Vale MP Alun Cairns has offered his full support to a Llantwit Major couple after learning that a stroke victim was forced to wait over two hours for an ambulance.
Michael Beauchamp from Llantwit Major suffered a stroke earlier this month, and after calling 999 it took two hours for an ambulance to arrive with a separate paramedic arriving only two minutes earlier.
Mr Cairns met with the Mr Beauchamp’s partner Jacqueline Mcarthur to hear that she had used her skills and understanding of how to manage a stroke victim only to then wait a ‘horrendous’ two hours for an ambulance to arrive. Mr Beauchamp is still currently in hospital and in a very poorly condition.
Mrs Mcarthur has described her anger at the failure of the Welsh NHS in being unable to provide a timely ambulance for a stroke victim, despite high profile health campaigns demonstrating how critical time is when responding to a stroke.
Mrs Mcarthur said: “I am so angry because Michael had been admitted to hospital 3 days previously only to be sent home with a promise of further tests over the next few days. No contact was made from the hospital, so I rang the GP and in that time his condition worsened rapidly so I had to call 999. I thought that my partner of 12 years was going to die waiting for an ambulance, it was that serious.”
Mr Cairns has written to Abertawe Bro Morgannwg chief executive Paul Roberts for a full explanation as to how the victim of a stroke could be left without medical care and attention for over 2 hours after being sent home from hospital only days earlier.
Mr Cairns said: “This is a very worrying case, and I met with Mrs Mcarthur as a matter of urgency. I am very concerned about how ambulance resource is allocated in the Vale of Glamorgan. The drivers and paramedics do a wonderful job, but I know having spoken to many drivers, that there are some serious issues in reaching patients in an acceptable time period.
“Is the system working for patients? We see the monthly statistics that demonstrate that only one in two ambulances arrive within the 8 minute target – this in itself is a very serious problem that doesn’t seem to be improving. But I am angry that this family, or indeed any family, would have to wait two hours for care. There is a clear and well known stroke action campaign called F.A.S.T – Face, Arms, Speech and Time. The timeline of action is so important, this case is unacceptable and I am assisting Mrs Mcarthur and her family in submitting a formal complaint to Abertawe Bro Morgannwg health board. This situation cannot be allowed to happen again.”