A MAN said it took an ambulance 45 minutes to get to the scene of an accident despite it being only a mile from the Royal Derby Hospital.
Pete Juchnevicius said he dialled 999 after seeing a woman collapse to the floor after her car hit a bookmakers in Mickleover.
The 52-year-old said he pleaded with the call operator to get an ambulance to the incident but instead was continually asked questions "as though they were being read from a script".
He said a paramedic got to the scene, in Station Road, within "five or six minutes."
But the woman, whom he said suffered head injuries after falling to the floor as she got out of the car, was not taken away for hospital treatment until more than 45 minutes later, after the ambulance arrived. The incident happened at 9.25am yesterday when the car hit Mark Jarvis Bookmakers.
Mr Juchnevicius said: "I was in a shop when I heard a loud bang outside. I saw the car was embedded in the bookies.
"The woman seemed to get out of her car and then collapse to the floor. I dialled 999 and told them to get an ambulance there as soon as possible but they just kept asking me questions such as 'are there any chemicals involved?'
"I just kept telling them to get an ambulance there as soon as they could.
"The ironic thing is that it is only a mile from the Royal Derby Hospital, so I don't know why it took so long for an ambulance to get there."
Mr Juchnevicius, who lives in Derby and works for Rolls-Royce, said he saw a pool of blood near where the woman fell and that the paramedic who was the first on the scene had to keep her still while he waited for the ambulance.
He said: "I think there must be a shortage of ambulances.
"What bothers me most is that these services don't seem to be there like they used to be.
"Maybe this latest accident was not seen as a priority."
Pete Ripley, EMAS divisional director for Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire, said: "Using the information given to us by the caller, we categorised this call as requiring a response within 30 minutes.
"The first clinician arrived on scene within nine minutes of the call being picked up.
"An ambulance which was already on route to another less urgent call was stood down so it could travel to the scene of this incident.
"Our clinician provided an assessment and pain relief to the patient while our ambulance travelled to the scene.
"We pre-alerted the Royal Derby Hospital so they could prepare and the patient was taken there for further assessment and treatment.
"Our clinician was on scene quickly to provide assessment and initial treatment.
"However, we appreciate and are sorry for any distress experienced by the caller and patient while the ambulance travelled to the scene."
