Autumn Statement: Hunt announces £3.3bn rise in NHS budget

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A pensioner claims he was forced to wait nearly four hours at a hospital gate for an ambulance to take him just 100 yards to A&E. Philip Jones, 78, was let with a bloody leg after becoming trapped in closing doors while taking the bus. The former medic is prone to blood clots due to a heart condition and needed medical assistance.

But when the concerned bus driver called the emergency services, they were told there would be a three to four hour wait for an ambulance.

Instead, the driver decided to drop Mr Jones at Southmead Hospital in Bristol.

There, Mr Jones said he was stunned to learn that a manager at the hospital “demanded” he stayed on the bus as it would still be three or four hours before an ambulance crew could take him to A&E – just 100 yards away.

The pensioner told Bristol Live he was approached by a doctor who explained everything to him.

But he decided to make his own way off the bus and steadily walk toward the emergency department before being offered a wheelchair.

Mr Jones said after the other passengers boarded another bus while the worried driver drove him to the main hospital entrance and rushed to find a medical staff.

A North Bristol NHS Trust spokesperson said: “We are sorry to hear of these concerns, we are looking into what happened on this occasion so that we can better understand whether our standard operating procedure was followed.

“That procedure does not involve calling an ambulance.”

Mr Jones, of Patchway, South Gloucestershire, said he was appalled that the hospital had not considered the increased pressure on ambulance services when they suggested he wait for hours despite already being on-site and simply requiring a wheelchair.

“They’re already rushed off their feet,” he added.

He said he “never saw a doctor” after waiting several hours and being told there would be a further delay of up to four more.

Frustrated by this, he decided to stop the bleeding himself by taping toilet paper around the wound before leaving.

Despite his ordeal, Mr Jones said it was thanks to the bus driver’s quick thinking that he was able to receive the care he needed.

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