NHS Wales: Woman thought she would die waiting for ambulance

Ms Harrison, from Treherbert, Rhondda Cynon Taf, said she had lost all confidence in ambulances to respond to a life-threatening illness after her experience.

“I didn’t feel confident calling [the ambulance] anyway, I knew there were problems and they were having delays but I had no idea it was that bad, it was quite a shock really,” she said.

The mother-of- three said she called NHS 111 on seven separate occasions and was left on hold for more than two hours in one instance.

Ms Harrison said the service called several times during that time to clarify if she still needed an ambulance, and was offered a taxi instead.

Twelve hours on, her difficulties did not end when she arrived at the hospital, as a three-hour wait outside the hospital followed.

She recalled counting seven ambulances outside the hospital waiting for treatment.