Fovant 92-year-old waited almost 12 hours for an ambulance

Audrey Ferguson couldn't walk and felt unable to drink during the wait as she was concerned about being unable to go to the loo.

Mrs Ferguson fractured and dislocated her ankle after falling over in her Fovant home on Sunday morning, January 21.

Son Angus and his wife, an NHS senior physiotherapist, visited Mrs Ferguson a few hours after the fall and requested an ambulance at 4.05pm following advice from 111.

The pair had two phone calls with a paramedic while they waited for the ambulance, during which Mr Ferguson had to live-stream his mother's injuries.

An ambulance finally arrived at 3.47am, 11 hours and 42 minutes after the initial request was made and around 16 hours after Mrs Ferguson fell.

Audrey Ferguson, 92, waited nearly 12 hours for an ambulance after fracturing her ankle. (Image: Newsquest)

Mr Ferguson has branded the South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust (SWASFT)'s response to his mother's emergency "unacceptable".

He said: "[This] cannot be brushed off with the usual excuse of high demand and limited assets.

"Given her age, her obvious injuries, the fact that these had been observed via live video, backed up with a diagnosis from an experienced physiotherapist, the delays she experienced are totally unacceptable."

Mr Ferguson is uncertain whether his mother will be able to return home as she remains in hospital, three weeks after the fall, and will be undergoing an operation in an attempt to stabilise her ankle.

Handover delays the 'single biggest challenge'

A spokesperson for SWAST said the service is under "enormous pressure" and it isn't meeting the 15-minute national handover target.

The spokesperson added: “We are sorry that we were unable to provide a timely response to Mrs Ferguson. Any occasion where the care we provide falls below the high standards our patients deserve and rightly expect is unacceptable. 

"Handover delays at emergency departments remain our single, biggest challenge. To ensure our ambulances are available to attend the next emergency call within the community, we need to be able to hand patients over within the 15 minute national target.

“Health and social care services are under enormous pressure. We are working with our partners in the NHS and social care, to do all we can to improve the service that patients receive."

Mr Ferguson said he has only had an apology from the service but is demanding answers.

"We feel that it is appalling that a 92 year old requiring the assistance of the ambulance service for the first time in her life had to endure a twelve hour wait and that, whilst having apologised via email, they have not seen fit to provide any reason for their failure to attend within an acceptable and appropriate timescale," he said.

Salisbury MP John Glen. (Image: Victoria Jones/PA Wire)

John Glen, Salisbury's member of parliament, said: "This is clearly an extreme case, and I can imagine the additional anxiety and distress caused by such a delay.

"I will be investigating this and will of course reach out to the family if they would like to discuss their experience with me.”