THERE was frustration for a man who fell in Crediton High Street on Tuesday, December 4, and for those caring for him, after an ambulance took two hours and 35 minutes to attend.

The man fell outside the offices of Ernest Jackson and Co Ltd at 29 High Street, Crediton, at about 11.15am and a call was made to the Ambulance Service shortly after.

Assistance was immediately given to the man, who was aged 79 and from New Buildings, near Crediton, by passers-by.

Lorna Diamond, receptionist and First Aider at Ernest Jackson and Co Ltd, was one of those who helped the man and stayed with him until a land ambulance crew arrived at 1.50pm.

She explained: “The gentleman did really well.

“We wrapped him in blankets from our first aid kit and some were supplied by local charity shops.

“Someone even went and bought a hot water bottle which we filled to keep him warm.

“Costa brought out coffee for those of us caring for the man and we also had cardboard to sit on beside him and a couple of chairs from our reception.

AMBULANCES APPROACHED SCENE TWICE

“We saw ambulances approaching on two occasions but unfortunately these got diverted to more important calls.

“We guessed it was just one of those days where the ambulance service was really busy and had to deal with more serious incidents.”

The man was the father of a member of staff at Ernest Jackson.

Ernest Jackson staff contacted his daughter, who was not working but was at her home on Crediton High Street, and she was soon able to attend to help care for her father.

Local nurse Reg Barker was also present as well as Stella Stephens, who is a health worker, and they both cared for the man alongside Lorna and the man’s daughter throughout the long ordeal.

THIRD AMBULANCE STOPPED

The man’s daughter told the “Crediton Courier” after the arrival of the third ambulance despatched: “Dad has been unstable on his legs recently and we think his legs gave way.

“He landed on the edge of the pavement and his ribs are hurting as well as his hip.

“The police have been great helping out and he has been kept nice and warm.

“Everyone who has helped has been brilliant and it is just unfortunate that every time an ambulance got near it got called away to something more important.

“Fortunately my mother was with me at the time and so she was able to stay with him as well.”

Crediton Police placed cones in the area to prevent vehicles from parking too close to the man lying on the pavement edge.

The officers also stayed at the scene and unfortunately this prevented them from dealing with other duties.

SW AMBULANCE SERVICE COMMENT

A South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust (SWASFT) spokesman said: “We were called on Tuesday to reports that a man had fallen on Crediton High Street and had knee pain.

“The caller told us that the patient was conscious and breathing, and there was not considered to be any immediate threat to his life. The patient was supported by members of the public and police at the scene.

“At the time of this call we were very busy, and our crews were responding to numerous serious incidents in the local area.

“Two ambulance crews were dispatched to this patient, before being diverted to higher priority calls in line with guidelines in NHS England’s Ambulance Response Programme.

“A third ambulance crew arrived and treated the patient at the scene. Then the crew drove the patient home, because he did not need to go to hospital.

“Managing the demand on the ambulance service across the South West can be very challenging. While we will always try to reach our patients in a timely manner, we must prioritise time-critical and life-threatening incidents.

“We encourage the public to call 999 only in a genuine emergency when someone is seriously ill or injured, and their life may be at risk.”