A YOUNG mother has voiced concerns over ambulance response times after a woman who suffered injuries in a car crash near her home had to wait over an hour for treatment.

Celina Valentine, of East Brent, rushed out of her home on August 1 to help the woman who was badly injured in a crash in Brent Road.

Mrs Valentine said she was told by police officers it would be more than an hour long wait for an ambulance and said she has fears rural communities will suffer the most as a result of NHS cuts She said: “When the police told me it would be an hour long wait I was shocked.

“I helped the woman, who was complaining of back pain, to try and stay comfortable while we were waiting and when the ambulance came she was taken to Southmead Hospital” she said.

“Since the crash, I have been worried about what would happen if my children were unwell and needed medical help.

“Weston General Hospital is now closed in the evening and from East Brent the only two hospitals we can go to for A&E would be Musgrove Park Hospital in Taunton and Southmead Hospital in Bristol.

“It makes me worry not only for myself but other residents in East Brent, would we get an ambulance if we really needed one?”

The woman involved in the crash, who wishes to remain anonymous, said she too is concerned about ambulance waiting times.

“I had to wait just over an hour for an ambulance and at the time I understood I was not a priority case.

“When I received treatment from paramedics, I was very grateful, I was given good care.

“But, I do share Celina’s concerns about ambulance waiting times.

“If I was a mother with young children in such a remote area, I would be worried about how quickly I could get to hospital if one of them was ill. It is concerning.”

South Western Ambulance Service said the woman was assessed to be a category-two risk and deemed her injuries to not be life-threatening.

“The patients were reported to be conscious and breathing with no serious bleeding, nobody was trapped or thrown from the vehicles,” a spokesman said. “One patient was treated for hip and chest pain and was taken onto Southmead General Hospital for further treatment.

“At the time there were four life-threatening incidents being attended to in the area.

“We have a finite number of vehicles available to respond to and prioritise life-threatening incidents.

“Since the rota review, ambulance cover across Somerset has increased by more than 280 hours per week.”