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| Ambulance times: Mum told to wait hours after child's seizure | Ambulance times: Mum told to wait hours after child's seizure |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| Georgia Faith Johnson said the fact that her "lifeless" toddler wasn't enough of an emergency was petrifying | Georgia Faith Johnson said the fact that her "lifeless" toddler wasn't enough of an emergency was petrifying |
| A mother has spoken of her horror after being told she would have to wait hours for an ambulance after her son became "lifeless" on the way to A&E. | A mother has spoken of her horror after being told she would have to wait hours for an ambulance after her son became "lifeless" on the way to A&E. |
| Georgia Faith Johnson called 999 when Tobias, aged two, had a seizure at their Cardiff home, but was told it was an eight-hour wait. | Georgia Faith Johnson called 999 when Tobias, aged two, had a seizure at their Cardiff home, but was told it was an eight-hour wait. |
| As she tried to get to A&E he went "floppy", but was told to monitor him at the side of the road. | As she tried to get to A&E he went "floppy", but was told to monitor him at the side of the road. |
| The Welsh Ambulance Service said it was under extreme pressure. | The Welsh Ambulance Service said it was under extreme pressure. |
| "It was super scary," she said. "It just petrifies to say the least that my lifeless two-year-old wasn't enough of an emergency to get the help of the ambulances. The cuts to the NHS are just so scary". | "It was super scary," she said. "It just petrifies to say the least that my lifeless two-year-old wasn't enough of an emergency to get the help of the ambulances. The cuts to the NHS are just so scary". |
| 'I spent four nights in A&E waiting for a bed' | 'I spent four nights in A&E waiting for a bed' |
| 'Can you please tell them to hurry up or I shall be dead' | 'Can you please tell them to hurry up or I shall be dead' |
| Speaking to BBC Radio Wales Breakfast, Georgia said she called 999 when Tobias' eyes rolled to the back of his head and the colour drained from his face at their Cardiff home on Monday evening. | Speaking to BBC Radio Wales Breakfast, Georgia said she called 999 when Tobias' eyes rolled to the back of his head and the colour drained from his face at their Cardiff home on Monday evening. |
| She said the 999 call handler told her to "get to the hospital immediately, but there are no ambulances available" and she would have to wait hours. | She said the 999 call handler told her to "get to the hospital immediately, but there are no ambulances available" and she would have to wait hours. |
| Georgia bundled her son in the car and tried to get him to A&E, but within minutes they were stuck in traffic. | Georgia bundled her son in the car and tried to get him to A&E, but within minutes they were stuck in traffic. |
| "As I turned to look at my son, unfortunately he was pretty lifeless," she said. | "As I turned to look at my son, unfortunately he was pretty lifeless," she said. |
| "He was floppy and the colour was drained from his lips and all of his face." | "He was floppy and the colour was drained from his lips and all of his face." |
| Two-year-old Tobias had to be sedated for 19 hours as the seizure had gone on for such a long time | Two-year-old Tobias had to be sedated for 19 hours as the seizure had gone on for such a long time |
| She called 999 and asked for an ambulance again, and was told she needed to track her son's breathing, which was extremely fast. | She called 999 and asked for an ambulance again, and was told she needed to track her son's breathing, which was extremely fast. |
| She said she was told: "You need to get him out of the car, lay him flat and ask somebody to get a defibrillator in case he goes into cardiac arrest. | She said she was told: "You need to get him out of the car, lay him flat and ask somebody to get a defibrillator in case he goes into cardiac arrest. |
| "At this point I was just crying and begging: please just send an ambulance to which she was responding it would still be a five-hour wait at least." | "At this point I was just crying and begging: please just send an ambulance to which she was responding it would still be a five-hour wait at least." |
| Paramedics say job is soul destroying | Paramedics say job is soul destroying |
| After an hour, an ambulance in the traffic spotted them and blue-lighted them straight to hospital. Tobias was sedated for 19 hours to stop the seizure. | After an hour, an ambulance in the traffic spotted them and blue-lighted them straight to hospital. Tobias was sedated for 19 hours to stop the seizure. |
| She said: "To think that what happened to my son and I is looking at becoming the norm in Wales is just incredibly sad and worrying. | She said: "To think that what happened to my son and I is looking at becoming the norm in Wales is just incredibly sad and worrying. |
| "Not just for people like us but for the staff of the NHS too who are working under immense pressure as it is." | "Not just for people like us but for the staff of the NHS too who are working under immense pressure as it is." |
| Georgia Faith Johnson said the cuts to the NHS are "so scary" | Georgia Faith Johnson said the cuts to the NHS are "so scary" |
| A row in the Senedd went viral this week between First Minister Mark Drakeford and Welsh Conservative leader Andrew RT Davies when the latter attacked the first minister over ambulance waiting times. | A row in the Senedd went viral this week between First Minister Mark Drakeford and Welsh Conservative leader Andrew RT Davies when the latter attacked the first minister over ambulance waiting times. |
| The first minister hit back, saying it was partly the Conservatives' fault for making a mess of the UK's budget and reputation. | The first minister hit back, saying it was partly the Conservatives' fault for making a mess of the UK's budget and reputation. |
| Georgia said she was "reassured" by how strongly Mr Drakeford feels about the matter of ambulance waiting times, and that she could relate to his frustration. | Georgia said she was "reassured" by how strongly Mr Drakeford feels about the matter of ambulance waiting times, and that she could relate to his frustration. |
| The first minister was reacting to a series of questions about poor ambulance response times | |
| The first minister was reacting to a series of questions about poor ambulance response times | |
| She said she did not want to pin the blame on anyone specifically, but stressed the ambulance service and the people of Wales deserve a lot better from the Welsh government. | |
| A Welsh government spokesperson said progress continued to be made on the longest waits. | A Welsh government spokesperson said progress continued to be made on the longest waits. |
| "Urgent and emergency care staff remain under intense pressure, and we are working with health and social care service leaders to support improvements," the spokesperson said. | "Urgent and emergency care staff remain under intense pressure, and we are working with health and social care service leaders to support improvements," the spokesperson said. |
| "We acknowledge ambulance performance is not where we, NHS Wales or the public expect it to be and we are driving a whole system response to support improvement. | "We acknowledge ambulance performance is not where we, NHS Wales or the public expect it to be and we are driving a whole system response to support improvement. |
| "We expect health boards to take ownership and immediately reduce ambulance patient handover delays while working with social care services to improve timeliness of patient transfers home from hospital." | "We expect health boards to take ownership and immediately reduce ambulance patient handover delays while working with social care services to improve timeliness of patient transfers home from hospital." |
| The Welsh Ambulance Service said it was very sorry about the distressing experience Ms Faith-Johnson went through, adding it was under extreme pressure. | The Welsh Ambulance Service said it was very sorry about the distressing experience Ms Faith-Johnson went through, adding it was under extreme pressure. |
| A spokesperson said protracted hospital handover delays were seriously affecting their ability to reach patients quickly. | A spokesperson said protracted hospital handover delays were seriously affecting their ability to reach patients quickly. |