East Cheshire NHS Trust have responded to a shocking video posted on social media by a local GP last week which showed him pleading for the government to wake up and do something to heal the NHS now after he took a patient to A&E as the ambulance did not turn up.
The disturbing video was recorded whilst staff at Wilmslow Health Centre were stabilising a gentleman who had collapsed at the surgery.
After waiting for three hours for an ambulance to turn up, Dr Amar Ahmed took the patient to Macclesfield Hospital himself as the gentleman was deteriorating and needed urgent medical care at the hospital.
Wilmslow Health Centre's Dr Amar Ahmed said "This is a gentleman whose condition was rapidly deteriorating. He should have been seen much earlier. The ambulance didn't arrive, it is not the ambulance people's fault, the system is broken.
"He waited three hours, he was deteriorating and we had to make that difficult decision to bring him in, to save him.
"We're filming this with with the permission of the patient just to highlight where we've got up to. We've done this a few times before.
"We've been calling ambulances, they don't turn up or they say 'call us when the patient's stopped breathing'. I kid you not and this is happening year after year after year and it's only deteriorating.
"And all we ask is, look the system is totally broken. Politicians of both sides need to wake up and do something about it as people are dying."
In response, a spokesperson for East Cheshire NHS Trust said "We're aware of the video that is circulating online and while we are unable to comment on individual cases, we sympathise with any frustration felt by those involved.
"We appreciate the high level of demand that our colleagues at North West Ambulance Service NHS Trust (NWAS) are experiencing, particularly over the winter months. As a Trust we continue to work in collaboration with NWAS to ensure patients are handed over to our Emergency Department as safely and efficiently as possible.
"Our teams work hard to assess and treat patients quickly whilst working closely with colleagues in Primary and Social Care settings across East Cheshire, with the ultimate aim of ensuring that patients are discharged as soon as possible.
"To help reduce A&E waits we encourage everyone to only attend A&E and use the ambulance service for serious accidents and emergencies. Local pharmacies and your GP surgery can provide support in the first instance where appropriate, while NHS 111 is available 24/7 for medical help and advice."
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