Pam Clarke, 82, with the injuries she suffered in a fall.
A FORMER nurse feels she has been let down by the Island’s ambulance service, after she was told there were no ambulances to help her after she fell.
Pam Clarke, 82, was walking along Forelands Road, Bembridge, to catch a bus when she fell and hit her head on the pavement and ended up face down in the road.
Passers-by who rushed to her aid called for an ambulance, only to be told there were none available.
Pam, who was an auxiliary nurse for 12 years at The Royal County Hospital, Ryde, and lives at Bembridge, said: "There was blood pouring from my head. It was very frightening.
"I thought I would be ok because an ambulance would be with me shortly. But then I was told there were no ambulances available. I just felt so let down.
"I was always there for people when they needed help when I was a nurse but the one time I needed help, there was no-one available.
"Luckily, the coxswain from Ryde Inshore Rescue was nearby and came to my aid, with a doctor who was on holiday. I have to thank them a lot."
An ambulance spokesperson told the County Press: "Calls are categorised following national guidelines based on the details available at the time.
"The Island’s ambulance service responds to a wide variety of incidents, many of which can be and are treated by our highly trained professional staff without the need for the patient to attend hospital.
"In relation to the 999 call received, we are pleased that, at a time of high demand on the ambulance service, the call was correctly categorised. Within minutes of the initial call the patient was assessed over the telephone by a paramedic, who was able to discuss the case with a GP who happened to be at the scene.
"There were no priority symptoms and an emergency care practitioner visited the patient within an hour of the incident to provide further treatment in the safety and comfort of their home."
Reporter: jamiew@iwcpmail.co.uk