Pensioner who fell and broke her hip while protesting outside A&E over its closure faced nightmare 15 mile trip to ANOTHER hospital
Hospital bosses said she would have been taken to the other hospital anyway as her injury was so severe
A PENSIONER who fell and broke her pelvis whilst protesting outside a closing A&E was hauled 15 miles after waiting for an ambulance to another casualty department for treatment.
Demonstrator Joan Carpenter, 82, was voicing her objections against the temporary closure of Chorley Accident and Emergency when she took a tumble right outside the Lancashire hospital.
Joan, who is still recovering in hospital, received treatment from the fire service who were passing by before waiting 10 minutes for an ambulance which took her 15 miles to Royal Preston Hospital.
But hospital bosses insist she would have been taken there anyway because her injury was considered a major trauma.
Her son David Carpenter, 58, a lecturer, said his mother was feeling well enough to join the demonstration despite not being out much following major heart surgery in March, but she fell during the protest.
He said: “We were in the right place I guess, but of course there's no A&E department at Chorley now.
"We could see the hospital from where she fell. We could have walked her on a stretcher in five minutes to Chorley.
“The fire service was going past and stopped to apply first aid and gave her some oxygen. It must have taken half an hour to get her to Preston and there were about five ambulances with patients waiting.
"The corridors were full with people and stretchers. It was like musical chairs.
“She was taken to the trauma unit in Preston, but put in the gynaecology unit the next day along with another lady who is in a similar situation.
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“Mum is getting really well looked after in Preston don't get me wrong - but the bays are all full and the car park is always heaving.
"It was like musical chairs in there, we even had to wait in the Children's Ward.
"I'm also annoyed that all the family have to keep going up to Preston to see her.
"It's absurd that Chorley A&E has been shut - over the past 30 years my local A&E has provided a wonderful service."
David, who has been involved with the campaign to reinstate the A&E service since it started, said his wife has been treated twice for breast cancer while they have “sewn me back together several times” after several accidents.
He said: "It used to be such a good A&E service. They are just brilliant”
David and his family demonstrate outside the closing A&E every Saturday morning, which is what they were doing when Joan fell on July 14.
David added: "The ambulances now are having to travel further and are out of service for longer.
"The ambulance staff who helped mum didn't have NHS logos on - so it was definitely a private ambulance.
"They cost £80K a month extra for the two private ambulances in Chorley - so we would be better off with the A&E department.
"The trip is so much longer to Preston - and I heard rumours that they are getting rid of the Chorley, Preston and Blackburn hospitals altogether and are going to build a super hospital somewhere in the middle.
"The Chorley A&E closure is just the tip of the Iceberg - we need to do something to stop this."
Karen Partington, chief executive at Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, said since 2013 major trauma patients have been treated at Preston after the service was reorganised.
A fractured pelvis is considered to be a major trauma.
Mrs Partington said: “The emergency department at Chorley has been temporarily downgraded to an urgent care centre, which is open from 8am to 8pm and can treat a wide range of conditions such as minor chest and back injuries, burns and scalds and minor fractures.
"The majority of people who previously attended the emergency department at Chorley have conditions that can be treated safely and appropriately by an urgent care service.”
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