An unconscious woman with a head injury was forced to wait for an ambulance because the operator didn’t know where Shrewsbury was – even asking if it was in Telford, according to the town’s MP.
Daniel Kawczynski is incensed by the incident after finding out about it from a constituent who was involved in assisting the injured woman. He has written a letter to the West Midland Ambulance Service chief executive Anthony Marsh, who has said his office would look into the issue.
Mr Kawczynski has also pledged to raise the area’s ambulance coverage in Parliament.
The incident, which took place in Shrewsbury last Friday (November 28) at around 11.30am, involved a lady who fainted between the Raven Meadows multi-storey car park and Somerfields supermarket. As she fell over, the woman hit her head causing it to bleed.
According to the constituent, who does not want to be named, several 999 phone calls were made by passers-by. After 10 minutes, the constituent had to make a phone call again.
Mr Kawczynski said: “She asked for an ambulance to be sent and the operator asked her where was Shrewsbury – was it in Telford?
“The constituent had to tell her where Shrewsbury was and tried to describe the area. The operator was in the Black Country.
“I warned Mr Marsh when he closed the ambulance control centre that these things would happen. It is scandalous.
“I’m going to have to call for a debate in Parliament as it is putting the lives of my constituents at risk.”
Claire Thomas, spokes-person for WMAS, said: “We are aware of concerns raised by Daniel Kawczynski MP surrounding the handling of an incident.
“An ambulance was immediately dispatched and arrived at the scene at 11.48am. The patient was treated by crews before being transferred to Royal Shrewsbury Hospital.
“The Trust will be responding directly to Mr Kawczynski about his concerns in due course.”