NHS Wales: Man carries grandad into hospital amid ambulance shortage

When Steve Parsons's gramps collapsed astatine his Monmouthshire home, his household instantly dialled 999.

However erstwhile they were told determination were nary ambulances available, they had to instrumentality measures into their ain hands.

In desperation, Mr Parsons drove and past carried the 83-year-old, who had suffered a cardiac arrest, into the Grange Hospital adjacent Cwmbran, Torfaen.

A passing caregiver helped prevention the aged diligent and the ambulance work and wellness committee person some apologised.

Aneurin Bevan University Health Board (ABUHB) and Welsh Ambulance Service Trust (WAST) admitted the incidental did not lucifer the work they wished to connection - but said it was indicative of the "unprecedented" pressures some organisations were under.

Mr Parsons said: "It was horrible. They're connected the phone, you're determination and he's grey successful the look and looks horrendous. You conscionable panic."

By the clip Mr Parsons drove to the hospital, his gramps had gone into cardiac arrest. He past carried his comparative connected his enarthrosis crossed the car parkland "yelling for help".

A passing caregiver heard his calls and was capable to assistance prevention the 83-year-old's beingness utilizing CPR.

"It could've been the quality of 30 seconds and I deliberation my gramps wouldn't beryllium here," said Mr Parsons.

"I convey the unit astatine the Grange [hospital] for doing what they did, due to the fact that without them helium wouldn't beryllium here."

His gramps is present recovering astatine Nevill Hall Hospital successful Abergavenny, but Mr Parsons said his household has been traumatised.

"It makes maine consciousness angry," said the 31-year-old.

"If my gramps had that ambulance, had that oxygen, I afloat judge helium wouldn't person gone into cardiac apprehension and my household wouldn't person gone done what they've gone done these past 7 days."

WAST said it was not the level of work it wishes to provide.

However, Jeff Morris, its caput of exigency aesculapian services for the cardinal region, added: "Demand has been specified that we person had nary enactment different than to inquire immoderate patients to marque their ain mode to hospital, arsenic was the acquisition of this family."

The Welsh NHS Confederation, which represents each Welsh NHS organisations, has antecedently warned that the NHS was struggling to cope, and the Christmas period had "tipped it implicit the edge".

ABUHV admitted the acquisition indispensable person been "traumatic" for the household and praised the actions of the caregiver arsenic an illustration of however unit "go supra and beyond" to support services running.

However it said a "significant" summation successful respiratory viruses was not lone raising request but besides causing precocious levels of unit sickness.

A spokesperson added: "We instrumentality large pridefulness successful offering the champion imaginable attraction to our patients, but this is becoming progressively hard astatine the moment.

"Our services are facing the aforesaid utmost pressures that are being reported crossed Wales and the UK, with ample numbers of patients presenting with respiratory viruses - peculiarly flu and Covid-19."

The wellness committee has urged radical to usage services "appropriately" and to question attraction for little terrible problems astatine insignificant wounded units, GPs oregon pharmacies.