Pensioner, 95, left on cold pavement with broken hip for five hours told by 999 she’s ‘not a priority’

When emergency personnel informed a bystander attempting to assist a 95-year-old woman that she wasn’t a priority, the woman was left waiting for an ambulance on a chilly pavement for over five hours.

in November 25, Winifred Soanes shattered her hip after falling in Bournemouth’s Christchurch High Street.

Winifred’s 92-year-old husband Andrew “wouldn’t leave her side,” and a number of locals attempted to assist her by providing necessities from nearby businesses.

Throughout the day, Jennifer Baylis, who works at a local Prama charity shop, provided assistance. “It was so distressing that she actually said, ‘I’m going to die here tonight,'” she said.

According to Ms. Baylis, several individuals tried to call an ambulance to help Winifred, but the emergency services told them she wasn’t a priority and gave them no timeline.

“It’s great to know that when they need to, the community all pulls together to help,” Winifred’s husband, Mr. Soanes, said in his description of the scene.

After receiving care at Poole Hospital, Winifred is currently awaiting surgery, he said.

“I can’t describe how cold it was, and as it got dark, the temperature dropped really quickly,” said David Lovell, a bystander who was the first to call for an ambulance.

“She was in excruciating pain and we were unable to move her while she lay on the chilly pavement.”

Mr. Lovell stated that he and other individuals attempted to use shoe boxes and a cushion from nearby stores to support Winifred’s head.

“We regret that we were unable to respond to this patient in a timely manner,” a South Western Ambulance representative said. It is unacceptable on any occasion when the quality of care we offer is not up to the high standards our patients rightfully expect and deserve.

“Delays in handover at EDs continue to be one of our key problems. We must be able to transfer patients within the allotted 15 minutes in order to guarantee that our ambulances are ready to respond to the next community emergency call.

“We keep working hard with our patients in social care and the NHS to do everything we can to improve the care that patients receive.”