TWO calls to the Welsh Ambulance Service over the weekend have highlighted some of the problems the service is facing.

On Saturday 27th January, an 88-year-old woman fell in Blestium Street in Monmouth and an ambulance was called at 12.55pm. Onlookers, including a nurse, assisted in making her comfortable as it was suspected she had a broken hip.

An ambulance from Abergavenny arrived at 1.55pm apparently having been diverted from Ebbw Vale and attended to the woman.

Also on Saturday, Monmouth RFC’s Druids rugby team was playing at Caldicot and an injury just before half-time stopped the match.

The ambulance was called at about 3.20pm and a Community First Responder arrived at 4.25pm and attended to the rugby player who was not moved from the pitch through caution over a possible spinal injury. An ambulance arrived at 5.30pm, over two hours after the initial call.

Darren Panniers, the Welsh Ambulance Service’s Operations Manager for the Aneurin Bevan Health Board area, said: “On Saturday (27th January) there were significant pressures across the unscheduled healthcare system in the area, both in terms of the volume of calls we received and the length of delays our crews encountered in handing over patients at hospital.

“Regrettably this led to some patients waiting longer than we would like for assistance, and for that we would like to apologise.

“It would be inappropriate for us to provide more detail without first speaking to these patients. Should they wish to talk through any information about our response together then we would be more than happy to do so. In the meantime we hope they are both making a good recovery.”