Pensioner, 84, lies for five hours on pavement waiting for ambulance

A pensioner who fell while cutting hedges was forced to lie on the pavement for five hours until an ambulance arrived.

Donavon Marsh, 84, fell at Capel Seion, in Swansea Road, Waunarlwydd, on Tuesday afternoon and his son Dave called an ambulance.

Mr Marsh, 58, said he could not fault the paramedics once they arrived, but they had a five-hour wait for the ambulance, which made him anxious about his father's state.

He said he called the paramedics four times in five hours, who told him not to move his father or give him any food or water, Wales Online reports.

As time went on, his father became more uncomfortable and increasingly cold.

"I was worried because at his age, a fall could turn into something more serious and he's the type of person who would usually get up after a fall," Mr Marsh told Wales Online.

"Luckily, on Tuesday it was fairly mild and dry. If it was Wednesday night, it would have been even worse with all that rain.

"But even though it was mild, he was getting colder and colder and ended up with four blankets on him by the end."

Mr Marsh said the paramedics were "very professional" and acknowledged that serious cases needed to be prioritised.

"I can see why it takes a long time, when they came they had to do an assessment and paperwork before leaving for hospital," he said.

"And at the end of the day it's about resources and the size of our population - the NHS can't cope."

The Welsh Ambulance Service said demand for its services had risen to pre-coronavirus levels, and it recorded its busiest day of the year last month.

Lee Brooks, the trust’s director of operations, said: "Contrary to popular belief, demand on our ambulance service actually fell during the Covid-19 pandemic, but it’s fair to say that normal business has resumed with regards demand.

"Through all of this, our crews show up and deliver the best possible care for those who need us, often in full PPE."

The Standard has approached the Welsh Ambulance Service for comment.

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