A 95-year-old woman with a broken hip was left on a freezing pavement for hours after ambulance chiefs refused to treat her.
A 95-year-old woman, Winifred Soanes, suffered a terrible ordeal when she was left lying on a freezing pavement for five hours after breaking her hip.
This incident occurred in Christchurch High Street, Dorset, while she was out with her 92-year-old husband, Andrew.
The older woman got her broken hip during a hanging out
The couple was enjoying their day when Winifred fell around 2:30 PM. She was in extreme pain and unable to move.
Concerned bystanders quickly called for an ambulance, explaining that Winifred was elderly and in need of urgent care.
However, the ambulance service did not consider her a priority.
This decision shocked many people who witnessed the scene.
The community responded with overwhelming support.
As Winifred lay on the cold ground, passersby tried their best to help.
Some people used shoe boxes from nearby market stalls to prop her head up.
Others brought pillows and blankets from a local pub to keep her warm.
Staff from a nearby store even provided sleeping bags to help shield her from the cold.
Despite these efforts, Winifred remained in discomfort, telling those around her, “I’m going to die here tonight.”
Her words reflected the fear and hopelessness she felt during her wait.
Jennifer Baylis, who was working in a charity shop, said: “She was in a phenomenal amount of pain and in such a vulnerable position, on a cold floor, totally reliant on complete strangers.
She fell at 2.30pm and the ambulance finally showed up at 7.45pm.
“We were all distressed that there was no first responder available, no police officer, literally no one available to help for over five hours.
“You feel so helpless, I was so angry that they were in this position. It shouldn’t be happening in this day and age.
“The NHS is fantastic once help is there. We know how hard they work.
But something went very very wrong to leave a 95-year-old lady on the pavement of a high street at night.”
David Lovell, who saw her fall and was the first to call for an ambulance, said: “I can’t describe how cold it was, and as it got dark, the temperature dropped really quickly.
“She was lying on the cold pavement and we couldn’t move her because she was in huge amounts of pain.”
The husband faced an immense struggle.
Andrew, her husband, stayed by her side the entire time.
He is a veteran and has diabetes, which made the situation even more stressful for him.
As the hours passed, he also began to suffer from the cold, eventually developing a chest infection due to the prolonged exposure.
His determination to remain with Winifred showed the deep bond they share, but it also put his health at risk.
The ambulance finally arrived after five hours.
The ambulance finally arrived at 7:45 PM, over five hours after Winifred fell.
She was taken to Poole Hospital, where she remains under medical care.
Doctors are monitoring her condition and preparing her for a specialist operation for her hip injury.
The Ambulance Service responded to the incident
The South Western Ambulance Service later issued a statement apologizing for the delay in their response.
“We are sorry that we were not able to provide a timely response to this patient.
“Any occasion where the care we provide falls below the high standards our patients deserve and rightly expect is unacceptable.
“Handover delays at emergency departments remain one of our biggest challenges.
To ensure our ambulances are available to attend the next emergency call within the community, we need to be able to hand patients over within the 15 minute national target.
“We continue to work hard with our partners in the NHS and social care, to do all we can to improve the service that patients receive.”
