Man, 87, waits seven hours for ambulance on backyard centre flooring

[ad_1] Jonathan Geddes Glasgow and west reporter

<img sizes="(min-width: 1280px) 50vw, (min-width: 1008px) 66vw, 96vw" srcset="https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/240/cpsprodpb/3ad2/live/3dd79e70-da82-11f0-ad83-3fe81c076d4b.jpg.webp 240w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/320/cpsprodpb/3ad2/live/3dd79e70-da82-11f0-ad83-3fe81c076d4b.jpg.webp 320w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/480/cpsprodpb/3ad2/live/3dd79e70-da82-11f0-ad83-3fe81c076d4b.jpg.webp 480w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/640/cpsprodpb/3ad2/live/3dd79e70-da82-11f0-ad83-3fe81c076d4b.jpg.webp 640w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/800/cpsprodpb/3ad2/live/3dd79e70-da82-11f0-ad83-3fe81c076d4b.jpg.webp 800w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/1024/cpsprodpb/3ad2/live/3dd79e70-da82-11f0-ad83-3fe81c076d4b.jpg.webp 1024w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/1536/cpsprodpb/3ad2/live/3dd79e70-da82-11f0-ad83-3fe81c076d4b.jpg.webp 1536w" src="https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/480/cpsprodpb/3ad2/live/3dd79e70-da82-11f0-ad83-3fe81c076d4b.jpg.webp" loading="eager" alt="Craig family An elderly man lying on the floor of a garden centre, wrapped in blankets and with a pillow propping him up." class="sc-5340b511-0 hLdNfA"/> Craig household James Craig was left mendacity on the backyard centre flooring for a number of hours

An awesome-grandfather who broke his leg in a fall spent seven hours mendacity on the ground of a backyard centre whereas ready for an ambulance.

James Craig, 87, was ready so lengthy for emergency assist that the nursery in North Lanarkshire needed to keep open properly previous its 17:00 closing time.

His granddaughter Mariann Whitson stated she had misplaced religion within the ambulance service because of their expertise.

The Scottish Ambulance Service has apologised to Mr Craig and stated it was underneath "important strain" on the day he fell.

Mr Craig, from Coatbridge, spent a number of weeks in hospital after the incident and needed to have a hip substitute, however he's now at dwelling recovering.

The incident comes after several years of ambulance waiting times increasing all through Scotland.

In September, First Minister John Swinney apologised to a younger footballer who needed to wait 5 hours for an ambulance after breaking her leg.

And final month, information that Queen's Park footballer Charles Fox waited practically 10 hours for ambulance with a dislocated knee prompted an apology from Well being Secretary Neil Grey.

Ms Whitson shared her household's story after contacting the BBC by means of Your Voice, Your BBC News .

She stated her grandfather turned "as pale as a ghost" because the wait grew longer.

He fell at Craigend Nursery and Espresso Store in Cumbernauld at about noon on 22 October, having been visiting along with his daughter Marie.

His household have been initially instructed an ambulance needs to be there inside two hours as he was thought of a prime precedence.

Within the meantime, guests to the backyard centre needed to stroll round him as he lay on the ground.

<img sizes="(min-width: 1280px) 50vw, (min-width: 1008px) 66vw, 96vw" srcset="https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/240/cpsprodpb/7cc0/live/4c7f7330-da82-11f0-ad83-3fe81c076d4b.jpg.webp 240w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/320/cpsprodpb/7cc0/live/4c7f7330-da82-11f0-ad83-3fe81c076d4b.jpg.webp 320w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/480/cpsprodpb/7cc0/live/4c7f7330-da82-11f0-ad83-3fe81c076d4b.jpg.webp 480w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/640/cpsprodpb/7cc0/live/4c7f7330-da82-11f0-ad83-3fe81c076d4b.jpg.webp 640w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/800/cpsprodpb/7cc0/live/4c7f7330-da82-11f0-ad83-3fe81c076d4b.jpg.webp 800w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/1024/cpsprodpb/7cc0/live/4c7f7330-da82-11f0-ad83-3fe81c076d4b.jpg.webp 1024w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/1536/cpsprodpb/7cc0/live/4c7f7330-da82-11f0-ad83-3fe81c076d4b.jpg.webp 1536w" src="https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/480/cpsprodpb/7cc0/live/4c7f7330-da82-11f0-ad83-3fe81c076d4b.jpg.webp" loading="lazy" alt="Craig family James Craig - an elderly man, sitting in a living room chair and wearing a jumper. Christmas cards are pinned to the wall behind him. " class="sc-5340b511-0 hLdNfA"/> Craig household James Craig is now recovering at dwelling

Ms Whitson, her husband, her father and her brother had all arrived at Craigend at this level to attempt to assist.

"His leg had swollen up so badly and as quickly as you touched it he simply screamed in ache," stated Ms Whitson.

"After two hours we have been instructed all of the ambulances had been re-routed to Glasgow and none have been out there."

She added: "Finally a paramedic on the cellphone requested if we may strive lifting him up and getting him right into a automotive.

"That is towards any well being and security coaching I've ever had, however they insisted it was one of the simplest ways to get him there.

"As quickly as we touched him he was screaming and crying with the ache, so we could not try this."

She stated she felt pissed off and helpless.

"If an 87-year-old man was being left like this, what hope would anybody else have?"

'Screaming and crying with ache'

One other thought was to attempt to discover one thing that would work as a makeshift stretcher.

That led to what Ms Whitson described as a darkish comedy, of relations wanting across the centre to see if something may work.

Within the meantime her grandfather's ache ranges continued to worsen.

A health care provider later arrived and was in a position to give Mr Craig morphine to ease the ache, however then needed to depart.

Ms Whitson added: "The backyard centre was supposed to shut however needed to keep open as he was nonetheless there.

"After the morphine was given, the physician stated simply to watch him and cellphone once more if he bought any worse."

She stated workers on the backyard centre had carried out every thing potential to assist her grandfather - however she had misplaced religion within the NHS.

"I all the time considered ambulances as being an pressing medical useful resource, however I now view them as unreliable - and my religion that they are going to be right here when wanted is gone," Ms Whitson added.

Finally an ambulance arrived from Stirling, which Ms Whitson estimated at about 20:30, however the Scottish Ambulance Service say was about 90 minutes earlier.

Mr Craig was then taken to Wishaw Normal Hospital, and medical doctors finally noticed him within the early hours of the next day. He was discovered to have damaged his leg and damage his hip.

Ms Whitson stated he was delirious for days afterwards, and needed to be examined for dementia. Medical doctors discovered no proof of that, and determined it was merely shock from the autumn.

Mr Craig ought to have been launched from hospital a number of weeks in the past, however his launch was delayed as a consequence of issues in getting a full care bundle.

His granddaughter stated the household have been now merely relieved he was dwelling for Christmas.

Ambulance service apology

A Scottish Ambulance Service spokesperson stated: "We want to apologise to Mr Craig for the delay within the ambulance response and for any misery induced.

"Our service was underneath important strain on 22 October as a consequence of sustained and important pressures at hospitals within the Lanarkshire space, together with delays of as much as 5 hours.

"We've been working carefully with NHS Lanarkshire to help the longest ready sufferers however perceive the misery to sufferers induced. These waits additionally forestall our crews from getting again out on the highway to deal with different sufferers.

"At an applicable time, we might urge the household or affected person to contact our affected person expertise crew so we will talk about their case."