Woman found dead in her home after waiting four hours for ambulance

A woman was found dead in her home four hours almost four hours after she called an ambulance. In a terrifying display of just how overstretched the NHS is this winter, devastated paramedeics found the 81-year-old dead in her home hours after she called 999 reporting chest pains. Paramedics had to break into her property in Clacton, Essex, but she had already died, the GMB said. East of England Ambulance Service (EEAST) said crews arrived three hours and 45 minutes after the initial call. Dave Powell, regional officer for GMB, said the paramedics were ’emotional’ after the incident on Tuesday. He added: ‘They’re devastated because they’re not in the job to find people dead, they’re in the job to help people and keep them alive. ‘It puts enormous strain and stress on people who are working really hard as it is. Three hours and 45 minutes is totally unacceptable for an elderly woman on her own with chest pains. ‘Something has got to be done and the Government has got to wake up to this crisis.’ Read full article below