![Elizabeth Davies fell at her care home and suffered a hip fracture](/https/www.telegraph.co.uk/content/dam/news/2022/12/20/TELEMMGLPICT000320238715_trans_NvBQzQNjv4Bq6onoikZ4frZ50gLBHdWjIJTNvF8iP3p_6YFRg_x4JDQ.jpeg?imwidth=680)
93-year-old with broken hip left waiting on floor for ambulance for more than 25 hours
Elizabeth Davies was left ‘screaming in pain’ for more than a day and endured another 12-hour wait before being admitted to a ward
![Elizabeth Davies fell at her care home and suffered a hip fracture](/https/www.telegraph.co.uk/content/dam/news/2022/12/20/TELEMMGLPICT000320238715_trans_NvBQzQNjv4Bq6onoikZ4frZ50gLBHdWjIJTNvF8iP3p_6YFRg_x4JDQ.jpeg?imwidth=680)
A 93-year-old woman with a broken hip was left lying on the floor waiting for an ambulance for 25 hours.
Elizabeth Davies fell at her care home and was left “screaming in pain” for more than a day.
When she was finally taken to Ysbyty Gwynedd, in Bangor, she endured another 12-hour wait before being admitted to a ward.
On Monday, Mrs Davies underwent surgery to determine the extent of her injuries after a hip fracture was confirmed.
Her son, Ian Davies, and daughter-in-law, Susan, from Pwllheli, said the incident was “unacceptable”. Mr Davies said: “It was very upsetting to have to see her lying on the floor screaming in pain for over 24 hours.”
The Welsh Ambulance Service has apologised, blaming winter pressures, high demand and staff sickness levels.
Mrs Davies has been a resident at a care home in Llanbedrog, Llyn Peninsula, for more than 17 years. Still relatively fit, she uses a walking frame to get around the care home, which has asked not to be named.
But at around 11.45am on Saturday, staff heard a bump and found her sprawled in the living room area.
![Staff put a pillow under Elizabeth Davies’s head and did their best to make her comfortable on the floor](/https/www.telegraph.co.uk/content/dam/news/2022/12/20/TELEMMGLPICT000320238716_1_trans_NvBQzQNjv4BqBivYuRjCoULJFzRR93p7cGrWfbfCZdettJgau0ATvPI.jpeg?imwidth=350)
Mr Davies said: “They called for an ambulance, but were advised an ambulance wouldn’t be available for six to eight hours as they were so busy. They said my mother would be a priority because of her age. The care home then called us and we came immediately.”
Staff propped a pillow under Elizabeth’s head and did their best to make her comfortable on the wooden floor.
“They were excellent,” said Ian, who like Susan is a community carer. “They put a small heater next to her to keep her warm in case she went into shock.”
As Mrs Davies was unable to go to the toilet, an absorbent pad was applied so she could urinate.
Staff began redialling ambulance control staff once it became clear there would be further delays. It is understood the care home made a total of nine calls and a 10th was made by Mr Davies and his wife.
Susan said: “We had to leave at midnight as we had to be up at 5.30am to go to work. My mother-in-law usually goes to bed at 6.30pm-7pm but she couldn’t and she was getting extremely tired.”
‘It was unacceptable’
Care home staff stayed with her through the night, and Mr Davies said: “Each time they called for an update, they were told my mother was a priority and an ambulance would come as soon as possible.”
An ambulance finally arrived at around 1.15pm on Sunday, some 25 hours and 30 minutes after Mrs Davies fell. She was eventually taken to Ysbyty Gwynedd.
Her son and daughter-in-law have yet to discover her prognosis, and the incident has left the couple bitterly disappointed.
“I don’t blame the ambulance staff because they are told what jobs to do and my mother wasn’t on the list,” said Mr Davies. “But I was very upset by what happened – it was unacceptable.
“The whole of the NHS is struggling at the moment, and one of the biggest problems is the shortage of carers. They aren’t paid enough and no one wants to do the job.”
‘Working to mitigate pressures’
Stephen Sheldon, the service manager for the Welsh Ambulance Service in North Wales, extended his apologies to Mrs Davies for her long wait. He invited the family to contact the service directly to raise their concerns.
He said: “Winter pressures coupled with a surge in demand, staff sickness levels and the wider system pressures across NHS Wales has inhibited our ability to respond. Extensive hospital handover delays are well documented and have led to some very long waits for patients.
“On Dec 17 and 18, we spent over 1,600 hours outside hospitals across Wales, waiting to hand patients over to our hospital colleagues, and 563 of those hours were lost outside hospitals in North Wales.
“We are working with partners across Wales to mitigate the pressures as best we can. The public can help us by only calling 999 in a serious or life-threatening emergency so that our resources are available for those who need us most.”