By Peter Kitchen
A woman found unconscious in her car at a country party had to be taken to hospital by local farmers in the early hours – after ambulance control staff couldn’t find the venue.
Members of Rea Valley Young Farmers discovered the 27-year-old woman at 4am after a party in a field by Arscott Golf Club, near Hanwood, to celebrate the group’s 70th anniversary.
But when they called 999 control staff did not know where the village, the venue postcode or Shrewsbury were – and the nearest venue they could register was Llandrindod Wells. Local farmer Richard Savage, who made the 999 call, immediately took the woman, who has not been named, to the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital, and she was released within hours after treatment.
It has since transpired the emergency call was received by the Welsh Ambulance Service’s south east control room in Pontypool.
West Midlands Ambulance Service officials claim they received a separate anonymous call at their Brierley Hill control room requesting and then cancelling the ambulance.
The news has angered town MP Daniel Kawczysnki, who has written a letter to WMAS chief executive Anthony Marsh demanding an investigation into the incident and has pledged to raise the matter in Parliament.
Mr Savage said around 300 people had attended the party on June 28 and added the group had been alerted to the woman by the car horn going off.
He said: “We had a postcode for the operator, the nearest place they could park and the nearest main road.
“The nearest place they could find was Penybont, near Llandrindod Wells – they didn’t even know where Shrewsbury was.
“It was absolutely horrendous.
“I don’t know what would have happened if it had been a serious neck injury and we couldn’t have moved the woman – we didn’t know what was wrong.
“I just hate to think how I would have felt if it had been one of my daughters.” Murray McGregor, WMAS press spokesman, said: “One of our vehicles was mobile within a minute after we received a call, but the request was cancelled during that call.
“It has been known for calls near our borders to go to another area’s control room, but we can identify calls where mobile phone calls are made from.”
Richard Timothy, press officer for the Welsh Ambulance Service, said the call was logged at Pontypool and the operator and caller had been unable to establish where the incident was taking place.
Mr Kawczynski said: “It’s an absolute disgrace.”
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