15 ambulances outside", and being told there was a 3-hour wait to be taken in.

Sam said that NHS workers are "heroes", but they must have a system which supports them.

He hopes that sharing his story will encourage decision-makers to help ease the strain on emergency departments by boosting investment and employment - and ensure no families are in this position again.

'It was terrifying'

Sam told Clyde 1 News: "Whilst we were sitting in the ambulance with her, I could see that she seemed to be getting worse, her eyes were rolling and she looked as if she was about to pass out.

"Being stuck in the back of the ambulance, knowing we weren't able to do anything more was heart breaking.

"Just to see her lying there helpless...it was terrifying.

"They kept her on oxygen and gave her several doses of nebuliser. One of the crew went back in to update them on her condition, only to be told that we would still have to wait.

"At one point, maybe around 8pm, a duty consultant came into the ambulance to see how she was. We were told at this point that it shouldn't be much longer.

"Eventually at 11 pm, she was taken from the ambulance and into the hospital and put into a cubicle on oxygen and started getting blood taken and an ECG done.

"She was left sitting in the back of an ambulance for more than 5 hours - which is wholly unacceptable.

"Ambulances are for short-term emergency response care, they are not mini-wards. The whole time they were sitting there, that was one less ambulance available to respond to someone else in need.

"It's only going to be a matter of time before someone loses a loved one due to the prolonged wait in the back of them."

Concern for crews

Sam added that the ambulance crew who arrived to treat his mother were faultless, and that they were unable to take welfare breaks due to the wait.

He said: "The ambulance crew were due to finish shift at 10 pm and because of these wait times, they didn't get a welfare or food break.

"After handing my mum over, they still had to go back to their station and complete a handover of their vehicle - so God knows what time this poor crew got finished.

"Paramedics are humans, too."

NHS response

A spokesperson for NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde said: "As is the case across the country, services across NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde are under significant winter pressures.

"While we cannot comment on individual cases, we would like to apologise to anyone who has had to wait longer than expected for care or treatment.

“Our staff are working tirelessly to ensure the best possible care for our patients, and we would like to thank them for their continued hard work and dedication.

“As part of our ABC winter campaign, we would encourage members of the public to access the most appropriate health care pathway relevant to their needs.

"By knowing where best to go, people will be able to access care more simply while at the same time helping to ease the pressure on our services.

“Anyone who has a life-threatening condition should always call 999 or attend accident and emergency immediately.”

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