STROKE VICTIM'S AMBULANCE NIGHTMARE

Son made it home from Yorkshire and still no crew

- CHIARA POLLOCK

A PENSIONER was forced to make her own way to hospital after a stroke and waiting four hours for an ambulance.

Elizabeth De Rosa, 82, began to feel numbness on one side of her body last Tuesday.

As her symptoms progressed, she called her daughter Lisa who arrived at around 6pm and dialled 999 immediately.

Elizabeth, who has previously suffered two strokes, began to feel extreme fatigue before her face started to droop, an early and common symptom.

Meanwhile, her son Chris was driving home from Yorkshire to be with his mum in Mount Vernon, Glasgow.

Due to Elizabeth's history, the family are aware time is precious when suffering a stroke but three hours had gone by and there was still no ambulance.

Chris, 49, claims the Scottish Ambulance Service headquarters phoned Lisa, 53, and said her mum was a priority but they were unable to provide an estimated time of arrival.

At this point, Elizabeth was not stable on her feet and Lisa did not want to carry her to the car herself as she was worried about a fall.

Lisa's husband arrived and carried Elizabeth to the car, before taking her to the Glasgow Royal Infirmary about 9.45pm.