A Portadown woman who was struck by a car while crossing a road on her mobility scooter lay on the “cold, hard road” for almost six hours waiting on an ambulance, with one resident now calling for politicans to shift their focus from the Drumcree dispute to fixing health services.
On Tuesday evening (October 12), a woman known as ‘Hayley’ found herself in the midst of a medical emergency after becoming involved in a road traffic collision near Flush Place, Lurgan.
A concerned passerby noticed the woman laying on the road as she passed in her car around 7pm.
Later that same evening when making her return journey the resident passed the same spot, two hours later, only to find the injured woman still on the ground without the assistance of an ambulance.
It later came to this person’s attention that Hayley had laid in that same spot for five hours before an ambulance attended.
Sharing her frustration via social media the concerned passerby said: “If you were ever in any doubt about the state of Northern Ireland, this will give you an indication.
“We deserve better than this. We are being failed. Where is the outrage? Where are the politicians?”
Providing a timeline of the incident, the resident said the ambulance arrived at 10.50pm that evening. A friend had also encountered the same scenario when they drove past at 5pm. This meant that Hayley had been laid on the road, with only the police, well meaning members of the public and family for almost six hours.
However, a politician did attend.
After receiving a phone call alerting him to the incident Lurgan Councillor, Peter Haire rushed to the scene following a council meeting to offer his assistance and support.
Providing an update in regards to Hayley’s condition, the Councillor said: “This morning, I visited Hayley at Craigavon Area Hospital. Thankfully, she has only sustained minor injuries, and I wish her a speedy recovery.
“A special thank you to Stella, an off-duty paramedic, and Melanie, an off-duty nurse, who stopped to help Hayley. Your kindness and professionalism are greatly appreciated.
“I also want to thank the PSNI officers for all their help and assistance at the scene.”
However, like the resident who voice her concern, Councillor Haire shared his own grievances.
“I am deeply concerned that Hayley waited over FIVE HOURS for an ambulance,” he said. “The incident happened at approximately 4:40pm, but the ambulance did not arrive until 10:56pm, with a crew travelling from Newry.
“Sadly, this follows another reported incident in Craigavon in July involving a four-hour wait.
“I have now written to the Health Minister to raise my concerns and seek answers. Our residents deserve timely emergency medical assistance, and these lengthy delays must be properly examined.”
