A 28-year-old woman who suffered a stroke fears she could have died because of ambulance waiting times and the process of getting emergency treatment.
Jade Shaw, of Godmanchester, is now recovering at home after undergoing emergency surgery, but says she has “lost faith” in the health service after the ordeal.
Her partner, Liam Turner, spotted the signs she was having a stroke in the early hours of July 5.
But he claims when he called 999 and explained Jade’s symptoms, the operator told him there would be at least a 40-minute wait for an ambulance.
The national target for a stroke response is 18-minutes.
Rather than wait for the ambulance, he called his brother and the pair carried Jade to the car and drove her to Hinchingbrooke Hospital.
Liam said: “I knew from the adverts that Jade was having a stroke and we had to get her help quickly.
“I always thought the operator had to stay on the line until the ambulance arrived in these situations.
“But I was told the wait would be at least 40-minutes and there were other calls coming in – so they hung up on me.
“I felt we were abandoned, and I still feel very angry about it.
“In this situation, when someone is having a stroke, a 40-minute wait for an ambulance is not acceptable.”
Jade does have a pre-exisiting heart condition which they now know contributed to the stroke.
But in the panic of getting help, Liam doesn’t remember whether he informed the operator about this.
In a statement, the East of England Ambulance Service apologised and explained the service was busy that night.
It also denies the operator hung up on Liam.
A spokesperson said: “At the time we were under significant overnight demand and this call was handled correctly in line with our processes.
“We received the call at 1.53am on July 5 and advised the caller of a 40-minute delay.
"When under significant pressure we unfortunately must clear our lines so we can respond to other urgent 999 calls. At no point was the caller cut off.
“At 2.03am we received another call to the same address. This call was again handled in line with our processes.
“At 3.11am we were informed the patient had made their own way to hospital and an ambulance was no longer required.”
The North West Anglian NHS Foundation Trust – the Trust that runs both Hinchingbrooke Hospital and Peterborough City Hospital – has since explained specialist stroke centres are in Peterborough and Cambridge.
Dr Callum Gardner, the Trust’s chief medical officer, said: "If a patient dials 999 and it is thought they need treatment for a stroke, they will usually be taken to an acute stroke centre, such as Peterborough City Hospital, or a comprehensive stroke centre, such as Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge.”
Jade was initially transferred from Hinchingbrooke to Addenbrooke’s where medics started to administer the clot-busting treatment.
But that was halted because she was then taken to the Royal London Hospital for emergency surgery.
Jade believes Liam's reaction potentially saved her life.
Jade said: “I have lost faith in the health service and still feel angry about how we were treated. If it wasn't for Liam, I wouldn’t be here today. He is a hero.”
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here