A pensioner was left "moaning in agony" on the ground after he was left waiting ten hours for ambulance to arrive.
Emlyn Roberts, 69, was left lying on the pavement while out walking at approximately 12.30pm on March 29.
His family said that he was out for a stroll in the town centre of Colwyn Bay, Wales, when he tripped and sustained serious injuries, which left him in agonising pain, Wales Online reports.
Members of the public discovered Emlyn lying on the ground complaining of pain in his hip and phoned for an ambulance, but were told to expect delays.
Emlyn's sister-in-law, Lynn Roberts, said that an ambulance finally arrived just before 11pm, at which point he had been on the pavement for more than ten hours.
She said: "He was left for ten hours lying on the concrete, you can forgive a couple of hours, even a few hours if necessary, but ten hours is just not acceptable."
Among those who stopped to help was an off-duty volunteer first responder, who stayed by Mr Roberts' side until the ambulance came, according Lynn.
She said local businesses and passers-by showed "incredible kindness", bringing blankets and hot water bottles to keep them warm as day turned to night.
Lynn said: "He'd been waiting for hours and the first responder had been phoning the ambulance people for updates but he was politely told to stop phoning.
"It was at that point I did get quite irate because my brother-in-law was lying on the floor, moaning in agony, and I couldn't do anything to help him.
"I spoke to someone and she said 'you'll just have to wait, we're doing what we can'. I said to her, ten hours is ridiculous."
"The passers-by and shopkeepers were wishing him well, phoning ambulances, they were amazing. A member of the public had phoned the fire service and they came out too, and they did a marvellous job of managing the situation."
According to Emlyn's family, this is the second time something like this has happened within a matter of weeks. Lynn claims he was taken to Ysbyty Glan Clwyd by ambulance on February 2, following a fall and waited more than 12 hours to be seen before doctors discovered he had broken his hip and his back.
At approximately 10.45pm, officers from North Wales Fire and Rescue Service arrived at the scene in Colwyn Bay, shortly followed by the Welsh Ambulance Service.
Emlyn was taken by ambulance to Ysbyty Glan Clwyd, where he is believed to be receiving treatment for a broken hip.
Sonia Thompson, the Welsh Ambulance Service’s Director of Operations for the Emergency Medical Service, said: “There has been very high demand for our services this week, and this – coupled with the pressures across the entire urgent care system, including extensive hospital handover delays – has meant that some patients have waited much longer for our help, sometimes many hours.
"Regrettably, Mr Roberts was among those patients and we are deeply sorry for what will have been a distressing experience for all involved.
"In the meantime, the public can help by using our services appropriately – if it's not a serious or life-threatening emergency, the first port of call should be the NHS 111 Wales website for advice, or local GP, pharmacist or Minor Injuries Unit. We would welcome contact should the family wish to explore our response further.”
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