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Ambulance drivers in London: strike for higher wages and better working conditions
Photo: ANDY RAIN/EPA
Elizabeth Davies is said to have been lying on the ground with a broken hip for 25 hours after falling on Saturday before an ambulance finally arrived at her retirement home in Wales.
The relatives called the emergency number at least ten times – in vain.
Help only arrived on Sunday around 1:15 p.m.
Davies was taken to a hospital in Bangor, according to a report by the British Guardian.
But there she had to wait another twelve hours until she finally landed in a hospital ward and got a diagnosis and could be operated on.
Davies' son Ian called the incident "completely unacceptable".
"It was devastating to see her lying on the floor screaming in pain for 24 hours," he said.
Welsh ambulance officials cited winter weather, high demand and high levels of sickness among staff as the excuse.
However, there is currently chaos in health care in Wales and parts of England anyway.
Already on Tuesday, tens of thousands of nurses and hospital staff went on strike for the second time in a week.
Another strike is planned for December 28th.
In the face of a strike by ambulance drivers, the British health service NHS has called on the population to avoid all emergency risks.
"People can help by taking sensible steps to protect themselves and others at this time and not end up in the emergency room," said NHS England Medical Director Stephen Powis.
Avoid “risky activities”.
This includes drinking alcohol responsibly, looking out for family members or neighbors, and stocking up on medication.
Secretary of State Will Quince had previously warned against contact sports and "risky activities".
Ambulance drivers plan to go on strike across much of England and Wales on Wednesday to back their demands for higher wages and better working conditions.
The NHS urged people to use the emergency services "wisely" and only call an ambulance in a life-threatening emergency.
The union had promised that urgent emergency services would not be affected by the strikes.
However, the waiting times for ambulances are already significantly longer than originally planned.
military helps out
750 soldiers are to step in during the strikes and drive ambulances.
However, they are not intended for emergency use, but rather for transport.
The conservative government points out that its tariff offer is in line with the proposal of an independent expert commission.
Wage increases beyond this cannot be financed.
The NHS is chronically underfunded.
Infirmaries are overcrowded.
In emergency rooms, ambulance crews sometimes wait several hours to hand over their patients.
ala/dpa
