A 22-year-old was left lying on the ground for five hours in the pouring rain while awaiting an ambulance, with only blankets, jackets, and an umbrella for protection.
Ben Symons, from Bridgend, south Wales, was in excruciating pain after suffering a back injury while playing football, and he was forced to seek shelter from the weather.
Even though he sustained a potentially “serious” injury, paramedics would not arrive at the Cardiff stadium for up to eight hours.
Even though Mr. Symons’ “terrifying” afternoon turned out to be harmless, it exemplifies the dire state of the current NHS crisis.
Due to horrifying ambulance delays, patients waited more than forty hours to be transported to the hospital.
The scandal, which affects every region of the NHS, is exacerbated by the bed-blocking crisis, as 999 crews wait outside A&E for a vacant bed.
Saturday at 4.15 p.m., Mr. Symons was injured while playing for Cefn Ribwr FC against Caerau Ely FC in the Ardal Southern League, an amateur, and semi-professional football competition.
While he lay in agony on a spinal stretcher, staff on the ground stayed with him and supported his head by holding it up.
After nearly five hours, an ambulance arrived and transported him to the University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff, where he underwent scans and has since recovered.
Images depicted him wrapped in foil to prevent hypothermia. A man holding an umbrella crouched over him as well.
Following his treatment, Mr. Symons tweeted, “Very terrifying afternoon.” The good news is I’m fine.
“I would like to thank [chairman Mark Rees] and Connor George from [Caerau Ely FC] for their help yesterday.
I cannot thank you and [Mark Galliers, his team’s first aider] enough for always being there.
However, his relatives criticized his “extremely awful” wait time, stating that the “system is broken.”
During the waiting period, his aunt Stephne Puddy stated, ‘My nephew is on a spinal board with a possible back/neck injury. Freezing chilly.
“It’s pouring rain, and I’ve waited for five hours so far.” Our system is faulty.’
After the game, his brother Joe Symons remarked, ‘Shameful to still be sitting here!’ Serious neck and back injuries will be reported within four to eight hours.’
Judith Bryce, assistant director of operations for the Welsh Ambulance Service, expressed regret for the lengthy wait.
This is not the level of service we intend to deliver.
“When the call came in at approximately 4.15 p.m. on Saturday, October 15, all of our Cardiff and Vale resources were committed and waiting in front of the Emergency Departments.
Prolonged handover delays are a reoccurring issue that we continue to work with the Welsh Government and Health Boards to resolve.
However, we are happy to read that Ben is doing well and we wish him a rapid recovery.
In England, it took paramedics a little under 48 minutes on average to react to category two emergencies last month, according to figures from the NHS ambulance service.
Included in this group are heart attacks and strokes. NHS teams are required to respond to category two calls within an average of 18 minutes.
Theresa Coffey, secretary of state for health, has committed to addressing the present crisis in the ambulance sector.
Ex-Health Secretary Steve Barclay, who was dismissed in Liz Truss’ cabinet reshuffle, also prioritized the ambulance crisis.
Before his dismissal, he promised to utilize data to target the “small number of trusts” responsible for “almost half of ambulance handover delays.”
Transfer delays outside of hospitals are one of the leading causes of the NHS ambulance crisis, according to experts.
All patients must be transferred to emergency departments within 15 minutes of paramedics’ arrival at the hospital.
