Tony Taylor, 58, from Cwmbran, called an ambulance on Thursday, October 17 for his elderly mother who was ‘seriously unwell’ and then had to stay awake for two days waiting for it to come.
“I called at 8pm on October 17 and waited exactly 32 hours for the ambulance service to come attend to my 85-year-old mother,” he said.
“I hate phoning for an ambulance, but that is what the GP advised for me to do.
“Initially they told me it would be an eight-hour wait, but they called me every six or seven hours apologising for delays.
“I wish I could take her myself but I am disabled so the ambulance is my only lifeline for my wheel-chair using mum.
Tony said he was “so anxious” while waiting for the ambulance, and that he did not sleep or relax for three days as a result of the ordeal.
“When the ambulance crew got here, they told me the wait was normal with the state of NHS Wales today, and acted as if it was something they are used to, like it was nothing.
“It is just appalling. I can’t even get my mother a GP appointment for two weeks. We have got more chance of seeing the King than the doctor these days.
“But it is not the ambulance crews, the nurses or the doctors at fault – it’s the system.”
Tony’s mum, left, and Tony Taylor, 58, right. (Image: NQ) Tony described how he had lived in Thailand for part of his life and an ambulance there took less than one hour to arrive.
He asked while comparing the UK to Thailand: “How can we be worse than a third world country?”
According to Tony, you used to only ever call an ambulance for emergencies, like a heart attack or a stroke, because you could call your doctor to do a home visit in most other situations.
A warning has been issued about healthcare service in Wales with services facing sustained pressure and patients experiencing delays.
An annual report from the Healthcare Inspectorate Wales was published on Thursday, October 16, detailing the “sustained pressure” the NHS is under.
The Aneurin Bevan Health Board have been approached for comment.
