Man, 84, left lying on driveway after breaking hip

An 84-year-old man with heart conditions endured an agonising three-hour wait for an ambulance while lying on his damp driveway after breaking his hip.

Graham Woolston was driven to his home in Lowestoft, Suffolk, by his son Daniel Woolston last Friday before falling and injuring himself at about 22:20 GMT.

Despite his age and pre-existing medical conditions, coupled with the cold weather, paramedics did not arrive at the scene until about 01:20 GMT.

Neill Moloney, chief executive of East of England Ambulance Service (EEAST), said: "We would like to apologise sincerely to Mr Woolston and his family."

Mr Woolston had just spent eight hours in James Paget University Hospital, Gorleston, Norfolk, after experiencing dizziness over Christmas.

But after arriving home, he stumbled out of his son's car and hit the floor, shattering his hip and leaving him in excruciating pain.

After calling for an ambulance Daniel, 47, and his sister, with the help of neighbours, covered him in a duvet and blankets and used an umbrella to keep him dry.

Within an hour and a half of the fall, Mr Woolston started to look "a bit pale", so Daniel called the ambulance service again, but to no avail.

He was, however, told to get a defibrillator kit in the event his dad went into cardiac arrest, which he interpreted as being asked to "play paramedic".

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Source: BBC News, 3 January 2025