A disabled woman says she "feared for her life" after falling out of her wheelchair and being told she would have to wait more than two hours for an ambulance. 

Theresa Pilling fell out of her adapted wheelchair on Elm Way, in Papworth Everard, while returning home from choir practice on Monday, September 23.  

Ms Pilling, who has lived with cerebral palsy since birth, said she managed to free herself and dial 999 at around 9.30pm, but was told she would have to wait more than two hours for an ambulance. 

It comes after a recent investigation by The Hunts Post found ambulance crews across the region were unable to respond to thousands of 999 calls within national targets. 

Unison said that a combination of staff shortages and increased demand means ambulance crews can struggle to respond to emergency calls on time.

The 51-year-old, who was recently diagnosed with fibromyalgia, said she "feared for her life" until she was later discovered by a neighbour who remained with her while she called her carer. 

She told The Hunts Post: "I was coming from my Monday meeting of Sing Papworth at Pendragon School at about 9.20pm. I thought it was going to be a normal evening heading home. 

"But the stretch of road I was travelling along has no street lighting and my wheelchair fell off the pavement and and tipped onto the grass verge. 

"It was raining and cold and I couldn't undo the seatbelt on my chair so I was trapped. I remember thinking to myself I was going to die, but I didn't want to so I began calling out for help.

"Luckily, I had my phone and called 999 at about 9.30pm and explained what happened. I was in such pain and fighting for my breath because it was so cold." 

Phillip Hill, a nearby neighbour, said he discovered Ms Pilling and "immediately" called 999 over concerns Ms Pilling was "deteriorating". 

He said: "I was trying to get the call handlers to understand that if she didn't receive help soon she could die, which wasn't an exaggeration because of how cold it was getting. 

"I really do sympathise with the ambulance service because I know how much pressure they're under, but it was just frustrating for me at the other end because I knew Ms Pilling needed help. 

"I do genuinely believe that had we not discovered her, she would not be here today."

Ms Piling said that an ambulance crew, which had travelled from Bedfordshire, didn't arrive until "well after 11pm". 

She added: "The paramedics, with the help of bystanders, stretchered me into the ambulance and checked me over. 

"Once they were happy with my condition and had checked I wasn't suffering from hypothermia, they took me home."

Ms Pilling said she was "left shaken" and is "still recovering" from the incident. 

The East of England Ambulance Service apologised to Ms Pilling for the "discomfort and distress" caused by the delay. 

A spokesperson added: “Our call centre correctly assessed her fall as needing a C2 response, our second most urgent category of patient.

“However, at the time of the call the ambulance service and local hospitals were under extreme pressure and we had to prioritise patients with immediate life-threatening conditions.

“Ms Pilling was advised of a possible 2.5 hour wait, but we were able to send an ambulance crew to her in just over an hour.

“Fortunately, after being assessed by our crew, she was considered safe to be discharged and helped to her home nearby.”