Elderly man waited three hours for ambulance after fall in Streete

An 84-year-old man who suffered a broken hip and a suspected broken or fractured wrist was left waiting for three hours for an ambulance after falling on a road in Streete.

A neighbour, who contacted the Westmeath Examiner but did not wish to be named, described the distressing wait after the man was discovered lying on the road following a walk with his dog.

The man’s wife became concerned when he failed to return home and went looking for him, finding him injured on the road. She contacted neighbours for assistance. “He was very sore and you couldn’t move him,” the neighbour said.

An ambulance was called between 5.45pm and 6pm, but it did not arrive until between 8.45pm and 9pm.

The neighbour said somebody contacted the ambulance service again approximately an hour to an hour and 15 minutes after the initial call and was informed that an ambulance had been dispatched but had been diverted to another emergency.

“I’m not taking from wherever they went, maybe it was [an emergency], but sure, this man was an emergency as well, lying on the cold road,” the neighbour said.

Those at the scene were advised not to move the injured man and did their best to keep him warm while waiting for medical assistance.

Blankets were placed over him, and another person brought hot water bottles as the cold ground was causing him further discomfort.

It subsequently emerged that the man had suffered a broken hip and either a fractured or broken wrist.

The neighbour said the prolonged wait was extremely distressing for those who remained with the injured man until the ambulance finally arrived.

In response to a query from the Westmeath Examiner, the HSE stated: “The HSE cannot discuss details on individual cases. However, every delayed response is taken seriously, and we recognise the very real impact this can have on patients and their families. The HSE sincerely apologises to anyone affected by delays.

“The HSE National Ambulance Service (NAS) works to deliver the highest standard of care for people using NAS services. The NAS prioritises all 999/112 calls for emergency medical assistance using an internationally recognised system that triages calls based on clinical priority. The NAS uses a dynamic ambulance deployment model, in line with international best practice. This allows the NAS to prioritise calls that need an immediate emergency response.

“Unfortunately, at times of high demand, this can mean that patients suffering from non-life-threatening illnesses or injuries can experience delays as we respond to incidents such as cardiac arrests and road traffic collisions.”